June12, 2015 – For the 23rd year, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art will celebrate Indian Market and Festival (IMF), Saturday and Sunday, June 27 and 28, in Military Park. More than 130 Native American artists – including jewelers, painters, potters, sculptors, storytellers and musicians – will sell, showcase and demonstrate their art.

This year’s market celebrates a different kind of storytelling as the Eiteljorg welcomes nationally-renowned sketch comedy group, the 1491s, to the entertainment stage. Admired by fans for drawing attention to and poking fun of certain characteristics within Native communities, and offering unexpected insights into contemporary life, the 1491s have received national recognition (most recently on The Daily Show ) for their mix of ironic, highly infectious and somewhat satirical humor. For instance, on the website www.1491s.com, the group claims, “They were at Custer’s Last Stand. They mooned Chris Columbus when he landed. They invented bubble gum.”

The Eiteljorg Indian Market attracts more than 7,000 guests over two days. Visitors are exposed to Native cultural traditions, art-making activities; traditional and contemporary Native music and the once a year chance to interact with people from 60 different American Indian tribes. Some of this year’s featured performers and attractions include:

Twin Rivers
Longtime friends and musicians, Adrian Wall (Jemez Pueblo/Ojibwe) and Ed Kabotie (Hopi/Santa Clara Pueblo) blend traditional and contemporary Native sounds to create beautifully melodic songs.

SouthEastern Waterspider Drum
Singers and drummers celebrate Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Lumbee, Shawnee and North East Susquehanna Indian cultures.

David R. Boxley (image attached)
An esteemed Tsimshian artist from Metlakatla, AK, Boxley serves as a storyteller and culture bearer, and teaches the Tsimshian language in his community.

The Leaf Arrow Storytellers
Donna Couteau Cross (Sac and Fox) and Joe Cross (Caddo/ Potawatomi) mix Coyote and creation stories with folklore for a rich experience interlaced with songs and traditional dances.

Teresa Webb (Anishinaabe)
Teresa is the storyteller-in-residence at the Eiteljorg. She teaches cultural awareness and presents Native cultures through storytelling and songs.

DG House (Cherokee of NE Alabama)
DG
is a photographer, painter and printmaker whose stories reflect a love for nature and encompass the many sides of history.

Family attractions include: Bread-making demonstrations, portrait mask-making, an opportunity to help create a community fish mural based on a design by artist DG House (Cherokee) and microfiche weaving.

Before the kick-off of Indian Market, the Eiteljorg will host two parties Friday, June 26 – the official IMF Preview Party and the AfterGlow party featuring the 1491s and DJ Kyle Long.

Preview Party Details
5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Price: $90/members $100/non-members
An exclusive first-look shopping opportunity and reception. Attendees get free weekend passes to Indian Market and Festival.

IMF AfterGlow
9 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Price: Free for AGAVE members and $15/non-members and non-Indian Market and Festival Preview Party attendees
Grab a glow stick and join us for beverages, dancing, desserts and entertainment by the 1491s and DJ Kyle Long. Interact with artists in a relaxed setting along the canal and underneath The Sails of the Eiteljorg. Call (317) 275-1333 to make reservations.

Time, Tickets and Parking
– Indian Market and Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in White River State Park’s Military Park, just north of the museum in downtown Indianapolis.

– Discounted advanced tickets for the event are on sale at the Eiteljorg Museum, on the museum’s website and Marsh Supermarkets or by calling 1-800-622-2024. Advance sale tickets are $10. Tickets during the market are $12 at the gate. Kids 17 and under are FREE. Admission to the Eiteljorg is included.

– White River State Park underground garage next to the Eiteljorg Museum and IUPUI parking lots across from Military Park provides the most convenient and inexpensive parking for this event. Shuttles to and from the museum are available.

-Parking in the White River State Park garage will not be validated Indian Market weekend.

If you would like to schedule an interview with Indian Market and Festival performers prior to the event, please contact DeShong Perry-Smitherman, Eiteljorg public relations manager at (317) 275-1352, or [email protected]. Check www.eiteljorg.org for the action-packed schedule.

 

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