Folk Arts Workshop at Chase Home - Navajo Sandpainting

Learn about the history of Navajo Sandpainting and create your own symbolic work to take home. Important symbols in Navajo culture are found in sandpaintings, or iikááh, a Diné word meaning “place where gods come and go,” as part of a sacred healing ceremony. A shaman uses colored sand, minerals, and pollen to create intricate designs on the ground that restore balance (hozho) to a person who has fallen ill. This symbolic “painting” absorbs the illness before it is destroyed, taking away the illness. In this hands-on workshop, artist Lapita Frewin will share more about the history and tradition of sandpainting. Then, she will guide participants to “paint” their own sandpainting using non-sacred symbols on prepared matted sandpaper. Choose from easy stencil patterns and complete your painting one color at a time. Lapita Frewin is a Navajo beadworker and cultural educator, who recently retired from social work. She is dedicated to preserving and sharing Native American traditions. Through artist residencies and hands-on workshops, Lapita enjoys engaging learners of all ages to celebrate indigenous heritage. Please check in within 15 minutes of the start time. At that point, we may make any unoccupied seats available to another interested participant. We would love to accommodate as many people as possible at these workshops. However, our physical space is limited. Thank you for understanding. If you are on the waitlist or would like to standby on the day of the event, please arrive at the start time and we will try our best to accommodate you.