Native American Holiday Arts and Crafts Market

Litchfield Hills is dotted with many holiday fairs and festivals. For those that are looking for something really unusual, take a trip to the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut to shop for authentic Native American Arts and Crafts.

At the Institute’s annual Native American Holiday Arts and Crafts Market you will find a wide array of unusual holiday gifts from local Native American crafters. Visitors can shop for a wide variety of Native American crafts, jewelry, and artwork. Among the more unusual items are beautifully handwoven baskets from colorful reeds and bark, hand-painted decorative gourds, authentically made Native American pottery, rattles, and elegant handcrafted flutes.

All the items found here are offered at a variety of price points so no matter what your budget is, you might very well find that perfect gift item. In addition to finding something truly unusual, visitors will have the opportunity to chat with Native American crafters as they create these unique and beautiful items.

The Native American Holiday Arts and Crafts Market is taking place at the Institute on November 30 and December 1; December 7 and 8, and December 14 and 15. This special Native American Holiday Market will be open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 12 pm to 5 p.m. The entrance to the Holiday Market is free!

About The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have a 16^th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

Lockwood Mathews Mansion presents The Trained Eye: The Art of Railroads & Stations

If you have always been fascinated with railroad stations don't miss the fascinating art exhibit at Norwalk's Lockwood Mathews Mansion that is running through January 5, 2020. 

A subject matter explored by some of the great artists of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, such as Claude Monet, Edward Hopper, and Camille Pissarro, railroads, and stations are familiar places that continue to inspire contemporary artists and impact society and the environment.  

“The artists featured in the exhibition, The Trained Eye,” said Ms. Ingis, “will look at this kaleidoscope of images and colors and render their own interpretation with works that range from photo-realism to post-impressionism and in a variety of media including oil, watercolor, acrylics, etchings, and photography.”

Curated by artist and Trustee Gail Ingis and Trustee Julyen Norman, the exhibition will feature artists:  David Bravo, David Dunlop, Julie O'Connor, DeAnn Prosia, Helen Roman, Alexsander Rotner, Cathy Russell, Anthony Santomauro, Norm Siegel, and Rob Zuckerman. 

The contemporary art exhibitions are sponsored in part by Gail Ingis and Tom Claus. The Museum’s 2019 cultural and educational programs are made possible in part by generous funding from LMMM’s Founding Patrons: The Estate of Mrs. Cynthia Clark Brown, LMMM’s 2019 Season Distinguished Benefactors: The City of Norwalk and The Maurice Goodman Foundation. The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a National Historic Landmark. For more information on schedules and programs please visit www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, e-mail info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com, or call 203-838-9799.

Celebrate National Indian Heritage Month @ Institute for American Indian Studies With Annawon Weeden

November is National Indian Heritage Month and many institutions nationwide join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans. Each year, the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut organizes special programs that highlight the rich cultural diversity and traditions of Native American communities through hands-on activities, arts and crafts, exhibits, music, and interactive programs.

This year’s highlight of National Indian Heritage Month at the Institute for American Indian Studies will be a highly interactive program by actor, activist, dancer, and Tribal mentor, Annawon Weeden. This special program will take place at 1 p.m. on November 16. Weeden is the founder of the First Light Foundation whose mission is to highlight the importance of preserving and celebrating diversity to reinforce the identity of each individual served.

Persuasive and powerful, authentic and imaginative, the stories and performance of Annawon Weeden reveal the unexpected ways Native Americans are embedded in our cultural identity as well as in our pop culture, sometimes accurately, and sometimes erroneously. Drawing on his Mashpee Wampanoag, Narragansett, and Pequot lineage, Weeden will explore the pre- European Tribal history of the People of the Dawn and share his personal experiences and insights. Through this interactive program, visitors will walk through time with Weeden and discover that Native American cultures are alive and well today, thriving and evolving across the United States. This program helps to foster a better understanding of Native American culture and traditions while dispelling some of the historical misinterpretations.

About The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have a 16^th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

About Annawon Weeden

Weeden is an enrolled member of his mother’s Mashpee Wampanoag tribal community. He currently works in the MPTN Cultural Resource Department as the Eastern Woodland song/dance instructor for his father’s Mashantucket Pequot Tribal community.

Growing up on the Narragansett reservation he was instructed on the traditional dances and customs of New England’s Native American Communities. As an adult, Weeden has developed a comprehensive knowledge of the vast diversity of native customs and traditions.

In October 2016, Congressman James Langevin took special notice of Weeden and decided to commemorate the life efforts of Weeden awarding him with a Congressional Honor as Culture Bearer for the entire New England Region.

Weeden’s knowledge of indigenous people and his ability to share his tribal culture is highly sought because it educational and inspiring.