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September 26 - 28, 2012
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OREGON DAYS OF CULTURE
13
By Christina Lent
Pamplin Media Group
The Oregon Cultural Trust found an ideal
candidate for one of its $10,000 grants on the
Oregon College of Art and Craft campus in
Portland.
The Journeys in Creativity program hit all
three focus areas — the arts, humanities and
heritage — that the trust was formed to help
preserve.
At the same time, this programalso serves
a population of youth ages 15 to 19 who come
from often-impoverished communities and
have little opportunity to explore the native
art of their tribal history, said Shirod Younk-
er, art programmanager.
The Journeys in Creativity program was
founded in 2004 by Pat CourtneyGold and the
lateA. Susana Santos in partnershipwith the
Oregon College of Art and Craft, The Muse-
um at Warm Springs and Kah-Nee-Ta. Gold
and Santos, tribal members of the Confeder-
ated Tribes ofWarmSprings, shared a vision
to further the study and perpetuation of con-
temporary Native American art and craft for
native teenagerswhomight pursue a second-
ary education or profession in the arts.
The two-week summer camp offers up to a
dozen teenagers the opportunity to live on
the 10-acre OCAC campus at 8245 S.W.
Barnes Road and to participate in intensive
art workshops. Native American artists and
instructors are hired to help guide and men-
tor students in creating new art.
“This program provides them with an op-
portunity towork on art and exposes them to
what college is like,” Younker said. “They get
60 to 80 hours of in-studio workshop time
with an instructor and spend another 20 to 40
hours on field trips to research and gather
information for their work.”
The young artists also get the chance to
meet professional native artists and emerg-
ing artists. They attend lectures as well as
visit museums and galleries to explore artis-
tic avenues open to them.
“At the end of the session, they produce
work we exhibit in a local show,” Younker
said. “We keep their pieces for a year and
market themto other exhibits to help the kids
build their portfolio.”
In the last decade, the camp has welcomed
young native artists from the Pacific North-
west and as far away as New Zealand. The
camp is free for these native students to at-
tend, and materials are provided.
Each year, the camp focuses on a specific
theme and highlights one of the college’s pro-
fessional studios. Art forms range fromweav-
ing fibers to carving shell, bone and stone to
studying the art of creating a traditional, riv-
er-worthy canoe. Other activities include
print making and crafting with metals, ce-
ramics or photography. Within each disci-
pline, camp leaders instruct participants on
identifying qualities unique to their tribes
and the role the craft has within their cul-
tural tradition.
“Even the artifacts found in museums are
more than just beautiful objects,” Younker
said. “Theymay have a specific purpose for a
ceremony or serve as something functional
within a tribal community.”
By exposing students to traditional native
art and instructing them in the creative pro-
cess, program leaders hope to inspire the
next generation of artists while helping them
to understand where they come from.
“We keep tabs on the kids and encourage
them to motivate each other,” Younker said.
For more information about Journeys in
Creativity, email syounker@ocac.edu.
journeys
CREATIVE
Oregon College of Art and Craft opens studios to
emerging native artists
09261
Oregon College of Art and Craft’s Journeys program for
Native American youth inspires participants to carry
on cultural arts while exploring their tribal heritage.
PHoto Courtesy of oCaC