People’s Center art show displayed local American Indian arts and crafts

By B.L. Azure

Ann Harwood (left) checks out the beadwork of Corrina Littlewolf at the People’s Center art show. Quilter Jan Charlo and embroiderer Annette Brown were discussing their art/crafts with potential buyers. (B.L. Azure photo)

PABLO — Art is in the eye of the beholder. And despite the small artistic turn out for the People’s Center art sale Friday and Saturday there was plenty of art and crafts on hand for any eye to behold and to purchase.

The artists set up under the arbor offered beadwork, embroidered items, ribbon shirts and dresses and star-quilts. There were the beaded key chains of Corrina Littlewolf, the brightly colored star-quilts of Jan Charlo, and the embroidered pieces, beadwork, ribbon shirts and dresses of Annette Brown and her daughter Miriah.

Beading artist and Salish Kootenai College student Corrina Littlewolf, currently living in Polson, began beading items in 2000 for a class at SKC. Littlewolf, from the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, has been beading ever since and in the last couple of years has been beading seriously. She recently upped her output and has been selling beaded items as a way to help finance her college education.

“This is just the third time I’ve tried to sell my works like this,” Littlewolf said Friday. “I love doing this. I could just sit and bead all day. It’s a good way to relax.”

For more information contact Littlewolf at her email address: corrinalittlewolf@yahoo.com

Star-quilt artist Jan Charlo of Arlee began making star-quilts and other types of quilts more than 15 years ago. Charlo said she learned the quilt art/craft from the late-Lorna “Honey” Grant of Fort Belknap.

“Honey made star-quilts and I asked her to teach me how to make them,” Charlo said. “She did them by hand, no sewing machine. She helped me set up a quilt frame and cut out the pieces but I had to do the hand sewing not her. Hands-on, she said was the best way to learn.”

About 15 years ago while living in South Dakota, Charlo said she made a star-quilt for a give-a-way there. Drawing courage from the compliments she got on her give-a-way star-quilt Charlo decided to go commercial. However, the hand sewing would have to go lest the bottom line would look anemic.

Charlo applied for - and got - a Small Business Administration loan to purchase a quilting sewing machine. Once that equipment was in hand she began producing star-quilts to sell under the business entitled Montana Stars.

“Once I sold one I knew then that this was a good idea,” Charlo said. “I knew I could do this as a home-based business.”

Charlo has also taught star-quilting at Kicking Horse Job Corps for four years. Her star-quilts prices start at $75 for a baby blanket star-quilt, $200 for a full-sized cotton star-quilt and $300 for a full-sized satin star-quilt.

For more information, call Jan Charlo at 726-3116, or email her at: montanastars14@yahoo.com

Embroiderer Annette Brown said her artistic endeavor is a hobby. She is a lawyer with Smith, Brown and Yazzie and a licensed massage therapist.

“I have been sewing since I was in the fifth grade,” Brown said.

Now with the assistance of a computer to create and transfer designs Brown mechanically embroiders designs and logos on various types of clothing and bags. She also makes ribbon shirts, vests and jewelry.

Brown’s 15-year-old daughter Mariah was also set up at the art sale selling her beadwork. “I mostly bead things for my family, my cousins,” Mariah said as she threaded needles with beads for pieces she was making on-site.

For more information, call Annette Brown at (cell) 480-231-9698 or email her at: annette.brown@threestars.org

For more information on the People’s Center, call Marie Torosian at 675-0160 or visit the center’s website at: www.peoplescenter.org