Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Art From the Heart: Free Family Fun, Community Cheer, Native American Culture & Gifts

Enjoy free family fun, music, and more, and shop for unique, affordable, beautifully handmade and Native American gifts at “Art From the Heart” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, in downtown Banning. 

"Art from the Heart,"  centered at Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, 127 N. San Gorgonio Ave., supports Native American cultural work and education. Instead of shopping til you drop, we welcome you to the Center, 127 N. San Gorgonio Ave., Banning, where you can relax, enjoy free refreshments, free family fun, cultural entertainment, and discover and explore our Learning Center, where we save and share Southern California's Native American cultures, history, languages and traditional arts. Come check out our new reference library! AND you can buy Native American and beautiful, eclectic gifts, including books, that benefit Native Americans and local artists and not-for-profit Native American causes.

Highlights: A FREE basket-making workshop throughout the day led by Malki Museum. Free performances include Dragonfly Wind Flute Ensemble, traditional American Indian songs and stories with Ernest Siva, and a special, free sneak preview at 2 pm of the Pass Chorale's upcoming Dec. 11 Christmas concert, which features a cantata by Banning composer Bill Bell, and is directed by Ernest Siva.

Vendors will offer Native American jewelry, beadwork, basketry, pottery, good books, and more, and local, unique, handmade affordable art and gifts. The Market at Dorothy Ramon Learning Center will include the Native American Christmas ornaments, pottery, beadwork, and gourd jewelry of Native American artisans Ron and Geneva Moore of Parker, AZ; the flint knapping, blacksmithing and silver-jewelry-making art of Past to Present Programs and Trading Post of Redlands; gifts from Morongo Cultural Resources that will benefit Morongo students; and Native American crafts and more from Chia CafĂ© Collective, that benefit this not-for-profit group's work to preserve, educate, and enrich new generations with knowledge of traditional Native uses of native plants. Other arts and crafts include Barbara Drake’s Victorian-themed Christmas gifts; Beaumont artist Kristy Christopherson’s fun and functional handmade purses, totes, wallets and more; David Fairrington’s art, and Cheryl Blaum’s crafts. Nonprofits Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, Heyday Books and News From Native California, and Malki Museum will offer Native American books and publications.

Joining in the fun
Also participating in “Art from the Heart” are Super Subs, serving subs across the street from the Learning Center at 112 N. San Gorgonio Ave., and Toti’s Art Studio, just a block away at 235 N. San Gorgonio Ave., Banning. Gloria “Toti” Bell will offer free entertainment and an open house of her Day of the Dead-style art, joined by local artists offering pottery, paintings, and more. Ramona’s taco truck will offer delicious foods there.