The path to being an artist is a bit of a wind-y road. All my life I have been involved in artmaking. When I was attending elementary school I enjoyed drawing and painting. Art was something which I excelled in and enjoyed. I learned about perspective when I was in sixth grade and remember painting apple blossom trees as a lesson in perspective. My mother still has my early drawings. Also, I remember when we moved from Albuquerque to Biloxi, Mississippi (when I was in first grade) all my classmates drew self-portraits for me to take on my trip. First grade was also the period when I pressed my first hand print into plaster. We used the bottom of a coffee can lid and the plaster was a lime green. It's odd to think but many years later I did a series of raku handprints...click here for more ...

Spirituality and creativity are deeply connected. I've seen this connection proven over and over while teaching young people creative writing workshops. This connection needs to be fed if they are to believe they have a place in this world. Helping young people understand their connection to the earth is one of my passions. Inspiring them on to creative works through that spiritual connection has become one of the greatest joys of my life. And finding other artists/ writers/musicians who feel the same way has given me strength to continue in times of heartbreak. While in Arizona last year, I was given a book of poetry written by American Indian children...click here here for more...

Hello. My name is George Stonefish. I am a Delaware, on my mother's side, from the Moravian Indian Reserve-on-the-Thames in southern Ontario, and on my father's side, a Chippewa from the St. Isabella/St. Rosa reservation in Michigan. However, while I am a full blood, I am not a reservation Indian in any manner of speaking. In fact, I was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised on the Upper Eastside of Manhattan (my emphasis). Nevertheless, I spent my summer vacations with my Grandparents in Michigan and Canada learning traditional singing and dancing. We traveled the pow wow circuit throughout that region, but come September, it was back to school and the experiences that came from living in New York City with parents who were involved in the bohemian "Artsy Fartsy" scene in the early 60's. As a consequence of this lifestyle: poetry readings, gallery openings and the Cedar Bar scene were typical. ... click here for more ...

Spiderwoman Theater | by Steve Elm

One of the first things I ever saw when I came to the American Indian Community House was the sight of Muriel Miguel howling in the Circle. Howling like a coyote she was. Howling with all her might, all her breath - I didn't know what was going on. All I could think was that a mad woman had taken over the Circle. She had streaks of pink in her hair. And she was howling. And as she was howling I began to understand what was happening. She was getting strength from Coyote, from the spirits around us, and from the people sitting, staring, open mouthed, like me, in the Circle. She then quietly and eloquently told the audience a story about a friend of hers who was dying of AIDS in San Francisco... click here for more ...

Opportunities for Artists

Find out the latest on residencies, festivals, markets, fellowships, prizes, internships, classes, rehearsal spaces and much more... click here for more ...