Ganondagan logoFree Pop up Events in Lieu of Indigenous Music & Arts Festival 

Victor, NY— On the last three Saturdays in July (17, 24, 31), Friends of Ganondagan will host Ögwe’öweh - “Original People” POP-UP Saturdays featuring Haudenosaunee artists, demonstrators, storytellers, music, dance, shopping, and food. All events are free, and attendees will be required to adhere to NYS COVID-19 Safety Guidelines and Regulations.

“This past year has taught us the importance of improvising to ensure our cultural arts programing continues,” said Friends of Ganondagan Program Director Jeanette Jemison (Mohawk). “It takes a lot of planning to organize Ganondagan’s Indigenous Music & Arts Festival—the process starts months before the event. Although COVID restrictions have been recently lifted, it’s not possible to organize a festival of this size in such a short period of time. So, we improvised and created three smaller ‘Pop-up’ programs that will give attendees a small but authentic taste of the festival we've all been missing.”

Visitors are invited outdoors at Ganondagan for performances by Bill Crouse and the Allegheny River Dancers, storytelling by Perry Ground, Native flute music by Dan Hill, and demonstrators Hayden Haynes, Dan Hill, Carrie Hill, Ronnie Reitter, Bill Crouse, and Mike Jones. The hill behind the Seneca Art & Culture Center acts as a natural performing amphitheater.

All demonstrations run 11am-3 pm, with performances at 11:30am and 2:30 pm each day:

  • Saturday, July 17: 
    Demonstrators - Bill Crouse (water drum-making) and Carrie Hill (basket-making)
    Performer - storyteller Perry Ground
  • Saturday, July 24: 
    Demonstrators - Dan Hill (silver work) and Hayden Haynes (antler carving) 
    Performer - Bill Crouse and the Allegany River Dancers (Iroquois Social Dancing)
  • Saturday, July 31: 
    Demonstrators - Ronnie Reitter (cornhusk dolls) and Mike Jones (pottery)
    Performer - Dan Hill Native flute music

Attendees are encouraged to visit the Gift Shop, Longhouse, and Seneca Art & Culture Center.  The Gift Shop features authentic, one-of-a-kind, Haudenosaunee art, crafts, jewelry, and gift items, plus an extensive selection of culturally-relevant books—including a wide selection of children's books and posters. There is an admission fee to visit the Seneca Bark Longhouse and the exhibits inside the Seneca Art & Culture Center.

The Ögwe’öweh - “Original People” POP-UP Saturdays are funded by the New York State Council on the Arts. 


 

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NOTE: Photos and interviews are available.

MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Blum

amyblumpr@gmail.com, (585) 425-1864