Fine Gourd Art by...Morningstar

If you follow the Circle, you will never be lost.




  
                   Three Warriors by Morningstar

In This Issue:  We are honored to feature Jeanne Kent, more commonly known as Morningstar. This name was given to Jeanne by an Abenaki Elder and it means "One who leads others out of the darkness into the light...a teacher." The Elder named her well as she is a teacher, artist and historian.

The focus of Morningstar's art is the interpretation of the designs and stories of the Wabanaski People; a northeastern woodland aboriginal people who today, find their unique culture slowly disappearing. Through her art Morningstar is bringing their daily life, in historical terms, alive. Please welcome Morningstar. Her work is spiritual and very beautiful.


    Some areas in North America have been so hot that colourful  sunsets are the result.


It is June and the gourd seedlings will have settled into their new homes and will be taking off. For first-time gardeners these are exciting times and it is guaranteed that as the summer progresses, the excitement will just heighten. This month we will briefly discuss bugs, flowers and pollination as well as other growing information.
 
We have some good letters from you which we will share as well as some gourdly trivia. 
 
               Morningstar                   
       Art For Future Generations


                       Bridge To Assimilation

There is always a beginning when an artist discovers gourds, and with some, a few years will pass before they actually begin to work on them. This is the case with Morningstar.

During her career as a teacher her principal sent her to New York to attend an art seminar. One workshop offered was on puppetry, the other on gourds. She started a gourd project but when she got home she placed it on a shelf and did not look at it again for a few years.

And then a life altering injury to her hands changed her life drastically and while cleaning out old art supplies that she could not use anymore (due to the lack of strength caused from the injury) she came across the old gourd that she had started and a book.

Reading through the book she realized that although she could not use small tools, power tools would not be a problem. Rejoicing she had now found a perfect medium for her creative spirit; a medium that would also fit in with her other interests in life.


                         Fiddle Heads Rattle

When growing up Morningstar was not involved with native art or culture yet she found she was always drawn to it. It was, what you might say, in her genes from her father's side. He was native and French, her mother was of German decent. Her parent's separated when Morningstar was young and she was raised  not to tell anyone about her father's heritage. At that time in history her mother was afraid that Morningstar would be looked down at.
 
Once childhood passed, Morningstar moved into what was a much more comfortable fit. Now, twenty-five years later, she has embraced her roots through her art. Her Mother by the way, accepted this and would introduce Morningstar as her "woodsy" daughter. She would comment on how different Morningstar was from both herself and her sister...a comment that would make Morningstar chuckle.

Morningstar's inspiration comes from the pages of history. It became obvious to her that the Abenaki people were disappearing, and along with them, the visual language and stories. For three years she gathered information and purchased old texts or manuscripts from early archaeologists like Frank Speck and Leman. She collected both the designs and the stories.

Now she is working to make them come to life. She hopes that her hands (now arthritic) will continue to allow her to complete at least a dozen or more of these pieces.



  Wampum


Although Morningstar restricts herself to gourds now this was not always the case. She has won prizes for her pastels (National Pastel Association) and has a photo used on a cover of the CT Arts Commission summer bulletin.
 
She has made regalia in leather and cloth including boutellier bags, blouses, skirts, Abenaki pointed caps, leggings, knife sheaths, turtle pocketbooks and pouches, and mocassins. Beadwork, moosehair embroidery, thread embroidery and bead applique were used as embellishments.
 
Currently her art is shown at various galleries including the Millbrook Gallery and Sculpture Garden in Concord, New Hampshire from June thru to September. Morningstar is also a featured artist at the Institute for Native American Studies in Washington, CT during the month of June.


 
                                  Corn Bowl
 
Morningstar is presently looking for gallery representation or other galleries that will consider including her in group shows. She also has her eye open for some high end craft/art shows. She considers what she does as fine art and we are certain that she would be very successful.
 
These days life is full for Morningstar and her husband. She has two children and four grandchildren along with two Hymalian cats and one rescued Bejan/poodle cross dog. She has let the pets and animals naturally decline as her husband will be turning seventy this year and Morningstar will be turning sixty-six. Having animals outdoors is a lot of work especially in the New England winters 1400 feet up!
 
In the meantime energy abounds when it comes to her gourd art. In addition to the hands-on work energy is being spent on finding homes for her art in museums or permanent collections. It is important  that the stories and designs of the Wabanaki people will live on for future generations. This is generosity at its finest; a characteristic that Morningstar is well known for.
 
To learn more about Morningstar and her art click here: http://www.morningstarstudio9.com/
 
For details about the Millbrook Gallery and Sculpture Garden click here:
http://www.nhartsandentertainment.com/
listings/millbrook.htm
 
Thank you Morningstar. We have enjoyed meeting you. Thank you for sharing your art and aspirations with us.















Northern Dipper
PO Box 1145
5376 County Road 56
RR 2, Cookstown, Ontario
L0L 1L0, Canada
705-435-3307
sales@northerndipper.com
http://www.northerndipper.com/

 Volume 6, Number 64 (June 2010)

www.northerndipper.com
Email: info@northerndipper.com
 
In this issue:
Morningstar: Historian, Artist and Public Educator
 
The Bulletin Board - It's All About News!
 
The Art of Growing Gourds: Take It Easy While You Can

Dear Carolyn, Reader's Corner and Gourd Sightings
  The Bulletin Board
 
 Northern Dipper Workshops

 
 
 Northern Dipper has the reputation of providing excellent classes on a large variety of topics. July's workshop on drum-making is one of the most popular so sign up soon as it fills very quickly.

For more information click here.
http://www.northerndipper.com/
workshops.php
 
Moose by Dyna Todd
 
The Washington State Gourd Society's Gourd Festival
When: July 15 - 16, 2010
Where: Moses Lake, WA
 
The WA Gourd Society has a great festival planned with 55 classes scheduled Thursday through Sunday. There will be lots of gourd growers and commercial vendor's selling everything on a gourd artist's list. Wonderful entertainment, great food and a beer and wine garden will complete the weekend.
 For more details click here:
http://
www.wagourdsociety.org/
NorthwestGourdFestival.htm
 For information about Moses Lake, WA click here:
http://www.moses-lake.com/

   Morningstar

  
"When I realized that gourds were here since 10,000 B.C. and was used by most native cultures it was a perfect fit with my ongoing work with North American Native crafts and history."



Dancing on the Wind

"Gourds are not indigenous to North America... they somehow just showed up. Used as floats for fishing boats they may have broken off from ships from hot climates or maybe they just arrived on the
ocean currents. Once found and cultivated here, they served uses such as bowls, dippers, storage boxes, rattles, fishing
floats and many other items."
 
Gluscape Fights the Water Serpent - Side 1


Gluscape Fights the Water Serpent - Side 2

Words of Advice For New Artists
"Learn as much as you can about as many things as you can. And never give up."



"One of the problems I had most of my life was not having a focus. I experimented all over the place and liked doing flowers and portraits but never really felt fulfilled by it."

"I tried many different media with pen and ink and pastels being my favorites. I always admired sculpture but found I didn't think in 3-D."

"With the gourds, I am sort of 3-D. It is culturally grounded and it is preserving history. I simply love doing what I am doing."

"But I didn't arrive at this in my 20's. I have arrived here in my 60's!"
 

Hummingbird Rattle

"I have been making art since I could hold a pencil. I remember being punished for drawing with my ink pen instead of practicing my penmenship. I still have terrible penmanship!"

"I have taken private lessons and have two degrees from the University of Hartford. One is a Bachelor of Fine Arts and the other a Masters in Arts Education."


Woodland Bowl

"I learn a lot from books, but now with the age of the computer, when I have questions about a technique, I go to the computer and can usually find a written description and even sometimes a video. I love the computer!"


Woodland Bowl






Gourd on cover is announcement of Featured Artist Show at the Institute for Native American Studies, Washington, CT, for the month of June.

THE REGISTER CITIZEN
Bearlieve it - artists adopted

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

By MIKE AGOGLIATI

TORRINGTON - The bears are back  but this time they arent in your backyard.

The Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce hosted an Adopt an Artist party at Whiting Mills in Winsted on Tuesday night. The event allowed interested people the chance to meet area artists and partner with them to sponsor a bear as part of the Chamber's Bearlieve It Or Not initiative.

Bearlieve It or Not is a collaborative public art project that will support Litchfield County and promote tourism, enhance the visibility of local artists, build a sense of community throughout the region and beautify the business districts and towns.

The bears are made from a fiberglass-polyester resin mix that is strong enough to withstand normal wear and tear. The outer surface is primed white and given to artists to create their masterpieces.

Business and community members will be invited to participate by sponsoring individual bears. Sponsors will have the opportunity to choose an artist and/or design from a portfolio of accepted proposals. Sponsors will choose an artist in the order that they committed to sponsorship. Once completed, each bear will be secured to a base and displayed with a sponsorship plaque which will include the artist name, title of the bear and sponsor name.

Completed bears will be on display throughout the Region during August through October. Art lovers, animal adorers and tourists to the region will have the unique opportunity of viewing these artistic creations.

Once the public exhibition period ends, sponsors have the opportunity to retain ownership and possession of their creation by purchasing their bear.

Bears that are not purchased by sponsors will be sold at the Bearlieve It or Not auction in November 2010.

The auction will be held to raise money for the two collaborating organizations, thus allowing them to expand their efforts in promoting a thriving community.

"We are facing some challenging times, and this is a great way to promote culture and tourism in the Northwest corner," JoAnn Ryan, president and CEO of the chamber said.

The bears were also popular in 2007 and many artists and sponsors were at Whiting mills to tell the story behind there bears.

"Some of my designs were based off of personal experience I have had with bears," Jeanne "Morningstar" Kent said.

Kent is a Native American gourd artist who also drew some sketches for designs for the bears.

"I have had bears in my yard here in Winsted, one of which destroyed my bird feeder," Kent said. "I am going to use the broken bird feeder as part of my design."

Deidre DiCara spoke about her bear which was designed around her family as well as personal interests of hers and her heritage.

The next event on the Bearlieve It Or Not schedule is an unveiling of the designs to be held in July.




THE VILLAGES OF WASHINGTON, CT

June 12 2010 Saturday
Event: The Artist Corner at the Institute of American Indian Studies
Time: 12:00- 4:00 PM
Contact: Chris Peschel
Contact Phone 860-868-0518
Contact Email: cpeschel.iais@charter.net
Website: www.birdstone.org

Description:
The Art of the Gourd- by artist, Jeanne "Morningstar" Kent, (Abenaki descent) Gourds have been cultivated on the North American continent since 1100 B.C., and are the natural canvas for designs and illustrations of stories of the Northeast Woodland People by gourd artist, Morningstar. The artist has researched many different tribal designs but focuses upon those of the Wabanaki People of upper New England and Canada. Currently she serves as a Native interpreter at the Institute for American Indian Studies. Come and see these unique pieces of art that will be on display at the museum through the month of June. Jeanne "Morningstar" Kent is a resident of Winsted, CT.

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