Barry Dana (Artist Profile)
Barry Dana, Penobscot Culture Bearer
In 1995, the Hudson Museum created an exhibit “Tree and Tradition: Brown Ash and Native American Basketmaking”, and as part of that exhibit, the Museum hosted its first Wabanaki Art Market. Barry Dana joined us at this inaugural show, with his birchbark baskets for sale. Since then, he has not missed one show. The interest in his work and the success of the show encouraged Barry to take up this ancient tradition, and today his work is among the collections of museums across the country.
Barry is one of the foremost Wabanaki birchbark artists and makes not only baskets, but also wigwams and canoes. He has made a canoe for the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and wigwams for the Skowhegan History House, Rangeley Museum, Penobscot Nation, and the Hudson Museum. When creating one of his works, he often includes etched portraits of Wabanaki people. Barry says that his art brings out the ancestors in the bark.
In addition to offering etched birchbark baskets – some with porcupine quill decorations – he and his family are known for their maple syrup. The sap comes from their homestead in Solon, Maine, where they use a wood fired evaporator to make syrup in small batches. The syrup comes in a variety of grades from amber to rich and robust to extra strong, and tends to sell out quickly during the shows.
Barry also presents educational programs at schools for students in grades 4 and up. He likes to engage students in thinking about what it is like to be native, and the impact of people on the environment and climate change. Through his art, advocacy for Wabanaki people, and his drive to educate, he is a Wabanaki Culture Bearer.
For more information, please visit: https://umaine.edu/hudsonmuseum/barry-dana/. Follow Barry on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/barry.dana.35)
Photos: Barry Dana – Birchbark Basket Maker
Video: Barry Dana – Birchbark Basket Maker
Upcoming 2024 Wabanaki Winter Market (Saturday, December 14, 2024):
Organized by the Hudson Museum, the Wabanaki Winter Market is New England’s largest holiday gathering of Wabanaki artists. The annual December event features award-winning Wabanaki weavers as well as new artists representing the next generation of artists.
The event is supported in part by a grant from the Onion Foundation.
Location of the event: The Collins Center for the Arts (2 Flagstaff Road | Orono, Maine)
Date: Saturday, December 14, 2024 (from 9 am to 3 pm)
Contact: Gretchen Faulkner | Director, Hudson Museum (207.581.1904) For event updates, please visit: https://www.wabanakiwintermarket.org