Chuna McIntyre

Chuna McIntyre to Perform Traditional Yup'ik Song, Dance and Stories

March 13, 2006

CORNING, NY - The unique traditions of the ancient southwest Alaskan tribe of the Central Yup'ik Eskimos will be presented in a quietly intense performance of movement, song and story.

On Sunday, March 26, 2006, the Rockwell Museum of Western Art will host Chuna McIntyre, a performer who will share the subtle gestural dances, stories, and songs taught to him by his grandmother...works of art that have "been a source of entertainment and enlightenment... which have survived and gone on for centuries." Costumed in Native dress and accompanied by drummer Vernon Chimegalrea, McIntyre will use authentic artifacts and masks to complement his performance. Traditionally presented in a small ceremonial house, this performance will draw the audience into the soul of the performer and the culture of his people.

Join us for an experience that will remain with you long after the last dance is performed. The public is encouraged to attend; admission to the event for not-yet-members is $15 and students $5.50. Reservations can be made by calling 607.974.2333 or by email (nicholsa@rockwellmuseum.org). Seating is limited. Reservations are required.

This program is inspired by the current special exhibition Cultural Reflections: Inuit Art from the Collections of the Dennos Museum Center, on exhibit through May 29, 2006, and expands awareness of the unique traditions of Arctic cultures. This exhibition gives the region a rare opportunity to view the evolution of the dynamic Inuit culture still in process. The collection is a reflection of life on the land; a record of daily events and serves as a visual narrative for keeping alive the old ways; the old life of skin tents and snow houses, the nomadic life when seasonal hunting dictated lifestyle and, in essence, survival.

Chuna McIntyre Background:

Chuna McIntyre's artistry is rooted in the daily life and culture of his village in Southwest Alaska, on the coast of the Bering Sear. Growing up in the village of Eek, he attended high school some 50 miles north in Bethel. Mid-way through high school, he moved to Vermont to attend a school under the auspice of Dartmouth College. He believes... "That is where I really learned to see the world in the perspective of the broader sense."

Eventually, McIntyre returned to study at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, where he spent his first two years of college studying orthography and art before transferring to Sonoma State University in California. There he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art and a minor in Native American studies. McIntyre has performed extensively with his dance troupe in New Zealand, North Korea, and Siberia. He has danced at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington and participated in the opening of the Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC.

As a traditional Yup'ik Eskimo garment maker, dancer, and storyteller, McIntyre has drawn from the teachings of his grandmother to make a living as a professional artist.

The Museum is open to the public seven days a week; hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Membership to the Museum includes yearlong free admission.