TOPPENISH, Wash. – In honor of Native American Heritage Month, Legends Casino hosted its inaugural Native Heritage Art Market, bringing together artists from across the Pacific Northwest.
The event showcased diverse art styles, offering creators a platform to share their work. Everything from beadwork to canvas art to comic-book-like illustrations were on display.
“A lot of people from different backgrounds got some good exposure already,” said Vernon Ketchup, a Wapato artist.
Ellen Taylor, an artist from Pendleton, Oregon, shared her approach, stating, “I’ll take the traditional and then I’ll, you know, kind of give it like an Andy Warhol twist to it. The pop art and so that’s what I like to do. It really attracts the young people.”
Taylor, who has attended fewer art markets since the pandemic, was pleased to participate in Toppenish, a city known for its appreciation of art. “They’re really like strong and the murals and they were always like, had an appreciation for art. You can just tell by the buildings that they would share on the artwork,” she said.
Local talents also took part, including Ketchup from Wapato. He showcased his distinct style, saying, “You got a lot of masters out there that do the master beadwork. The master they tan hides or something like that. And me, I’m trying to just take what I am and go in a different market where it has it’s kind of unexplored territory.”
Ketchup’s work, inspired by anime, aims to evolve into animated stories focusing on storytelling. He emphasized the importance of storytelling in the Yakama Nation, stating, “Storytelling is important, especially right here in the Yakama Nation. A lot of the history is passed on orally. There’s not really written documents, so you got to be good at telling stories. And if you’re good at telling stories, there’s a higher chance it’s going to embed in the youth’s minds and other people’s minds.”
Legends Casino’s first art market was a success, with plans already underway for the 2025 event. Staff are eager to bring back this year’s artists and expand the market.