College of Mount Saint Joseph Hosts Gallery Opening

The Studio San Giuseppe Art Gallery at the College of Mount St. Joseph is honored to announce the opening of Cherokee Arts and Crafts: Shaped by Tradition (February 24 – March 29, 2014).  This exhibition presents the intersection of traditional and contemporary art works by the Eastern Band of Cherokee, in North Carolina.  The art works included in the exhibition encompass a variety of media, including: basketry, pottery, sculpture, jewelry, weaving, drawing and painting, and come from the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc.; the nation’s oldest and foremost Native American cooperative, founded in 1946 with the purpose of preserving and advancing Cherokee arts and crafts.  Many pieces are created using traditional methods and natural materials, such as: native plants, local clays, woods and stones and, yet have a contemporary quality.  The process of art making is a significant custom that has been passed down through many generations.  There continues to be a growing effort to preserve the traditional ways within the Eastern Cherokee, as one can see in their elegantly crafted art works. 

A special Gallery Reception will be held on Saturday, March 22, from 2 – 4pm.  The public is cordially invited to view the exhibition, meet our honored guest from the Cherokee Indian Reservation (Qualla Boundary, North Carolina) and enjoy the celebration.  During the reception, honored guest-Freeman Owle will recount traditional Cherokee stories.  The Reception is free and open to the public.

This exhibition parallels an ongoing relationship between the Mount’s Departments of Religious Studies and Behavioral Sciences and the Cherokee people of North Carolina.  Students and faculty members have traveled to the Cherokee Indian Reservation for a Religious Studies/Anthropology class since 1991 where they have immersed themselves in the cultural and spiritual atmosphere of the Cherokee people.  Associate Professor of Religious & Pastoral Studies, Dr. Marge Kloos, SC, and Director of Galleries, Velma Dailey, BFA, MA, currently lead the class and field experience for both undergraduate and graduate level students.

The Cherokee people come from a different social, economic and political background with different languages, views and beliefs.  This exhibition presents these deeply-rooted tribal identities, creating a rare opportunity to walk reverently in their footsteps, to see what they see.  Many of these expressive pieces, from traditions past and present, from Elders and second or third generation practitioners, from nationally and internationally acclaimed Native American artists are on view in Studio San Giuseppe through March 29.  All of the art works are for sale and all proceeds go directly to the Qualla Arts & Crafts Mutual, Inc.

Studio San Giuseppe is a nonprofit art gallery located in the Dorothy Meyer Ziv Art & Design Building on the campus of the College of Mount St. Joseph, Delhi and Neeb roads in Delhi Township, 15 minutes west of downtown Cincinnati.  Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.  The Gallery is closed on major holidays.  Admission is free.  For more information, call Studio San Giuseppe at 513-244-4314.