Posted 12:25 am Saturday, July 24, 2010
Martha Berry Discusses The Lost Art Of Cherokee Beadwork At TMA
TMA Summer Lecture Series
A once-lost art form will be the topic of discussion during the second installment of the Tyler Museum of Art's Summer Lecture Series on Thursday when artist Martha Berry presents her lecture titled "The Rise, Loss, and Revival of Traditional Cherokee Beadwork."
The lecture will be held in the TMA Classroom and will elaborate upon themes and information presented in the current exhibition "Cherokee Beadwork: Finding a Lost Art" on view now through Aug. 15 in the Museum's Bell Gallery.
MARTHA BERRY, a Cherokee descendant, is a central figure to the revival of this art form, which was nearly lost due in large part to the violent deracination of the Cherokee Indian known by many as the "Trail of Tears."
The lecture will be presented free from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and participants are asked to call the museum to reserve their seat.
"My lecture will feature many images of both historic Cherokee beaded artifacts and also contemporary Cherokee revival beadwork," Mrs. Berry said. She plans on telling the story of a beautiful art form that once was lost, examining why it was lost, and also discussing how the art form is being revived today.
Mrs. Berry, a Cherokee descendant, is a central figure to the revival of this art form, which was nearly lost due in large part to the violent deracination of the Cherokee Indian known by many as the "Trail of Tears."
Called the "Indian Removal Act," this part of U.S. government policy was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson in 1830. Although so-called Indian Removal Act was supposed to be voluntary, it paved the way for the reluctant -- and often forcible -- emigration of tens of thousands of American Indians to the West. The Cherokee people called this journey the "Trail of Tears," because of its devastating effects.
Called the "Indian Removal Act," this part of U.S. government policy was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson in 1830. Although so-called Indian Removal Act was supposed to be voluntary, it paved the way for the reluctant -- and often forcible -- emigration of tens of thousands of American Indians to the West. The Cherokee people called this journey the "Trail of Tears," because of its devastating effects.
The migrants faced hunger, disease, and exhaustion on the march.
More than 4,000 out of 15,000 of the Cherokees died, and with their passing, much of the people's history and culture was all but lost. Through her research and art works, Mrs. Berry seeks to not only tell the story of the Cherokee people, but also to feature the artistry that was unique to this people.
"Cherokee Beadwork: Finding a Lost Art" showcases work by a total of 14 artists including Mrs. Berry, who became interested in Cherokee beadwork when she first attempted to discover information about her own Cherokee heritage.
"I thought that if I could make something that they had made, making all those hundreds of little decisions in the process of creating a piece of art, that it would somehow bring me closer to them," she said.
When Mrs. Berry began to look for information about beadwork, however, there was none to be found.
"Although I had seen photographs of historical Cherokee beadwork, I could find no teachers, books, instructions or kits for that unique beadwork," she said. "So I began collecting photographs of the artifacts and learned to bead from the photos." Mrs. Berry went on to receive a grant to travel to Washington, D.C., to study the Cherokee beadwork in the Smithsonian Institution collection. "I began this journey nearly 20 years ago and, happily, I have been able to feel that connection with my Cherokee grandmothers in a very profound way."
During her lecture at the TMA, Mrs. Berry will talk about how and why this art form has not only survived, but also has begun to gain significant support.
"Since the early 1990s, there has been a growing interest among Native people to preserve and perpetuate our cultures," she said.
Research and scholarly efforts made by Mrs. Berry and others like her have cultivated a growing body of information about the Cherokee people. "There are over 250,000 federally recognized Cherokee Nation citizens," she said. "That is a large market for beadwork and other Cherokee specific history, language, art, clothing, movies and cooking."
The Tyler Museum of Art, accredited by the American Association of Museums, is at 1300 S. Mahon Ave., adjacent to the Tyler Junior College campus off East Fifth Street. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sat-urday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more information or to make reservations for the lecture, call 903-595-1001.
