Carolyn Anderson

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Maliseet

MEDIUM: Painting/Illustration

BIOGRAPHY
Carolyn is a visual artist living in Houlton, Maine. Carolyn is a 2013 graduate from the University of Maine at Presque Isle where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with painting and photography concentrations, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education.

Carolyn started out with a desire for photography and fell into a love for painting. Her medium of choice is acrylics but at times using other mediums as well. Inspiration for her work comes from her hometown, nature and her tribe The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.

While working at the Houlton Band of Maliseets, Carolyn was busy photographing events as well as creating artwork for fundraisers. Currently she has work on display at The Shire Ale House, Houlton, The Pine Grill in Monticello, and Wintergreen Art Center in Presque Isle.. She will also be participating in multiple art and craft shows throughout Maine beginning with Houlton’s eclipse celebration.

 

Connect with Carolyn

 
 
 

Maya Attean

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Penobscot

MEDIUM: Photography

BIOGRAPHY
Maya Tihtiyas Attean (b. 1994) is a Wabanaki artist living in Portland, Maine or Machigonne, raised on the Penobscot Reservation. Her work reflects her ancestry, resilience, and connection to the natural world. Through exploring the duality she embodies within the colonized world she exists within, she marries mediums and techniques of multiple cultures to create new realities and possibilities within her work. Maya earned her BFA within Photography from Maine College of Art & Design in 2023. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Portland Museum of Art and the Abbe Museum.

 
 
 

Eric Otter Bacon

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Passamaquoddy

MEDIUM: Basketry, Woodwork

ARTIST STATEMENT
As a young child, my mother mentioned that I constantly created hand-drawn copies of sneakers and boots, particularly focusing on the tread patterns.

Woodworking and basket making soon followed at around age five or so, influenced by several family members, including my maternal grandfather, a Grand Lake wood strip canoe builder, my father, a wood and bone/antler carver, and my uncle who steam bent wood into dog sleds. I also was inspired by many basket makers on the reservation. 

At the age of 16, I started working with Loyd Owle, a renowned Cherokee artist at the Unity Youth Treatment Center in North Carolina. I learned leatherwork, stone carving, and other Native arts. While receiving treatment there, I discovered the value of life, and it was where my first pieces of Native art were sold.

For many years, I pursued a tattoo apprenticeship, focusing my artwork on the industry. I also conducted extensive research on indigenous patterns and designs from around the world.

In 2004, I started making baskets professionally. And during my first decade, I began participating in and winning art competitions at various Native art markets. My work was also featured in the collections of major museums across the country. 

During this period, I collaborated closely with birch bark canoe builders David Moses Bridges and Steve Cayard, constructing five different bark canoes with various Native communities to acquire and exchange knowledge of traditional canoe construction and material gathering/preparation.

In the future, I want to keep sharing and teaching the traditional arts knowledge I've gained. My goal is to inspire others to find value and hope within themselves so they have the tools to lead a positive and meaningful life.  

 
 
 

Josh Carter

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

MEDIUM: Jewelry

ARTIST STATEMENT
I am the son of Joseph Carter III and Nancy Bonin. I am of Pequot, Narragansett, African American and Irish decent. I am happily married to my best friend, we have four beautiful amazing children and recently received the precious gift of our first granddaughter. I am currently the Executive Director of our Tribal community’s very own Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center. I am head over heels in love with the traditional art of wampum. I really enjoy the conversations around its traditional use, the Pequot’s relationship to the ocean and to address the perpetuated fallacy that wampum traditionally was money. I was fortunate enough to establish a strong relationship with the most talented wampum maker known in modern times, Allen Hazard (Narragansett). I am forever indebted to him for his gifts of wisdom and patience that transcends wampum making. I will continue to honor my ancestors, Allen and my family by teaching all those in my community who would like to learn. I feel blessed to carry on this most beautiful ancient tradition.

 
 
 

CroweQuill Creations - Reanna Crowe

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Passamaquoddy

MEDIUM: Jewelry, Quillwork

ARTIST STATEMENT
I am Reanna, a proud member of the Passamaquoddy tribe from Maine. I specialize in creating unique and beautiful jewelry using traditional materials such as porcupine quills and birch bark. Each piece is handcrafted with care, reflecting the rich heritage and artistry of my culture. I invite you to explore my collection and discover the beauty of Passamaquoddy craftsmanship.

 

CONNECT WITH REANNA

 
 
 
 
 

Kateri Aubin Dubois / Nisnipawset

/
IMG_20210205_091649_518.jpg

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Maliseet of Viger

MEDIUM: Beadwork

BIOGRAPHY
Nisnipawset is Kateri’s indigenous name. Because her contemporary creations are made with traditional bead weaving techniques, Kateri uses her indigenous name to represent her brand. Her jewelry is handmade yet affordable, hypoallergenic and high quality. Kateri is a 35-year-old, now mother of two, indigenous woman living in the Greater Montreal region. She started beading traditional friendship bracelets as a child and rediscovered the joy of beading while studying translation at Concordia University, from which she is now an Alumni. Kateri started creating beautiful pieces. She is always exploring to find new techniques to learn, new patterns to bead and learning to design her own pieces. She hopes one day to own her gallery-shop and share her beading knowledge with whoever wants to learn.

 

Connect with Kateri

 
 
 
 
 

Alexandra Francis

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Penobscot

MEDIUM: Jewelry, Beadwork

BIOGRAPHY
Alexandra (Neptune) Francis is a Peskotomuhkat (fisher clan) naka Panawapskewi (eel clan) citizen, mother, and artist. Growing up at Sipayik, learning basic beadwork at an early age, the seeds of cultural expression were planted.

Alex ventured into 2D art while in high school and university and continues to use skills acquired as a basis for all creation. In 2019, she revisited beadwork and has continued to actively create contemporary and traditional art.

Presently residing in Panawapskek territory, as a Wabanaki Traditional Arts mentor, Alex actively shares knowledge with others with the aim of continuity for cultural art forms. The vitality of our culture lies in the passing on of all the aspects of what makes us who we are- passing on the gifts of our ancestors.

 

Connect with Alexandra

 

Gabriel Frey

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Passamaquoddy

MEDIUM: Basketry - Ash

ARTIST STATEMENT
Gabriel Frey is a Passamaquoddy artist whose family has been making traditional black ash baskets for generations. He specializes in utility baskets, such as pack baskets, market baskets, and purses. Frey weaves each basket solely with black ash and handcrafted leather features such as straps, lids, and liners for each basket. Gabriel’s artistic process includes locating and harvesting basket-quality black ash trees from the woods, processing black ash logs, and weaving black ash materials into basket forms. Each piece has an element of carving. Frey carves the hoops, handle, and wooden pins to fasten leather straps. Many of his tools, such as basket molds, gauges, and shave horse adaptations of traditional designs. 

Maintaining the traditional knowledge of Wabanaki basket makers is an important aspect of his artistic process. 

Gabriel’s art expresses an indigenous worldview. He is inspired by the natural world and the transformation of a living tree into a functional vessel. His baskets connect the interwoven past, present, and future to create functional art pieces. Culture, family traditions, personal experiences, and hopes for the future are embodied within each basket. 

Gabriel learned traditional black ash basketmaking from his grandfather. “When I hold my grandfather’s baskets, I hear my grandfather’s voice giving subtle suggestions on technique and style. I hear my grandfather’s stories. My family connection is maintained through basket making. I work towards perfecting the function and form of the traditional baskets while evolving each basket to reflect my personal style. My basket-making goal is to produce useable, functional baskets for daily use. I want someone who buys my work to use, feel, and experience Wabanaki culture daily.” Using these baskets, that person creates a connection and finds added value within the basket. Creating functional Wabanaki baskets is a platform to connect people to places. This reflects interconnectedness and reciprocity between people, their natural world, family, and our nonhuman relatives.  

 

Connect with Gabriel

 
 
 

Aron Griffith

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Maliseet

MEDIUM: Basketry - Other

BIOGRAPHY
Aron Griffith, a Maliseet artist who resides in Maine & the Southwest, took on basket making in his early 30s & found a career that fulfilled his goal to raise awareness of the Maliseet traditions and culture. As an artist, he works with Maliseet traditional designs & concepts on birch bark which he gathers in the North Woods & Canada.

Aron is self taught and has developed his own unique style, including his birch bark dolls, burden baskets & rattles. Each piece of bark is selected carefully & with respect to the birch tree. Etchings are done using a needle or awl & usually decorated with sweetgrass, spruce root and brown ash. Aron’s baskets are functional pieces as well as decorative & his designs represent various animal and plant life.

Birch bark basketry has been made for centuries by Maliseet people of Maine and New Brunswick, Canada, a beautiful and unique art form that has remained with only a few artisans left in our community. Aron has produced several significant works that have been on display and for sale at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

 
 
 

Chance Griffith

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Maliseet

MEDIUM: Basketry - Other

ARTIST STATEMENT
’Hey there, My name is Chance Griffith I’m 24 years old I grew up in Tucson, Arizona one of the hottest deserts in the world the “Sonoran” desert I’m also a U.S Tribal member I’m apart of the “The MALISEET Tribe “located in Northern” Maine” being far away from my culture and community inspired me to do self searching learning all the history of my tribe. My father “Aron Griffith” is a Birch bark basket maker my father would often travel back to our reservation in Maine to harvest birch bark to make traditional/contemporary birch bark art not understanding why birch bark was so important to my people I learned it was used to make shelter, canoes, baskets, traditionally I saw how my father turned something like bark into art that gave me inspiration to create something of my own that I could bring back with my to my reservation and recreate what a modern day indigenous artists are capable of doing outside of the norms of traditional native art making.’

 
 
 

Eldon Hanning

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Mi’kmaq Nation

MEDIUM: Basketry - Ash

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Eldon Hanning of Mi’kmaq Nation is well known for his utility baskets. A master of ash preparation, Eldon will demonstrate the traditional Micmac method of pounding and splitting ash, which differs greatly from the techniques of the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy ash-pounders. A board member of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, Eldon has taught hundreds of members of each of the Wabanaki Tribes how to weave potato baskets—a basket which the Wabanaki are well known for.

 
 
 

Hawk Henries

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Chaubunagungamaug Band of Nipmuck

MEDIUM: Musician, Woodworker

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Hawk is a member of the Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuck, a people indigenous to what is now Southern New England. He has been composing original music and making Eastern Woodlands flutes using hand tools for over 30 years.

Hawk will play a variety of different flutes. He also enjoys sharing his experiences and perspectives about Life in hopes of acknowledging and honoring the Sacredness in each person and all cultures. He creates a calming yet engaging and contemplative space while maintaining a note of humor. His music is a reflection of thinking that we each have the capacity to make a change in the world.

Hawk has had the honor of presenting at venues such as The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Harvard Medical School Graduation, and in the U.K. with the London Mozart Players. He also enjoys educational settings from kindergarten to university and small venues where he can engage the audience in dialogue.

As a seasoned flute maker, Hawk has flutes all over the world and in several museums. He has three original CD's; First Flight, Keeping the Fire and Voices. He is also featured on the compilation CD Tribal Winds. His music has been used in a variety of films and documentaries, some of which won or were nominated for Emmy awards.

 

Connect with Hawk

 
 
 
 
 

Sierra Henries

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Chaubunagungamaug Band of Nipmuck

MEDIUM: Pyrography, Birchbark

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Sierra Autumn Henries has been a multimedia artist for over thirty years and is a member of the Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuck (MA) living at the intersection of Passamaquoddy and Penobscot homelands. She and her family care for land and their home in a place that rests at the feet of both Schoodic and Black mountains, and sits alongside Flanders stream, which flows only a short distance to the ocean waters of Flanders Bay.

Consisting primarily of pyrography and birch bark, her art endeavors to honor the beauty of natural color and form while incorporating line work that lives harmoniously with the material. Her Eastern Woodlands culture plays a role in all aspects of her artistic process - from mindset and approach while gathering bark, to the creation and completion of a design. Each piece is meticulously cut, sketched, and burned free-hand, no stencils are used. Every piece of art is unique and comes into being with their own story.

Through intentional process and a reflection of her relationship with land and community (both human and otherwise), Sierra hopes that her art will foster conversation and connection with nature, as well as sparking an interest in others to explore their own creative-self expression.

Her parents are Lisa and Hawk (flutemaker), her sister is Sequan, and her grandparents are Jayne, and Donald who journeyed 2023; Carol, and Little Crow who journeyed 2012; and Theresa Coates.

 

Connect with Sierra

 
 
 
 
 

Jo-Ellen Loring Jamieson

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Penobscot

MEDIUM: Beadwork

ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a tribal citizen of the Penobscot Nation. I learned to bead on Indian Island as a teenager. As an Indigenous woman born on Earth Day, I have a deep connection with nature and an inherent responsibility to do my part to help protect the planet. I sometimes use recycled and upcycled materials in my work which helps to reduce my footprint.

 
 
 

Marisa Joly

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Listuguj Mi'gmaq First Nation

MEDIUM: Painting/Illustration

BIOGRAPHY
Marissa Joly is a Mi’kmaq visual artist residing in Durham, ME. Her Wabanaki heritage holds a lot of inspiration for her creations. Nature, color theory, indigenous patterns, and organic shapes play big roles in her work. She aims to strike up conversations on spirituality and emotions brought forth through her use of color, cultural symbolism, and abstract designs. She works in the mediums of painting (small and large scale murals), printmaking, digital art, and crafting dreamcatchers.

 

CONNECT WITH MARISA

 
 
 

Jeanne Lewey

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Penobscot

MEDIUM: Home & Body

ARTIST STATEMENT
My name is Jeanne Lewey. I live between Indian Township and Indian Island, Maine; I am affiliated with the Penobscot Nation. My cultural upbringing influenced my artisan soap-making and for me, the creative process begins when I'm in nature. I make sweetgrass and cedar soaps using ingredients including wild-harvested Blue Glacier clay, essential oils, milk, activated charcoal, French green clay, and more. I'm self-taught and am in my happy place when I create. I am happiest when creating a new recipe, and hope that my products put a smile on others' faces.

 
 
 

April Lola

/

TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Passamaquoddy

MEDIUM: Diverse Arts

BIOGRAPHY
April Lola is a Peskotomuhkati (Passamaquoddy) artist from Motahkomikuk (Indian Township). A mother of two Passamaquoddy and Maliseet daughters and a graduate student in clinical counseling, she turned to botanical framed art as a way to carve out time for creativity and self-care amidst her busy life.

Born and raised on the Motahkomikuk reservation, her home was filled with art, April was deeply influenced by her mother, a respected beader known for her intricate dream catchers. She gravitated toward floral art, preserving foraged and gifted flowers over time. Inspired by the beauty and significance of these natural elements, she began incorporating medicines of the four directions and themes of feminine strength into her work. Through silhouettes of the divine feminine, she tells stories of resilience, empowerment, and connection to the land.