The Alliance Arts Council is sponsoring a program by Steven Tamayo on Friday January 14, at 7 p.m. at the Alliance High School Performing Arts Center. Tamayo will also be working in the Alliance elementary schools from January 10-14.
The Friday night performance will feature Steven Tamayo (Sicangu Lakota) and his takoja (grandson), Izzy, presenting the origin story as told by the Lakota people for generations. For centuries, Lakota oral tradition has been the primary means of passing down the virtues and values of the community. Steven and Izzy will share this history through the mediums of story-telling, song, and shadow puppetry. Their presentations will demonstrate the value of story-telling as a means of documenting and revitalizing historic traditions.
Steve Tamayo is a traditional Sicangu Lakota artist whose family originates from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. After graduating from high school in 1984, Tamayo enlisted in the US Army, serving in the 101st Airborne Division. After returning to Omaha in 1987, he studied the traditional arts of the Umonhon people under Howard Wolf. Tamayo has been awarded numerous awards and honors for his excellence in cultural artistic expression. Some of his most recent work includes buffalo robes for Willie Nelson and Neil Young and a tipi offered to President Obama.
Mr. Tamayo will be conducting an in-school residency in Alliance 4th grade classrooms the week of January 10-14. These 4th grade residency students will have an opportunity to briefly join Tamayo on stage on Friday night to showcase what they learned during the week. Tamayo will then go on to present his solo performance.
Business co-presenters for the in-school residency and the public performance are Harris Sales, Western Nebraska Real Estate, FNIC, FNBO and KCOW/Double Q Country Radio.
The Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency, has supported this arts event through its matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. Visit www.artscouncil.nebraska.gov for information on how the Nebraska Arts Council can assist your organization.