Art of the Iroquois- People of the Eastern Woodlands with John Kunikis

Join John Kunikis as he shares the stories which bring this art to life while viewing stunning images of contemporary Iroquois sculpture, painting, pottery and masks. A question and answer period will follow the talk as well as a meet-and-greet with the speaker and refreshments.

At its core, Iroquois art is an expression of the cultural adaptation to the eastern woodlands of North America. The Iroquois are composed of six nations: Mohawk, Onondaga, Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida and Tuscarora. Their original homelands were around the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. Gaining control of most of the northeastern United States and Canada, their empire reached its zenith in 1680. A progressive nation, the Iroquois Confederacy was known for democracy, equality, women’s rights, and environmental respect. Today most Iroquois live in upstate New York and Canada.

About the presenter: John Kunikis, a life-long resident of the Greater Cleveland area, earned degrees studying economics, sociology and educational administration. As a child, his interest in indigenous cultures was fostered by free, weekly volumes of encyclopedias (a shopper’s rewards from the local store) and wanderings through the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. In 1994, he opened his first gallery featuring Iroquois art, Native Spirit Gallery in downtown Cleveland. Several years later the gallery would relocate to the Colonial Marketplace and re-open as First People’s Gallery. Kunikis took the venture on-line in 2000 and maintained it until his retirement in 2009. His love of the art of indigenous people continues, and his travels have deepened his appreciation, reverence and wonder.

About the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve: The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve is a unique archival facility and regional museum that preserves representative bodies of work created by Ohio visual artists and, through ongoing research, exhibition and educational programs, actively documents and promotes this cultural heritage for the benefit of the public.

The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve would also like to thank the Ohio Arts Council, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Ohio Art Dealers Association, the George Gund Foundation, the Bernice & David E. Davis Foundation, the William Bingham Foundation and the Zufall Foundation for their continuing support.

Featured Image: Vince Bomberry, Onondaga sculptor, Peace Friendship Bowl, 2002, Steatite stone