Native American art, human trafficking awareness at Dorchester Center for the Arts – Bay to Bay News

By Barbara Seese,
Special to Dorchester Banner

CAMBRIDGE — Dorchester Center for the Arts is pleased to welcome Strong Feather Creations to Studioworks, the onsite artisans' shop at DCA.

These handcrafted one-of-a-kind Native American cloth dolls were created by Cambridge resident Denise “Strong Feather” Lowe-Williams, a member of the Narragansett Indian Tribe located in Charlestown, Rhode Island, and a member of the Indian Arts & Crafts Association (IACA) since 2002.

The full cloth body of these dolls as well as the clothing and moccasins are hand crafted and designed by Denise. Each doll measures approximately 13-14 ½ inches tall and weighs approximately 4-7 ounces. They also display Strong Feather's signature, date created (on the doll's back) and ID number. Every doll comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Although each doll feels soft and cuddly, they have been created to be for display use only. In addition, due to the small pieces of jewelry and beads, these dolls are not intended for children under the age of 5.

Denise “Strong Feather” Lowe-Williams is the daughter of the late Sedonia “Dancing Waters” Champlain (Narragansett), who was a prominent artist in the New England Native American community and co-founder of the New England Native American Calendar. She is also the sister of Dennis “Hawkeye” Champlain, a gifted artist and president of the Algonquin Indian Arts and Culture Association.

Lowe-Williams was born into an exceptionally talented and gifted family. She and her brother were inspired by their mother's amazing artistic ability. As a young girl, her grandfather would take her and other family members to Powwows throughout the New England area and teach them the ways of their culture. Her grandfather and mother were very artistic, and Lowe-Williams believes this is where she inherited her artistic ability.

In 2001, she decided to use her talent to start her own business, “Strong Feather Creations” to sell her one-of-a-kind dolls and other creations.

She creates faceless dolls because she believes that true expression comes from the soul. To see these dolls and other artisan works, visit the Studioworks Gift Shop Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 8 p.m., or Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Second Saturdays until 8 p.m.

Human trafficking awareness
For All Seasons recently partnered with the Dorchester County Detention Center to bring awareness about human trafficking through its Red Sand Project. Dorchester Center for the Arts is pleased to exhibit the artwork created through this project.

Across the Shore, participants have poured red sand into sidewalk cracks and used the time to start a discussion about the causes and effects of human trafficking and exploitation. The red sand represents the victims of human trafficking who have slipped through the cracks yet may still be hiding in plain sight.

Susan Ahlstrom, Trauma, Addiction, Mental Health and Recovery coordinator at For All Seasons, who works with women who are incarcerated in the Dorchester County Detention Center, introduced the project to Kenneth Rodgers, the facility's director. He got his staff to create a large, grey board that was routed to replicate the sidewalk outside so the women could participate inside the gym. The board had adhesive so the sand would stick — the idea of one of the women who participated so the board could be a permanent reminder inside the facility of the importance of this issue.

For further information, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org. For more on DCA, stop by 321 High Street, call 410-228-7782 or visit online at dorchesterarts.org.