I took my own advice and headed to the opening reception for Kiowa beader Teri Greeves last Saturday at the Craft in American Study Center at 8415 West 3rd Street. I’ve seen photos of Greeves’s amazing creations—which collide traditional beadwork through contemporary mediums—but it was something else to see her work up close (and not covered in Plexi glass) in an intimate space. Through April 3, you’ll find works such as the high-top sneaker-heels shown above (“Fancy Dancing B’Ballers, $10,500), bracelets, necklaces and ridiculously chic clutches, and pieces that delve deep into the cultural and political… (Images and information on specific pieces after the jump.)
(“Indian Couture: Book of Dance and Dress” is a tribute to Native women’s contemporary dance and clothing, each representing a different competitive pow-wow style dance, $15,000; note: I love this, as it reminds me of the women my Winnebago grandmother always painted in watercolors.)
(I told the husband I should own this clutch since I am a Raven on my Tlingit side—a girl can dream. Totally stunning. $600)
(Butterfly clutch, also $600; lures me in with the rich hue of the hide.)
(“Sovereign Citizen” depicts two faceless Native soldiers—one from WWI and one from WWII—and discusses Native Americans’ role in the military and right to vote; 9,000 Natives served in WWI, and these veterans were given U.S. citizenship in 1919; then, in 1924, all Natives were given U.S. citizenship, but it wasn’t until 1948 that the last state laws in AZ and NM preventing Natives from voting were overturned by the federal courts. Notably, 44,000 Natives served in WWII, five times more than WWI.)
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