LANSING – On Wednesday, Yvonne Walker Keshick, an Odawa quill worker from Petoskey, will receive the nation?s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts when she is honored as a 2014 National Heritage Fellow from the National Endowment for the Arts. The award will be presented to Keshick at the Library of Congress? Thomas Jefferson Building, Room 119.
Distinguished by symbols from a rich cultural heritage and intricate technical craftsmanship, the artful baskets and quillwork of Keshick offer a compelling testament to the enduring expressive power of an Odawa/Ojibwa tradition.
?It is amazing that Yvonne has received this honor,? said John Bracey, executive director of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. ?Amazing, but not really surprising,? he said. ?Her work is spectacular. Our partners with the Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program at Michigan State have touted Yvonne?s work for a long time and it?s great to see everyone?s work pay off.?
In addition to receiving the NEA?s Heritage Fellow award, Keshick will demonstrate quillwork on Friday as part of the 2014 NEA National Heritage Fellowships Concert. The 8 p.m. event will be streamed at http://arts.gov/.
