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Contact: Jess Cherofsky //
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International Jewelers Convene at Craft Festival in Plymouth
Cultural Survival Bazaar cultivates community and cultural exchange
Plymouth, MA (May 2017) - On Saturday, July 22 and Sunday, July 23, from 11am-6pm, Cambridge-based nonprofit organization Cultural Survival will hold its annual Indigenous arts Bazaar in Plymouth at DCR Pilgrim Memorial State Park. The festival will highlight Indigenous crafts and music from around the world. Among the vendors representing about two dozen cultures will be several local and international jewelers. Their art will showcase the styles of various Indigenous cultures, with jewelry ranging from fine wampum (sculpted shell) pieces to sterling silver and turquoise to rich silver and gold classics to brightly colored beadwork.
Inspired by her coastal Algonquian culture, Elizabeth James Perry crafts in the Wampanoag wampum tradition. Perry uses materials such as purple quahog shells and soft peach conch shells. According to her website, she also sculpts “patterned purple whale and fish effigies and produces large beads, leadership discs, bias collars and gauntlet cuffs,” which reflect the diversity of her artwork. The artist’s pieces have been exhibited at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum, among other venues.
Elaborate pieces composed of silver, gold and natural stones are a result of Mamur Rakhmanov’s meticulous work. He works in the classic Bukharian style using filigree and engraving based on designs from the 16th and 19th centuries and motifs passed down from his grandfather. Rakhmanov says, “Bukhara for centuries had a reputation as a jewelry capital of Asia and was famous for its goldsmiths. Different types of Bukhara jewelry made of gold and silver became absolute classics... To this day jewelry masters of ancient dynasties work in Bukhara continuing a centuries-old tradition.”
Visitors will also enjoy beaded jewelry from Guatemala and Tanzania, silver and turquoise pieces by Mohawk and Apache artists, recycled paper beadwork from Uganda, and silver and gold pieces from Nepal, plus paintings, textiles, baskets, glasswork, and more from two dozen cultures. One attendee has remarked that a visit to a Cultural Survival Bazaar was “like a trip around the world's bazaars."
Since 1982, Cultural Survival Bazaars have provided a market for thousands of Indigenous artists and cooperatives spanning six continents and over sixty countries. Each year the Bazaars generate about half a million dollars for Indigenous artists, performers, and projects. Cultural Survival, an international NGO based in Cambridge, MA, advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures and political resilience.
High resolution photos available upon request
Cultural Survival Bazaars
Cultural Survival Official Website
Cultural Survival Bazaars Facebook for news and updates on artists at the market!
Event page on Facebook
Event Information:
Sat. and Sun., July 22- 23, 2017, 11am - 6pm
DCR Pilgrim Memorial State Park
79 Water Street
Plymouth, MA 02360
Accessibility info: Curb cut at either end of the circular driveway. Contact jess@cs.org with other accessibility questions.
Free admission
Live music:
Hawk Henries
Spirit Wing
Sidy Maiga
Jonathan Perry
Jennifer Kriesberg
