The BeltLine is one of the best places in Atlanta to experience art for free. Their legendary legacy in the arts continues, with a brand-new sculpture that was unveiled on October 29 (2022).
The sculpture is called Naw’-tsiʔ: Bear Effigy Vessel, and will be installed on the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail at Ponce City Market.
The artist behind the sculpture is master Caddo potter, Chase Kahwinhut Earles, who’s bringing a slice of their culture to A-Town in the form of this gorgeous sculpture.
Caddo pottery is a widespread tradition, spanning around North America and traded as far as Europe. Chase has solidified himself in the art world for redefining and reviving this ancient artform.
From 800 AD to the 1700’s Caddo tribal pottery has been an integral part of the artworld, with this artist keen to bring it back and use the original methods used by his ancestors.
His work can be seen in art galleries and museums all over the world, with this adorable new addition to his collection permanently on display on Atlanta’s looping trail of the city, otherwise know as the largest outdoor art gallery in the Southeast.
Chase shared in a statement, “What motivates me and challenges me to push the limits of describing our culture in my pottery art is the desire to truly educate people about what sets our tribe’s tradition apart from all the other Southeastern tribes, and to reveal to people the extent of which the Caddo’s tradition was cherished by everyone across the nation in prehistoric and historic times.”
This will be a momentous monument, as the new sculpture it is the first monument created by an Indigenous artist in Atlanta since the Indian Removal Act of the 1820s.
It’s no surprise that this awesome addition to the BeltLine is being unveiled. Earlier this year, Art on the BeltLine was awarded $40,000 from the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs Municipal Support for the Arts program, as well as $10,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Click the link below for more information.