Material Culture
BPL Ambassador, Saratu Mshelia’s tutorial is to teach how to hand sew a Buba Blouse, a traditional Yoruba blouse of Southwestern Nigeria, as she tells us about her journey starting a fashion business based on Nigerian textiles.
Material Culture
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Otgoä (wampum) is a vital part of Haudenosaunee culture. Wampum are shell beads that are created from whelk and quahog clam shells. The brittle pieces are rounded, sanded, and drilled to make a bead. Because of the effort that is needed to make a bead, wampum is highly valued.
Material Culture
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Haudenosaunee storytelling is not meant to just entertain but to also teach. Stories are used to warn against dangerous and bad behavior, uphold valued qualities, and teach good decision making. If you travel to different Haudenosaunee communities, you will discover that each community may have their own version of a story. There is no one version that is upheld over the others, but if you listen you will discover that although the details may be slightly different, the lessons taught remain the same.
Material Culture
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Learn from longtime carpenter Arthur Garabedian about growing up in the Armenian community in Niagara Falls, teaching carpentry at the renowned Trott Vocational School in Niagara Falls (NY), and his work on local community projects, including the front doors of St. Sarkis Armenian Church, which brightly feature his design of the Armenian cross.
Learn from Mary Movesian about the different types of needlework arts she learned growing up in Armenia: from lace-making and embroidery to crochet and knitting.
Material Culture
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Learn from Ophelia and her granddaughter Gayane about Ophelia’s life as a seamstress, memories of Gayane growing up at Alteration Station, working together with her daughter (Mary Movesian), and the meaningfulness of creating Armenian traditional dance dresses for Gayane.
Material Culture
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Iconography at Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Albany, New Yok by Efthimios Altin Stoja. Efthimios began working at Saint Sophia Church in 2006
Doug Bathke carving a sign for the Hall of Honors at North Tonawanda High School, in North Tonawanda, New York: a city with a long history and association with lumber.
Material Culture
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Toshie Kenney creates a work in 書道 (Shodō) or Japanese calligraphy, of the Daoist proverb, 井の中の蛙大海を知らず (The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean).
Material Culture
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Amidst COVID-19, many arts practices, including performances, workshops, lessons, and discussions, have moved online. This is a resource for artists and consultants who wish to livestream practices. It also calls to attention the process of tradition and traditional arts as practices move from in-person to digital spaces.
Material Culture
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