An Exhibition of works by the Poeh Arts Students and Faculty
December 19 – March 21, 2009
It seems like yesterday, but it has been over fourteen years that Poeh Arts has provided art instruction for Native American people in northern New Mexico. The Poeh Center itself was founded on the premise that creativity would be encouraged and nourished. The expression of creativity is an essential part of passing cultural knowledge to subsequent generations. The Poeh Arts mission is to ensure the continuity of the arts, encourage their expression, and nurture creativity. One of our goals is to keep Pueblo people in their communities by preserving traditional arts while maintaining sensitivity to Native American seasonal practices for teaching certain arts.
Another Poeh Arts goal is to promote student work via exhibitions and sales co-sponsored by the Poeh Museum. These exhibitions and sales opportunities are designed to help participants develop their entrepreneurial skills, which is a hallmark of the program. The Christmas holidays are an excellent opportunity to present student art to their families and friends. The Tewa name for this time of the year is “Nuphaa,” which is a reference to the bonfires which are lit at night for warmth and to serve as a beacon for those traveling home to be with their families.
Poeh Arts faculty is vital to achieving this continuity through the creative process and through sharing their invaluable knowledge with their students. Poeh Arts curriculum is unique for its integration of the age-old practice of the intergenerational teaching methodology, which espouses and ensures this continuity of the arts and culture of our people, just as our forefathers and mothers did before us.
