2024 Featured exhibition - April 4 - November 30, 2024

Outside the Box. What happens when Haudenosaunee individuals pursue creative paths that are unheralded and wholly unexpected? When work doesn’t fit the mold? When pioneering forays are made into areas of expression where Indigenous representation is rare to non-existent? Outside the Box celebrates the work of such innovators: the Iroquois Indian Marching Band; photojournalist Ian R. Maracle; installation artist Hannah Claus; claymation animator and comic drama filmmaker Paulette Moore; luthier (guitar maker) Glenn Hill, Jr.; video game developer Waylon Wilson; neo-burlesque dancer Lauren Ashley Jiles; metalsmith Margaret Jacobs, and others.

 

Saturday, May 4 from 1 to 4 - Opening Reception for Outside the Box with guest speaker Ian R. Maracle. Ian is Tuscarora Bear Clan from Six Nations. He has been a photographer since 2012, an art form he feels is rooted in storytelling and communication. He was showcased in Photographers Without Borders; has conducted workshops with at risk youth; and been commissioned for behind the scenes and production work by Kaha:wi Dance Theater.  Ian’s work is a visually stunning statement of what can happen when one is willing to “stand up to tokenism” and create from “lived experience.”

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Saturday & Sunday, May 18th & 19 - Seneca Old Style Moccasin Making Workshop with Jamie Jacobs from Tonawanda Reservation. Constructed from a single piece of leather with a center seam and cuffs this style of moccasins date from the 1800s. Class size - Min. 10. Max 12.  Cost: $75 members/$85 non members

 

May 21 - June 3 - Cobleskill-Richmondville Student Art Exhibit.  Selected works by 2nd graders created under the instruction of art teacher Lori Masterson will be on exhibit in the Children’s Museum.  Works were inspired by the student’s study of Native cultures.  Opening reception for families and fans on June 2 at 2pm

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Saturday, May 25 - Social Dancers -  HAUDENOSAUNEE SINGERS AND DANCERS

The Haudenosaunee Singers & Dancers from Onondaga perform Iroquois social dances as practiced in their small traditional community near Syracuse.  Elegant and knowledgeable, leader Sherri Waterman-Hopper has traveled internationally as an artist and cultural speaker.  The Dancers feature a core group of seasoned singer/musicians and talented and dedicated young adults.  Pride in the culture and adherence to the traditions are the hallmarks of this disciplined troupe. Hopper is also a respected designer and seamstress who incorporates her knowledge of the construction and significance of traditional outfits into her presentations.  Dance times approximately: 11 & 2

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Saturday, June 29 at  7:30 pm.– The Mush Hole: Truth, Acknowledgement, Resilience Dance Performance. This very special offsite performance is a moving contemporary composition by Kawa:hi Dance Theatre inspired by the residential school experience at Six Nations Reserve. Created from survivors’ testimonials and featuring an all indigenous cast, it is a story about hope and finding light in dark places. This award-winning performance will take place at the University of Albany Performing Arts Center, 1400 Washington Ave, Albany, NY, 12222. This will mark the first time this compelling piece will be performed in the Capital Region. No admission charge

 

Saturday, July 6 - Social Dancers - ONOTA’A:KA (ONEIDA NATION DANCERS) from the Haudenosaunee community of Oneida in central New York is led by Wes Halsey. Onota’a:ka uses dance as a way to raise awareness of the diversity and uniqueness of Native traditions. Performances include a repertoire that encourages participation. By offering the audience an opportunity to take part Onota’a:ka seeks to create a foundation for understanding that endures beyond the afternoon’s presentation. Dance times approximately: 11 & 2

 

Saturday & Sunday, July 20 & 21 – Artist Demonstration: Metalsmithing and Steel Sculpture with Margaret Jacobs. Margaret is Akwesasne Mohawk and known for her bold steel sculpture and powder-coated jewelry. Visitors will have the opportunity to observe various components of the artist’s creative process including patterning and cutting with a plasma cutter and the use of an oxy-acetylene torch to shape and form the steel. Margaret will also share her training, practice and inspiration.

 

Friday & Saturday, July 26 & 27 – Welding and Steel Sculpture Workshop. Metalsmith Margaret Jacobs will offer 3 hour participatory AM & PM workshops (by preregistration) on July 26 and 27 for those looking for an immersive and unusual hands-on experience. Try your hand at plasma cutting, oxy-acetylene torch work and MIG welding. Ages 16 to elders. Limit 6 individuals per session. Experienced welders or metalworkers may register for full day. Components created by the participants will be incorporated into a finished sculpture by the artist in her studio to be revealed at a later date.

 

Friday, August 2 from 5 to 9 - Roots, Rhythm & Ale. Join us for a Cajun, Zydeco, Bluegrass bash at the Iroquois Museum in Howes Cave, NY on Friday, August 2.  The evening kicks off at 5 pm with an opening band and followed by The Rubber Band and wraps up at 9 pm.  The event features local artisans, tasty food, and a silent auction.   Enjoy some high energy romping and stomping.  Grab a partner and waltz away your cares, two-step it out in style, or just kick back and enjoy the tunes.  Hot food available for purchase.   Admission is $10 for adults, kids under 18 free and includes admission to the Museum.  For a $20 ticket you receive a commemorative cup for a free beer. All proceeds benefit the Museum’s education programs.  Rain or shine, we’ve got you covered! 

 

Saturday, August 3 – Stone Carving Workshop with Tom Huff. Join this highly accomplished Seneca-Cayuga sculptor for an afternoon of creative experimentation in 3-dimensions. Easy to learn basics using soapstone, rasps, chisels, and other hand tools. Open to adults and children ages 10 and up.  Class will be held outdoors. Preregistration. Fee to be announced

 

Saturday August 10 – Social Dancers - Allegany River Indian Dancers

Founded in 1979, the Allegany River Indian Dancers have become one of the best-known Native dance groups in the United State and Canada today. The group has traveled throughout North America sharing traditional Iroquois social dances. The group is also well known for their repertoire of Intertribal "Pow wow" style dances. Their performances often feature the hoop dance done by Bill Crouse. This dance involves 30 hoops used to make various formations or designs representing things from nature. Through group performances (which often include audience participation) and lecture presentations this group has taught large audiences about Seneca history and culture.  Dance times approximately: 11 & 2

 

Saturday & Sunday August 17 & 18 – Artist Demonstration: Guitar Making with Glenn Hill, Jr. Glenn is an Akwesasne Mohawk luthier who has been hand crafting acoustic and electric guitars for approximately a decade. He founded Sonny Boy Guitars Inc. in 2015. This non-traditional art form allows him to incorporate his love of music and Haudenosaunee culture with the pleasure he finds in the creative process.

 

Saturday & Sunday, August 31 & September 1 – 41st Annual Iroquois Arts Festival
This event celebrates Iroquois creativity by featuring an all Iroquois Art Market open to Haudenosaunee artists and artisans. Both traditional and contemporary arts and fine crafts are showcased. The Sky Dancers from Six Nations Reserve in Ontario will perform traditional Iroquois social dances, and invite the public out onto the dance floor to participate. The 20-member Iroquois Indian Marching Band from Tuscarora will perform on Saturday. Family activity area will feature participatory crafts.  Local wildlife rehabilitator Kelly Martin will discuss wildlife conservation in our region and present a variety of native animals including birds of prey.  The Museum’s archeology department will be available to help identify archeological finds and give demonstrations of flintknapping and other early technologies. 

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Sunday, October 6 at 2pm - Opening Reception for Unique & Individual: A Portrait of Autism by Mohawk Photographer Angel Horn.  Exhibition runs Oct 5 – November 30. In conjunction with World Autism Month 2022, Angel photographed dozens of Mohawk children and young adults on the autism spectrum with the goal of increasing understanding and acceptance in her community and awareness of the challenges faced by their families. Each portrait is accompanied by a narrative introduction by her subjects or their parents.

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Saturday, October 12 at 3pm - Artist Talk by Hannah Claus.  Hannah Claus is a transdisciplinary artist whose ancestry includes the Tyendinaga Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. She holds an MFA from Concordia University, is an Eiteljorg Fellow and a recipient of the Prix Giverny. Her elegant, often ethereal expressions have been exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada; the Biennial of Contemporary Indigenous Art; and the Pierre-François Ouellette contemporary art gallery. Claus' installations are in several public collections, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Eiteljorg Museum, North American Native Museum (Zurich, CH), the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Global Affairs and the City of Montreal. She is one of the co-founders of daphne, a new Indigenous contemporary arts center based in Montreal.  

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Sat & Sunday, October 12 & 13 – Porcupine Quill Embroidery Workshop with Seneca artist Jamie Jacobs. When this master artisan demonstrated his award-winning quillwork in 2022 many of our visitors asked to learn this exquisite and rarely practiced art form. This is a two-day class and includes all materials. This is a very special opportunity with a limited number of participants. Last year’s workshop filled with a waiting list so you’ll want to sign up early.  Class size - Min. 10. Max 12.  Cost: $75 members/$85 non members

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Saturday, October 19 from 10 to 4 - Early Technology Day: Visitors can watch and participate in the process of flint knapping (the ancient art of making chipped stone tools), fire making, cordage making, atlatl spear throwing and early archery.  There will be displays of projectile points, tools, and local archaeological finds from the Museum’s archaeology department.  Think you've found an artifact? Please bring it with you and the Museum’s experts will be glad to try to identify it for you.

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These events are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; a Humanities NY Action grant; the Institute of Museum and Library Services; a National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America grant; and friends and members of the Iroquois Museum. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information contact: info@iroquoismuseum.org