'Ikanum' exhibit hanging at Chachalu Museum & Cultural Center

An artist’s reception for “Ikanum: Contemporary Artwork from the Columbia River and Willamette Valley” was held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at Chachalu, the Tribe’s museum and cultural center.

Ikanum are traditional stories. The tales are often told through markings on a wall, the pattern in a weave, the shadows cast in a piece of wood or stone, and the deliberate forms in nature that exist all around us. The art forms existed long before human beings.

Items exhibited at Chachalu’s “Ikanum” had been previously displayed throughout the summer, from July 17 through Sept. 9, at the Chehalem Cultural Center in Newberg.

“We put this art exhibit up for Chehalem and then we thought why not use it in our own spot,” said Kathy Cole, the Tribe’s Cultural Education and Outreach Program manager.

“It will bring more people here and more Grand Ronde people could see the exhibit, especially our Elders,” said Cole. “I just wanted more people to come in and experience Chachalu and the art exhibit and showcase the artists. And it’s just another event at the museum to make the museum alive.”

According to Cole, 237 people have visited the “Ikanum” exhibit since it opened in Grand Ronde.

Artists featured in the “Ikanum” exhibit are Greg Archuleta, Connie Graves, Tribal Council member Jon A. George, David Harrelson, Brian Krehbiel, Bobby Mercier, Jordan Mercier, Travis Stewart, Crystal Szczepanski, Shirod Younker and Adam McIsaac.

The largest, and arguably the most impressive, exhibit featured at “Ikanum” is the 33-foot-long “stanki’ya” ocean-going canoe. The canoe dominates the exhibit space and is dimensionally an exact replica of a Chinook-style canoe.

“To me, stanki’ya is a symbol of the rebirth of a culture here in Grand Ronde,” said Cole. “As soon as they started the canoe journeys, more people became involved in their culture. It became more Grand Ronde culture and more people were involved and so stanki’ya being in the middle of this exhibit is the perfect showcase for that. It’s really impressive.”

“Ikanum” will remain on display at Chachalu, 8720 Grand Ronde Road, through Friday, Dec. 11.