Denver Art Museum to Host 37th Annual Friendship Powwow on Sept. 12
(Denver, CO = Won Jeong) The Denver Art Museum will bring together Indigenous communities from across Denver and the Front Range for its 37th Annual Friendship Powwow on Saturday, Sept. 12.
The event, one of the museum’s longest-running annual traditions, will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature Native American dance competitions, music and dance performances, family activities, prize drawings, food and booths featuring Indigenous artists and vendors.
The Friendship Powwow is developed each year in collaboration with members of the region’s Indigenous community and is intended to celebrate the cultures, traditions and creativity of diverse Indigenous communities throughout Colorado’s Front Range.
A highlight of this year’s event will be the debut of a commissioned women’s dance regalia set created for the Denver Art Museum by the GrowingThunder Collective.
The GrowingThunder Collective is a multigenerational group of Assiniboine/Nakoda women that includes grandmother Joyce Growing Thunder, mother Juanita and granddaughter Jessa Rae. The three generations work together to preserve Indigenous stories and family traditions through their art.
The newly commissioned regalia includes a fully beaded yoke dress and accompanying pieces that tell the history of the Growing Thunder family through Fort Peck Assiniboine aesthetics.
A member of the Growing Thunder family will wear the regalia during Saturday’s powwow, allowing visitors and members of the Native community to see the commissioned work in its cultural context.
A film crew will also be on site to capture footage for a documentary about the Growing Thunder family. The documentary is expected to air on PBS at a later date.
One of the centerpiece moments of the Friendship Powwow, the Grand Entry, will begin at 11 a.m. inside the Martin Building’s Sie Welcome Center and Sturm Grand Pavilion. The Grand Entry brings participating dancers together for a collective procession and performance.
Music and dance performances will continue throughout the event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Indigenous-led nonprofit organizations will offer foods including fry bread and Indian tacos, while vendors will showcase jewelry, artwork, crafts, clothing and other items.
Sept. 12 is also an SFCD Free Day at the Denver Art Museum, meaning general admission will be free for all visitors.
The 37th Annual Friendship Powwow will be held Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Pkwy. in Denver.
