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Smithsonian Folkways Recordings




Inspirations from the Forest
 


  
Introduction
Artistic Inspirations
Telling a Story
   Poetry
   Art
   Music
Passing it On
Conservation
Next Steps
Exhibition Schedule

 

Related Links
Hear Nathan Jackson talk about clans
Hear Teresa Trulock talk about her quilt
Learning Guide: Art Adventure

 

How are stories told through art?

Many of the design motifs in Tlingit art are clan crests such as ravens, bears, eagles, and whales, explains Nathan Jackson. And "an accomplished artist must know the meanings of the symbols and stories." Photo by Joe Furgal, Smithsonian Institution.

For Nathan Jackson, member of the Chilkoot Tlingit tribe from Alaska and recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the stories are told through elaborate totem poles. The human or animal figures such as bears, eagles, or ravens carved onto the large cedar poles typically represent family or clan crests and illustrate stories from long ago.

Dorica Jackson paints the final touches on the intricately carved totem pole.  Photo by Ed Gross. Photo by Lisa Rathje, Smithsonian Institution.

Teresa Trulock tried to involve as many people as possible in the construction of her quilt. As a result, "more than one hundred people worked on it, either supplying artwork, or just their time and effort in making a block." Photo by Dorey Butter, Smithsonian Institution.
For Teresa Trulock from Wyoming, the history of the Forest Service has come to life in her centennial quilt. "Every inch of it tells a story about the pride of people working for the Forest Service." Each of the twelve large blocks of the quilt, a combination of historic and new patterns, represents a different aspect of the agency's achievements.



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