(Deb Stacona, Executive Director, Tananáwit | Photo courtesy of Tananáwit)
Tananáwit, a local Tribal Art shop nonprofit dedicated to the community of Warm Springs artists, is launching a grand reopening of its art shop September 2-4, 2022, from 10am-6pm. The event will be a sale of a range of works, from paintings and photography to jewelry and beadwork at the shop at 3240 Walsey Lane, Ste. #5 in Warm Springs.
Tananáwit’s aim is to provide educational and economic opportunities by empowering its people and building knowledge and understanding of traditional and contemporary Native art of the Columbia River plateau. The store had operated briefly earlier this year and quickly closed, said Deb Stacona, who became the nonprofit’s executive director last month. Along with Sara Dowty, a longtime artist and Tananáwit’s new business and outreach coordinator, the two Tribal members of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs made the reopening a priority.
“We’ll have outdoor displays, and our suite of about 500 square feet is packed with local art,” said Stacona, who formerly managed the gift shop at The Museum At Warm Springs since 1999. “We are excited to support artists here, promote them and help them grow.”
Stacona said she understands how important Tribal artisans are to the Oregon Native Tourism industry. “Visitors to the reservation want to take home a piece of Warm Springs,” she said. “Warm Springs is rich in cultivating artists. We have numerous master artists, and we want to support beginning artists, too.”
The work of Tananáwit artists reflects their strongly-held values of family, creativity and Warm Springs culture. The artists are deeply committed to sharing intergenerational knowledge through teaching and passing down cultural art styles to future generations.
“Tananáwit clients are breaking new ground, and their success may depend, at least in part, on our performance,” said Stacona. “Art is an integral part of cultural identity of many Tribal members.”
Tananáwit has reached out to numerous artists over the years, and built strong connections with many of them, with the goal of strengthening that community. The Tananáwit shop is accepting art to sell, and items are sold on a consignment basis. To make an appointment, email: deb@warmspringsartists.org or sara@warmspringsartists.org.
Tananáwit began when a group of Warm Springs tribal members, mostly artists, met to consider the idea of forming an arts cooperative. In 2015, the group began working with the Warm Springs Community Action Team (WSCAT) and Oregon Native American Business Entrepreneurial Network (ONABEN). They hosted workshops in marketing, merchandising products and website development. WSCAT helped Tananáwit gain nonprofit status.
The Roundhouse Foundation in Sisters is a supporter of Tananáwit through a grant for operations, and the nonprofit has received additional support from other foundations, associations, state and federal government agencies and individuals.
About Tananáwit:
A community of Warm Springs Artists, Tananáwit is a community-based organization whose mission is to provide educational and economic development opportunities by empowering our people and building knowledge and understanding of traditional and contemporary Native art of the Columbia River Plateau.
