The
Art Of My
Life
Have you ever looked around at all of the things that surround you, as well as what you surround yourself with? Did you ever realize you were an art collector, or an art creator? Everywhere one may look, there is some form of art design. Art seems to be a personal expression from within. With almost everything one does, some form of art or creative thinking is involved or required. Have you ever looked around, and seen all of the Native art work that is displayed? There are totem poles standing in the middle of Stanley Park. At the Vancouver International Airport, the late Bill Reid's carved sculpture is displayed. However, for myself, as a First Nations woman, the art I see and create goes beyond being displayed. There are many ways in which First Nations people share and display their talents. The art of the First Nations people is overwhelming. There are so many mediums and forms; from painting, carving on wood, stone and silver, as well as beading and weaving 
If one were to go to a Native cultural event, like a Pow Wow, which occur all over North America, the display of the colours, textures, symbols and designs would be overwhelming but also very exciting to see. The picture on the left was taken at the GATHERING OF NATIONS POW WOW in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is a photograph o fthe BOYS TRADITIONAL DANCERS. Their regalia is made primarily of leather, hide, glass beads and Eagle feathers.
PowWows and Native cultural events are not the only places one can witness theuniqueness of Native art. If you have not noticed, forms of Native art are also displayed within the NBA, for instance, the design and symbols on the Vancouver Grizzlies uniform. Similarly, with the use of crests and custom logos, First Nations teams have begun designing their own logos for their own teams. At Native tournaments, there are many nice designs. For instance, we had a logo made up for our team by a local artist from our Nation.
Similarly, as art work has found its way in logos, art work and design have also transformed into works of art that can portray interests, hobbies and sports activities. There are no limits when it comes to designing and creating. The graphic to the left is an Eagle and a Basketball. Where I am from, the West Coast of Vancouver Island, basketball is a major sport amongst our communities. My husband and I did this design on our computer and made it into decals to sell at Native basketball tournaments. We are currently working on designs for othersports such as soccer, volleyball and hockey.
The graphic to the right was a design done by my husband. This sun is of great significance, mainly because this was the design that we used on our wedding invitation cards as well as on our wedding cake. I had never realized how much art and design actually plays a major role in my life. Not only am I surrounded by art, I also help create it. With the use of art, I have been able to attach symbols to important things, allowing me to remember and appreciate them more. Thus, art can have great significance--that's why it may be important to respect other people's art.
Finally, art can be displayed almost anywhere one chooses. Art can be created in many forms and many sizes. Recently, my husband and I decided to make custom decals for vehicles. We designed the above decal together, which is now on the hood of our car. Like many other forms of art, our art, First Nations art, can be on our traditional regalia, basketball uniforms, and even wedding cakes and cars. As I mentioned earlier, almost everything we do requires our art and creative talents--it is just up to us, as individuals to express our art more freely and apply it wherever we wish. Along with Native art and designs, there are hundreds of other art forms that can be seen and admired as well. These Native pictures and graphics are just a few examples of our art form.
~Cj. ~Celeste A. Jacko