Community Engagement
Join us for drop-in style art-making with guest artist Penny Minner (Seneca). Minner will lead attendees of all ages through the making of dolls and flowers with corn husks, while sharing about the significance of corn husk dolls in Haudenosaunee culture and history.
Materials will be provided and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis; supplies are limited.
This program is presented in partnership with the exhibition and performance of Rosy Simas’ A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind). Corn husk—a central material to both the installation and performance—is a strong, flexible, and versatile material that has been used by the Haudenosaunee for generations.
Penny Minner: Corn Husk Dolls & Flowers
June 12, 2026, 10am
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Walker Art Center
MN
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Past Events
Join Rosy Simas in conversation with Reuben Roqueñi, Executive Director of the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, to celebrate the exhibition A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind) by Simas. The two will discuss Simas’ transdisciplinary practice, from her long history in choreography to her recent work in sound and video installation.
Following the talk, join us for a reception with small bites designed by Seneca culinary historian Chef Lorinda John, created in partnership with North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems.
Free with RSVP; first-come, first-served seating available.
Community Gathering: A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind)
April 30, 2026, 6pm
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
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Visiting artist Frazer Sundown (Oneida Nation, Turtle clan) will guide two consecutive tactile info sessions on corn husk twining during this free program. Corn husk is a strong, flexible, and versatile material that has been used by Haudenosaunee crafters for generations. Corn husk twining is a specific Haudenosaunee weaving style, historically utilized to make functional items such as baskets, bottles, and even moccasins. Today, the practice is used to make both functional and decorative works.
Both sessions led by Sundown will be one hour, the first beginning at 6pm and the second at 7:30pm. The first session will include ASL interpretation. During the sessions, Sundown will share about the history of corn husk twining and current revitalization efforts while guiding visitors through an introduction to the hands-on process of twining.
This program is presented in partnership with the exhibition and performance of Rosy Simas’ A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind). Corn husks and the traditional Haudenosaunee art form of corn husk twining are central to the gallery installation.
Materials will be provided and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis; supplies are limited.
(There will be also be a workshop April 11 & 12 for the Native community; click here for details/registration.)
Frazer Sundown: Corn Husk Twining
Thursday, April 9, 2026, 6–8pm
Cargill Lounge
Walker Art Center
Minneapolis, MN
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Join Seneca filmmaker Terry Jones for a screening of the Haudenosaunee Micro-Short Film Program. This annual Indigenous-led program highlights Haudenosaunee filmmakers from across Turtle Island. Created in response to the marginalization of Native voices in media, Jones’s program makes space for Indigenous artists to tell their own stories. Alongside a screening of selected films, Jones will also screen his own short film Soup for My Brother (2016), a story of memory, family, and corn soup.
This program is presented in partnership with the exhibition and performance of Rosy Simas’ A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind).
Terry Jones is a member of the Seneca Nation of Indians, located about 40 miles south of Niagara Falls. Jones has a passion for sharing Haudenosaunee (Seneca) history and culture through his film works, and strives to find a balance between entertaining and educating his audiences. In recent years, he has served as a mentor to younger students interested in media, particularly filmmaking. He has also been a media instructor for an annual Native high school performance camp, which is organized by the Native Performing Arts Network, based in Portland, Oregon. He is working toward an MFA in film production at York University in Toronto, Ontario. Jones is the cofounder and co-curator of the Haudenosaunee Micro-Short Program, which screens annually at the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo, New York. The program highlights short films under five minutes directed by Haudenosaunee filmmakers.
Terry Jones and the Haudenosaunee Micro-Short Film Program
Thursday, March 19, 2026, 6pm
Bentson Mediatheque
Walker Art Center
Minneapolis, MN
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Join artist Karen Ann Hoffman for a discussion about Haudenosaunee raised beadwork, presented alongside the exhibition A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:’ (i hope it will stir your mind) by Rosy Simas. This style of beadwork is characterized by raised lines of beads that create a three-dimensional texture on the fabric’s surface. Infusing contemporary design into her artistic practice, Hoffman views her beadwork as a written language that holds the traditions, stories, and worldview of her ancestors.
This presentation is free; seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Karen Ann Hoffman on Raised Beadwork
February 19, 2026, 6pm
Bentson Mediatheque
Walker Art Center Minneapolis, MN
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