Saturday, March 12, 2016
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Accomplished Storytellers Present on Inspiring Women and Girls of Color
Saturday, March 12, 2016
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Storytelling beginning at 1:15, 1:50 and 2:25 p.m.
Program is free with registration. Register with The Smithsonian for your free ticket!
In the spirit of the Smithsonian Museums, which offer free admission every day, Museum Day Live! is an annual event hosted by Smithsonian magazine in which participating museums across the country open their doors to anyone presenting a Museum Day Live! ticket… for free!
This year’s program theme, Inspiring Women and Girls of Color, is for any sister, daughter, mother, grandmother, aunt, niece – and the people who love them! The Rockwell Museum presents two accomplished storytellers who will share stories of strong, innovative, inspirational women of color.
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Jikohnsaseh: The Peace Queen Ronnie Reitter shares the story of the Peacemaker’s message and the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Clan Mothers. Ronnie Reitter, Seneca, Wolf Clan, from the Cattaraugus Territory, is an accomplished storyteller who also specializes in Haudenosaunee regalia and cornhusk work and is employed at Ganondagan State Historic Site. |
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Lear Green Speaks: Unpacking the Underground Trunk Vicie Rolling shares the story of a young slave woman who devised a unique plan of escape and “mailed” herself to freedom! Vicie A. Rolling, a teaching artist, writer, poet and performer brings education through performance, with particular interest on the historical significance of slavery in the United States. |
Refreshments will be available.
Program is free with registration. Register here!
This program is made possible in part by Corning Incorporated Global Diversity & Inclusion, and The National Endowment for the Humanities.
About the Storytellers
Ronnie Reitter- Seneca, Wolf Clan, from the Cattaraugus Territory, is an accomplished storyteller who also specializes in Haudenosaunee regalia and cornhusk work. Ronnie grew up in a non-Native foster home in upstate New York. As an adult she re-connected with the Haudenosaunee community, found members of her family who still live on the Cattaraugus Reservation in western New York, and became deeply involved with learning and teaching Haudenosaunee traditional art. In her journey to discover her roots, Ronnie learned that her grandfather, Adelbert Steeprock (Seneca), was a traditional artist who participated in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Indian Arts Project at the Tonawanda Reservation in the 1930s. As an employee of Ganondagan State Historic Site, she has been able to observe and learn from the many traditional artists who come to Ganondagan to give workshops.
Ronnie designs and sews traditional clothing or “regalia” worn by Haudenosaunee families for dance competitions and other occasions. Her exquisite shawls, appliquéd with designs such as clan symbols or strawberry motifs, are much sought after. She is also known for her traditional Seneca cornhusk dolls. She brings her skills in sewing and designing regalia to the art of “dressing” her cornhusk dolls.
“Over the years as I’ve come to understand and to learn more about the history of who I am, I’ve come to understand that I have a relationship with the world around me.”
Vicie A. Rolling is a teaching artist, writer, poet and performer. She retired in 2003 from Corning Community College as a full professor after 32 years. In retirement she works as a teaching artist. The teaching artist brings education through performance. Vicie writes and performs her own poetry and short stories. Her community work has extended into the public school arena where she has run grant-funded workshops for children on the historical significance of slavery in the United States, which culminated in public performances by the children. She has performed her one-woman shows for national audiences and local venues. Her source work comes from research and everyday life. She is particularly interested in historical plots. Author of two books of poetry and 2 CD’s she continues to work on telling the stories of lesser known people especially elder black women in American society. She firmly believes that “everybody has a story to tell. The more we listen to the stories of others, the more we understand ourselves.”
Lear Green Speaks; Unpacking the Underground Trunk, is based on a unique and little-known fact about the 1860’s community of Elmira, New York. It represents a portion of the life of an escaped slave. Mrs. Adams, who was named Lear Green as a slave, took the name of Elizabeth Adams upon taking her freedom. Along with some collaborators, she devised a unique plan of escape, which was successful the first time. She “mailed” herself to freedom. The plan involved great personal risk and courage.
The Rockwell Museum
Accomplished Storytellers Present on Inspiring Women and Girls of Color
Saturday, March 12, 2016
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Storytelling beginning at 1:15, 1:50 and 2:25 p.m.
Program is free with registration. Register with The Smithsonian for your free ticket!
In the spirit of the Smithsonian Museums, which offer free admission every day, Museum Day Live! is an annual event hosted by Smithsonian magazine in which participating museums across the country open their doors to anyone presenting a Museum Day Live! ticket… for free!
This year’s program theme, Inspiring Women and Girls of Color, is for any sister, daughter, mother, grandmother, aunt, niece – and the people who love them! The Rockwell Museum presents two accomplished storytellers who will share stories of strong, innovative, inspirational women of color.
|
|
|
|
Jikohnsaseh: The Peace Queen Ronnie Reitter shares the story of the Peacemaker’s message and the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Clan Mothers. Ronnie Reitter, Seneca, Wolf Clan, from the Cattaraugus Territory, is an accomplished storyteller who also specializes in Haudenosaunee regalia and cornhusk work and is employed at Ganondagan State Historic Site. |
|
Lear Green Speaks: Unpacking the Underground Trunk Vicie Rolling shares the story of a young slave woman who devised a unique plan of escape and “mailed” herself to freedom! Vicie A. Rolling, a teaching artist, writer, poet and performer brings education through performance, with particular interest on the historical significance of slavery in the United States. |
Refreshments will be available.
Program is free with registration. Register here!
This program is made possible in part by Corning Incorporated Global Diversity & Inclusion, and The National Endowment for the Humanities.
About the Storytellers
Ronnie Reitter- Seneca, Wolf Clan, from the Cattaraugus Territory, is an accomplished storyteller who also specializes in Haudenosaunee regalia and cornhusk work. Ronnie grew up in a non-Native foster home in upstate New York. As an adult she re-connected with the Haudenosaunee community, found members of her family who still live on the Cattaraugus Reservation in western New York, and became deeply involved with learning and teaching Haudenosaunee traditional art. In her journey to discover her roots, Ronnie learned that her grandfather, Adelbert Steeprock (Seneca), was a traditional artist who participated in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Indian Arts Project at the Tonawanda Reservation in the 1930s. As an employee of Ganondagan State Historic Site, she has been able to observe and learn from the many traditional artists who come to Ganondagan to give workshops.
Ronnie designs and sews traditional clothing or “regalia” worn by Haudenosaunee families for dance competitions and other occasions. Her exquisite shawls, appliquéd with designs such as clan symbols or strawberry motifs, are much sought after. She is also known for her traditional Seneca cornhusk dolls. She brings her skills in sewing and designing regalia to the art of “dressing” her cornhusk dolls.
“Over the years as I’ve come to understand and to learn more about the history of who I am, I’ve come to understand that I have a relationship with the world around me.”
Vicie A. Rolling is a teaching artist, writer, poet and performer. She retired in 2003 from Corning Community College as a full professor after 32 years. In retirement she works as a teaching artist. The teaching artist brings education through performance. Vicie writes and performs her own poetry and short stories. Her community work has extended into the public school arena where she has run grant-funded workshops for children on the historical significance of slavery in the United States, which culminated in public performances by the children. She has performed her one-woman shows for national audiences and local venues. Her source work comes from research and everyday life. She is particularly interested in historical plots. Author of two books of poetry and 2 CD’s she continues to work on telling the stories of lesser known people especially elder black women in American society. She firmly believes that “everybody has a story to tell. The more we listen to the stories of others, the more we understand ourselves.”
Lear Green Speaks; Unpacking the Underground Trunk, is based on a unique and little-known fact about the 1860’s community of Elmira, New York. It represents a portion of the life of an escaped slave. Mrs. Adams, who was named Lear Green as a slave, took the name of Elizabeth Adams upon taking her freedom. Along with some collaborators, she devised a unique plan of escape, which was successful the first time. She “mailed” herself to freedom. The plan involved great personal risk and courage.