Brooklyn Museum Presents a Variety of Public Programs For Exhibition Tipi

In connection with the major exhibition Tipi: Heritage of the Great Plains, on view from February 18 through May 15, 2011, the Brooklyn Museum will present several major public programs, including March's Target First Saturday; a film and a tour during the Museum's new evening program, Thursdays@ 7; and a family-friendly storytelling performance. March's Target First Saturday focuses on the rich heritage and cultures of Native American groups across North America. Free highlights include a live performance by Brooklyn's own Martha Redbone, who fuses hip-hop, soul, and traditional Native American music; and a family-friendly dance performance by the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers.

Tipi: Heritage of the Great Plains celebrates the remarkable architectural form that is the center of Native American Plains culture and social, religious, and creative traditions. The exhibition features three full-size tipis and more than 150 objects from the Brooklyn Museum's collection as well as loans from other museums and contemporary artists. Planned by a collaborative team of Native and non-Native curators, scholars, artists, and tribal elders, the exhibition offers new and informative perspectives on a familiar icon of the American cultural landscape.

The exhibition is sponsored by American Express.
Generous support is provided by the Barbara and Richard Debs Exhibition Fund, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Christensen, III, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Bay and Paul Foundations.

Public programs related to Tipi Heritage of the Great Plains include:

Panel Discussion: Plains Women Artists
Saturday, March 12, 2 p.m.
Artists Carol Emarthle-Douglas, Anita Fields, and Teri Greeves join scholar Nancy Mithlo to discuss the relationship between their work and their identities as Native American women.

Tipi Storytelling
Saturday, March 19, 2 p.m.
Dovie Thomason, an award-winning storyteller, author, and recording artist of Apache and Lakota descent, will present a family-friendly performance.

Thursdays @ 7: Film Screening of Reel Injun
Thursday, March 24
Reel Injun (2009, 85 min.) is an entertaining and insightful look at Hollywood's portrayal of indigenous North Americans. Traversing the American heartland, Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond looks at how the myth of "the Injun" has influenced the world's misunderstanding of Native Americans.

Thursdays @ 7: Moonlight Tour
Thursday, April 14
Associate Curator Susan Kennedy Zeller leads a behind-the-scenes tour of mid-1830s Plains Native American clothing in the Museum's storeroom. Reservations are required. RSVP to museum.guides@brooklynmuseum.org.

Creative Art Making: Quilting
Saturday, April 23, 2-5 p.m.
Sioux artist Ina McNeil hosts a workshop for adults in which she introduces Plains quilt designs featuring such traditional symbols as eagles, deer, and the morning star. Materials fee: $15; registration is required. Register at www.museumtix.com or at the Museum's Visitor Center. A limited number of free tickets are reserved for Museum members on a first-come, first-served basis. Members should call (718) 501-6326 for tickets.

Arty Facts: Homes
In each ninety-minute Arty Facts class, children ages four to seven and their adult friends explore the galleries, enjoy a family activity, and make their own art. In March, participants will explore homes in the museum from the tipi to a Dutch colonial house. The classes meet each Sunday in the Rubin Lobby at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Please do not bring siblings older than seven or younger than four. Materials fee (Museum admission not included): $10 per family (up to four participants), $5 for Gallery/Studio families and members at the Family and Friends level, and free to members at the Contributor level and above.
Free Target First Saturday: Raising the Tipi
Saturday, March 5, 5-11 p.m.

5-7 p.m. Music
Martha Redbone (pictured) performs a combination of R & B, soul, rock, and traditional Native American music.

5:30 p.m. Performance
The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers perform an array of traditional Native American songs and dances.

6 p.m. Film
Edge of America (James McDaniel, 2003, 105 min.). An African American educator takes a job teaching high-school English on a Native American reservation and is coaxed into coaching the girls' basketball team. Free tickets available at the Visitor Center at 5 p.m.

6:30-8:30 Hands-On Art
Design your own parfleche, an elegant Native American pouch made of hide. Free timed tickets available at the Visitor Center at 5:30 p.m.

7 p.m. Curator Talk
Nancy Rosoff, Andrew W. Mellon Curator and Chair of the Arts of the Americas, on Tipi: Heritage of the Great Plains. Free tickets available at the Visitor Center at 6 p.m.

8 p.m. Young Voices Talk
Student Guides on Tipi: Heritage of the Great Plains

8-10 p.m. Dance Party
Dee Jay Frame spins tracks fusing hip-hop and traditional Native American music.

9 p.m. Book Club
Lakota scholar Joseph Marshall III speaks about his latest book, To You We Shall Return. A book signing follows.

9-10 p.m. Performance
The Redhawk Arts Council hosts an interactive dance performance inspired by traditional Northern and Southern Plains dances.

10-11 p.m. Late Night in the Galleries
All galleries open.