Each month of the WAMPUM/OTGOÄ exhibition we will highlight a contemporary artist featured in the exhibit. Admission to the Artist Talks Series is included with admission to the Seneca Art & Culture Center. FREE for Friends of Ganondagan Members.

Saturday, August 12^th, 2023 | 1 PM

Join us at the Seneca Art & Culture Center for an artist lecture by Skawennati on her work in the virtual space.

Skawennati (Mohawk, Turtle Clan) makes art that addresses history, the future, and change from her perspective as an urban Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) woman and as a cyberpunk avatar. Her early adoption of cyberspace as both a location and a medium for her practice has produced groundbreaking projects such as CyberPowWow and TimeTraveller™. She is best known for her machinimas—movies made in virtual environments—but also produces still images, textiles and sculpture. She is the Co-Director for Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace and Skins Workshops in Aboriginal Storytelling in Digital Media, as well as the Partnership Coordinator for the Initiative for Indigenous Futures.

Ganondagan would like to acknowledge the following organizations and people for making the WAMPUM/OTGOÄ exhibition possible:

• Terra Foundation for American Art
• musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac
• NYS Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation
• Friends of Ganondagan
• Rochester Museum & Science Center
• Rock Foundation
• JC Seneca Foundation
• Forge Project, traditional lands of the Muh-he-con-ne-ok
• Athens Fine Art Services, LLC
• Donn Vickers & Sharon Sachs

Saturday, April 8, 2023 | 1 PM

"I want to create a body of work for all people to enjoy, and to learn about Haudenosaunee culture." ~ Brandon Lazore

Join us at the Seneca Art & Culture Center for a discussion of Brandon’s work to date with a demonstration of his painting style.

Brandon Lazore (Onondaga, Snipe Clan) is a self-taught artist, he honed his artistic skills early on designing and painting murals with other graffiti muralists in different cities during the 90s. Lazore's commitment to his culture is reflected in his artwork, he calls his present style of art “Traditional Graffiti”, because he mixes his traditional Haudenosaunee culture with his graffiti background.

Brandon has won several awards in our juried Hodinöhsö:ni’ Art Show and his artwork has been featured in our Hodinöhsö:ni’ Women: From the Time of Creation exhibit as well as our current exhibition WAMPUM/OTGOÄ.

Saturday, May 13^th, 2023 | 1 PM

"Art helps people to see not just a particular piece of art but to see the world about you with fresh eyes.

The best of art opens our eyes to see beauty even in things we scarcely noticed previously. " ~ G. Peter Jemison

Join us at the Seneca Art & Culture Center for a discussion of why wampum continues to inspire Haudenosaunee art with G. Peter Jemison. This talk will include a gallery tour of the contemporary Haudenosaunee pieces in the gallery.

The illustrious career of G. Peter Jemison (Seneca, Heron Clan) spans decades across a wide swath of diverse accomplishments with an immeasurable worldwide impact, including that of being the founding site manager of Ganondagan State Historic Site. Through his art, Jemison has explored a variety of topics, from creating political works that portray contemporary social commentary to those that reflect his relationship with the natural world.

Widely shown and collected, Jemison’s works are rooted in the framework of Native American art. Known for his naturalistic paintings and series of works done on brown paper bags, his art embodies orenda, the traditional Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) belief that every living thing and every part of creation contains a spiritual force. His paintings, videos, and mixed media works have been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions in the U.S., the U.K. and Germany. He is also an esteemed administrator, curator, editor, and writer.

Saturday, June 10^th, 2023 | 1 PM

" When I'm making pots, I'm thinking all the way back to creation." ~ Katsitsionni Fox

Join us at the Seneca Art & Culture Center for a presentation of Katsitsionni’s work as a filmmaker and a ceramic artist.

Katsitsionni Fox (Mohawk, Bear Clan), is a practicing artist, curator, filmmaker and educator, whose work draws inspiration from Haudenosaunee culture and history while investigating contemporary social and environmental issues. Her debut film was the award winning Ohero:kon - Under the Husk a 26-min documentary following the journey of two Mohawk girls as they take part in their traditional passage rites to becoming Mohawk Women. Her most recent film, Without a Whisper - Konnon:kwe is untold story of how Indigenous women influenced the early suffragists in their fight for freedom and equality. She is in production for Kanenon:we - Original Seeds a documentary following Indigenous women reclaiming their ancient role as seed keepers, regenerating, protecting and rematriating sacred and endangered heirloom seeds for the future generations. 

As a ceramic artist, Katsitsionni is a part of a movement to revitalize the traditional craft of Haudenosaunee pottery, sharing teachings across tribes, nations and generations. Making “grandmother clay pots,” Katsitsionni incorporates her cultural practice of gratitude while cultivating the curiosity of a new generation of potters. She has built deep relationships with the clay: “If everybody was having that intention every day to be grateful and thankful and to acknowledge all of our relatives, this world would be a different place.”  Her pottery has won many awards in juried art shows including Ganondagan's own Hodinöhsö:ni’ Art Show. 

Saturday, July 8^th, 2023 | 1 PM

"What inspires my work is the fact that the medium I do was done by my ancestors for many generations. It's a very tedious & involved process and it teaches patience and gives more appreciation for the end result." ~ Jamie Jacobs

Join us at the Seneca Art & Culture Center for a discussion on “Repatriating & Rematriating” historic Seneca arts with Jamie Jacobs.  

Jamie Jacobs (Tonawanda Band of Senecas, Turtle Clan) is the collections manager for the Rock Foundation which is housed within the Rochester Museum and Science Center. He has been doing quillwork for over a decade and has researched many historic pieces to further his skills and knowledge of the old techniques. Jamie's work is featured in museum collections, cultural exhibits, and has won many awards including the Santa Fe Indian Market and Ganondagan's Hodinöhsö:ni’ Art Show.

EXHIBITION JOINTLY ORGANIZED BY THE MUSÉE DU QUAI BRANLY - JACQUES CHIRAC AND THE SENECA ART & CULTURE CENTER AT GANONDAGAN STATE HISTORIC SITE

Saturday, June 17th* | 1 - 3 PM

Presented by Rohsennase Dalton LaBarge, M.D. (Akwesasne Mohawk, Bear Clan) 

"We are told that long ago Onekò:rha' (Wampum) were gifted to our people at a time of overwhelming social upheavals. What these Oronkwáhsa (strands of wampum) transmitted was a path forward out of loss; a blueprint for how we might find collective peace in a challenging world. "

This interactive session will explore wampum as a living practice; an intersection of material craft, storytelling, and a continuous revisiting of possible pathways to heal as individuals and communities. 

Location - SACC, Classroom 1

*Originally scheduled for 5/20

Free with Museum Admission, Free for Friends of Ganondagan Members