ARTIST STATEMENT

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This unique exhibit features work from Catawba artists spanning from traditional to contemporary art forms. Works of Catawba master potters are on display alongside works of contemporary potters, painters, weavers, textile artists, photographers, and digital artists. Always Here is a living demonstration of how the creative spirit of the Catawba Nation is multigenerational as well as the perseverance of the Catawba Indian Nation. They have been and will be Always Here in their home along the Catawba River.

EXHIBIT STATEMENT

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Basketry

The Catawba have been making baskets for thousands of years. They use materials native to their ancestral lands such as rivercane, and long leaf pine needles. Their use was mainly agricultural in nature. A considerable amount of time and work is put into the making of a basket. Our artists gather and prepare their materials all by hand. Colors in the past were also made by hand using natural plant dies like black walnut and yellow root. Basketry for the Catawba has seen a major revival within the last year. Through a cultural grant they’ve been able to learn how to use river cane for basket weaving and are now growing it to be harvested by tribal members.

Beadwork

Historically beads were used as symbols of rank and social status. Through European influence the use of beads in Catawba culture evolved into being used for trade and incorporated into their clothing. The Catawba often wove shell or glass beads, and bits of metal called tinklers into their clothing and personal belongings. It soon became a way of showing their ethnic identity. Today, beadwork has become a way to display their Native American heritage. It can most often be found on regalia, in jewelry, and seen at powwows.

Pottery

Perhaps the Catawba Indian Nation’s greatest legacy is its pottery. An unbroken chain of pottery tradition and heritage has helped the Catawba revitalize their culture and become the only federally recognized Native American tribe in South Carolina. Catawba pottery is distinct in that our potters do not use pottery wheels; everything is made by hand. A variety of tools are used in the making process such as rubbing stones, elk antlers, seashells, or even a spoon! Recurring themes of nature, such as turtles, frogs and sunflowers can be seen in much of their pottery. The clay used is sourced from ancestral clay holes along the banks of the Catawba River, and when fired it gains the distinctive black and tan mottled patterns for which it is known.