NORTH BY NORTHEAST, by Kathleen Mundell, explores how, for generations, Native American traditional artists in the Northeast have passed on their culture through beadwork, basketry, canoe making, wood
NORTH BY NORTHEAST, by Kathleen Mundell, explores how, for generations, Native American traditional artists in the Northeast have passed on their culture through beadwork, basketry, canoe making, wood carving, and quilting. Through the work and words of over thirty—five traditional artists living and working primarily in Maine and New York, North by Northeast explores these artists' connection to place, tradition, and cultural identity. A tribute to the resourcefulness and creativity of contemporary practicing artists from the Wabanaki, Akwesasne Mohawk, and Tuscarora tribes, the book is beautifully illustrated with the work of photographers Cedric Chatterley, Peggy McKenna, Jere DeWaters, and Peter Dembski.
Director of Cultural Resources, a nonprofit working with communities on sustaining their local culture, Kathleen Mundell has had a long involvement with the arts, folklore, ethnographic marketing, cultural preservation, and exhibit work. She has a BA in Literature from SUNY, Collage at Purchas, NY, and a Master's in Folklore from Indiana University at Bloomington.
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"Kathleen Mundell writes 'North by Northeast:Wabanaki,Akwesasne Mohawk, and Tuscarora Traditional Arts' in a collaborative spirit, letting the artists speak directly about their art and culture. Althoughthe book focuses largely on baskets, it also covers beadwork, canoe making, wood carving and quilting. What's difficult to escape is the sense of longstanding tradition that binds the artists and their communities, giving the book a compelling cultural text." —American Style, February 2009
"…unique book…augmented by nearly two hundred beautiful color photographs, this book showcases the cultural history, symbolism, community connection, materials and methods for intricate forms of basket making and exquisite beadwork. Mundell includes interviews and contribution by Native American artists…" —Kennebec Journal, January 11, 2009
"Mundell has been gathering material for this book for 15 years. Native American traditional artists—over 35 of them living primarily in Maine and New York—explore here the connection to place, tradition, cultural identity. Mundell features profiles of the artists themselves with their own words and
illustrations of their individual work….the artwork—exquisitely photographed here—especially the basketmaking—is breathtaking in its intricacy of design and utility, particular shapes and artistic renderings often handed down through generations in families….Mundell's collaboration with the basketmakers has resulted in a multi—tribal effort to preserve the ash—basketry tradition and the creation of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance." —Working Waterfront, February—March 2009
"…provides detailed descriptions of the tools, techniques, and materials that go into the basketry and beadwork….The color and black—and—white photography in the book is exceptional….broad in its scope, encompassing history, culture, anthropology, politics, and religion….a benchmark in the ongoing effort to sustain a complex and vibrant culture in the face of contemporary forces working against it." —Wolf Moon Journal, Summer 2009
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