Meet Our Inspired Natives Artists September 19 at Town Hall Seattle

Join us September 19 at Town Hall Seattle for Inspired Natives: A Unique Panel Conversation with Native Art Market and Native Food Expo.

You're invited to celebrate the beauty of authentic Native art and excellence with Eighth Generation and our five Inspired Natives® Artists for an engaging panel conversation, followed by our first-ever pop-up market featuring Native American vendors and food. This event is in partnership with Town Hall Seattle, a vibrant gathering place in the heart of Seattle that fosters an engaged community through civic, arts, and educational programs that reflect and inspire our region’s best impulses: creativity, empathy, and the belief that we all deserve a voice. 

The event begins with a curated Native Art Market pop-up from 5–7PM on the outdoor plaza, featuring Native artists, Native craftspersons, Native-owned businesses, and Native food trucks. During the pop-up market, you'll be able to mingle with our Inspired Natives® Artists and have them sign any Eighth Generation merch they designed. We'll have their blankets and a select assortment of other products for sale, too. This portion of the event is free and open to the public.  

Following the market is our historic discussion, Inspired Natives: A Unique Panel Conversation, from 7:30–9PM inside Town Hall. This is the first time all five our our Inspired Natives® Artists will have been together in one space, and will share a thoughtful conversation on what it means to be artists, activists, and leaders in the Native community and world beyond. Tickets are required for this portion of the event and available at a sliding scale fee on Town Hall Seattle's webpage here. 

Meet the Artists

The Inspired Natives^® Project, launched by Louie Gong in May 2014, is both a business initiative and an educational initiative. By collaborating with select arts entrepreneurs to manufacture products under the Eighth Generation brand, we hope to expand regional appeal of the Eighth Generation brand while simultaneously increasing the capacity of the arts entrepreneurs and educating the public about the tangible costs of cultural appropriation.

Louie Gong (Nooksack) 

Louie Gong (Nooksack) (M.Ed.), founder of Eighth Generation, is a highly influential Coast Salish artist, activist and social entrepreneur with a knack for bringing people together. In 2008, he founded the iconic lifestyle brand Eighth Generation—the first Native-owned company to produce wool blankets—triggering a movement that has diverted millions of dollars from non-Native corporations to a new generation of Native-owned businesses and artists. By successfully disrupting a colonial system and then selling Eighth Generation to the Snoqualmie Tribe, the creative force completed the blueprint for how to merge values and business—something he refers to as the "Native American Dream."

Sarah Agaton Howes (Anishinaabe-Ojibwe)

Sarah Agaton Howes is an Anishinaabe-Ojibwe artist, teacher, and community organizer from Fond du Lac Reservation in Minnesota. Widely known for her handmade regalia and moccasins featuring Ojibwe floral designs, Sarah has grown from selling handmade earrings to becoming one of Eighth Generation's best-selling artists in addition to having her own line of apparel, accessories, and more through her nationally-recognized brand, Heart Berry.

Michelle Lowden (Acoma Pueblo) 

Michelle Lowden is the proud founder and owner of Milo Creations, which has grown in her years as an artist with Eighth Generation from hand-painted Pueblo jewelry to diving into the world of graphic art. Additionally, she now creates mental health content for social media, specifically designed to support the Indigenous community on their healing journey.  An Inspired Natives® Collaborator since 2014, she is the first arts entrepreneur to participate Eighth Generation’s Inspired Natives® Project.

John Pepion (Piikani/Blackfeet)

Nationally-recognized Plains artist John Isaiah Pepion (Piikani/Blackfeet) is an artist and educator living and working in Montana. His instantly-recognizable blend of traditional ledger art and contemporary motifs explores issues of modernity, symbols of Indigeneity, and cultural stories. John's most recent accolades include several gallery shows as well as being the poster artist for Ken Burns' PBS documentary, "The American Buffalo".

Jared Yazzie (Diné/Navajo)

Founder of OXDX, Jared Yazzie (Navajo/Diné) is a self-taught graphic artist, entrepreneur, and designer known for his bold, graphic style that incorporates vibrant Diné motifs with messages of Native empowerment. Through his bold art and products, both with Eighth Generation and through his own brand OXDX, Jared works to increase awareness of Indigenous issues while simultaneously showcasing the beauty of Native culture.

Meet Your Moderator: Colleen Echohawk (Pawnee, Athabascan)

The panel will be moderated by Eighth Generation's CEO, Colleen Echohawk (Pawnee, Athabascan). Colleen joined Eighth Generation as CEO in January 2022, bringing with her over twenty years' experience in leadership, community development, and activism to our Native-owned business. As part of her work in community development, Colleen is heavily involved in Seattle's public art and design spheres, encouraging urban planners and architects to incorporate Native American design into their projects and showing businesses how to share authentic Native art and excellence in their spaces and business practices. Colleen’s experiences as an Indigenous woman, small business owner, community organizer, and executive leader inform her efforts in building a community of justice and reconciliation. 

Location 

Town Hall Seattle's Wyncote NW Forum entrance, and plaza where the market will be held

Thursday, September 19, 2024 | Click for Tickets
Town Hall Seattle, The Wyncote NW Forum
1119 8th Ave (Entrance off Seneca St.), Seattle, 98101 United States

We can't wait to see you there and celebrate the beauty of supporting Inspired Natives®, not "Native-inspired".