CARSON CITY, Nev. — Mike Williams, a member of the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone tribe, will demonstrate how he creates tule duck decoys in a free event from 3:30 to 5 p.m. April 17 in the Nevada Legislative Building, 401 S. Carson St. in Carson City.
Williams is dedicated to creating accurate replicas of duck hunting tools in the Numu or Northern Paiute tradition. The event is part of the SENarts “Work of Artists” series co-sponsored by the Nevada Arts Council and Capital City Arts Initiative.
“It’s my purpose in life to teach this art and pass it on,” Williams said. He is the 2008 recipient of the Nevada Governor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Folk Arts.
Williams will share the importance of the tule plant in the everyday lives of the Numu, and the symbolic significance of the duck decoy in a culture that has flourished and adapted to changes for thousands of years in the Great Basin.
SENarts is a partnership between the Nevada Senate, Nevada Arts Council, Nevada Division of Museums and History and the Capital Arts Initiative. In the “Work of Artists” program, each artist offers insight into his or her work. For more information, contact the Nevada Arts Council, 775-687-6680.
The Nevada Arts Council, a division of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, is the agency charged with ensuring that state and national funds support cultural activity and encourage participation in the arts throughout Nevada. In addition to providing hundreds of grants to arts- and community-based organizations, schools, artists and local municipalities throughout the state, the Nevada Arts Council coordinates a variety of statewide programs and activities such as the annual Poetry Out Loud recitation competition for high school-aged students, traveling exhibits, artist residencies, workshops and cultural assessments. Details: 775-687-6680 or nac.nevadaculture.org.
