American Indian gallery opens in Schaumburg
By Eileen O. Daday Daily Herald Correspondent
Posted Sunday, March 06, 2005
At Saturday's opening of the American Indian Center's Trickster Gallery in Schaumburg, the powerful banging of a traditional hide drum galvanized the crowd.
Nearly 200 people poured into the new center during the first half hour to check out the museum space formerly operated by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum in Schaumburg's Town Square.
They included American Indians as well as residents from the surrounding communities interested in seeing the artistic displays and performances.
"It's American history; it's part of our lives," said Fran D'Ambrosio, taking in the photos and paintings with friend Kathy Anzalone, both of Schaumburg.
Starr-Brisette, an elder from the Ojibwa of Chicago, led the crowd in a blessing of the venue before traditional dancers came on, surrounded by flags.
"This is a great celebration for our people; it is an answer to a dream," Starr-Brisette said. "Let us move forward for many years to come."
Families wandered by vendors, who displayed jewelry, pottery, blankets and sculptures, before moving to the photography, drawings, sketches and paintings exhibited throughout the gallery.
Tom and Mary Gosche of Schaumburg and their three sons stopped to check out the buffalo skulls that formed a canvas for artwork.
"We're really getting into their culture and believe strongly in their belief system," Tom Gosche said. "Our house is filled with their artwork of bears, and eagles and buffalo. We enjoy the beauty of it, as well as learning about the beauty of these animals on earth."
Dave Spencer, arts director for the American Indian Center, said they have been working to open a gallery in the Chicago area for eight years. When Schaumburg officials offered them the space, originally built as a feed building, they jumped at it.
"It's pristine gallery space to exhibit our Native American work," Spencer said. "And it's a chance to program educational activities to an audience, primarily through schools and surrounding park districts."
Spencer cautioned that while the mainstream audience is drawn to the romantic 19th-century image of the American Indian horse culture, the Trickster Gallery is dedicated to exhibiting contemporary, post-1960's art.
"We don't really like to say we're preserving culture because in a sense that's saying something's lost," Spencer said. "We hope to talk about the balance and about the modern day aesthetics of the people and its culture."
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Last updated on March 06, 2005