Rare California and Nevada Native Art Comes to Albany This Weekend

Contrary to popular belief, Native Americans don't always dress in feather headdresses and buckskin fringes, or specialize in bead and quilt work.

And members of tribes from the western states never do.

Stereotypes such as these will be dispelled in the minds of those who attend the California and Nevada Native Art Show at Gathering Tribes this weekend, the gallery's owner, Pennie Opal Plant, hopes.

Gathering Tribes, one of the only native-owned Native American galleries in the Bay Area, hosts several shows each month and features Native American artists from as far north as Alaska to as far south as Costa Rica.

In all the years since Plant, 52, opened Gathering Tribes on Solano Avenue in 1991, there hasn't been a show quite like this one, and not without reason.

"Local native artists are really hard to find," said the painter and poet, who is of Yaqui, Mexican, Choctaw, Cherokee and European descent. "You don't see a lot of California and Nevada tribes in relation to others. People are used to seeing tribes that are more plains-oriented with a lot of horses or southwest pottery and jewelry."

Instead, attendees can expect to see Everett Pikyavit's award-winning baskets made of natural Native fiber that is hand-gathered, processed and woven; Leah Mata's unique abalone and pine nut jewelry and necklaces finished with leather hand-wrapping; Luwanna Quitiquit's traditional dolls; and Tiffany's majestic paintings.

"It's very organic, all of it, there's not that much metal that's used," Plant said. "Everything about (western native art) is very beautiful and very harmonious, with a lot of respect for the environment that the materials come from."

But the beauty of the show isn't limited to pieces by these four California and Nevada natives.

"The artists are always there to explain the significance of what they do, the materials they use, the history of why and where and how it's done," said Plant's husband, Michael Horse, 60, himself a jeweler and painter.

The upcoming show is a chance to dispel myths and preconceived notions that many people, especially youth, may have picked up in school, said Horse, a Yaqui, Apache and Zuni jeweler and painter.

"Young kids think the native people of California don't exist anymore. They read about them in history books," he said. "But they should learn that these people are still here and live in their community, still hold on to their traditional culture and values."

See the show at Gathering Tribes today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.gatheringtribes.com or call the gallery at 510-528-9038.