The art you see displayed in the Geddes Hall coffee house is created by local artists from the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi. Traditional and contemporary, this collection is symbolic of Potawatomi culture and a sign of the Institute for Social Concerns' commitment to learn from and partner with the Pokagon community. May this art inspire harmony with the land and each other.
Jamie Chapman
Jamie Chapman was born and raised in West Michigan and has been weaving black ash baskets for more than two decades. Black ash basket weaving is a traditional woodland art that has been passed down through generations. Jamie's great uncle, Ed Pigeon, taught her parents, Jim and Jennie Brown, who taught her. She spends a considerable amount of time in wetlands harvesting and preparing her own materials. She is blessed to be born into a family that maintains the old basket weaving traditions.
Kathy Getz Fodness
Kathy Getz Fodness is a South Bend artist whose focus is functional and decorative wheel thrown pottery, fired in a cone 10, gas reduction kiln. Kathy's nature inspired pottery pieces are often adorned with symbolism from her Native American roots. Kathy's teaches classes in the community and her artwork is displayed in many Pokagon owned businesses and buildings.
John Fox
John Fox resides in Saugatuck, Michigan. His paintings focus on relationships between traditional Anishinabé culture and current mainstream trends that blend but do not conflict. The Pokagon Band has long endured in part due to its Seven Grandfather teachings: the values of Wisdom, Love, Respect, Courage, Honesty, Humility, and Family. John has adapted these deeply-rooted ideals into his contemporary circumstances and artistic pathway. They have guided, balanced, and given him a harmonious appreciation of the world around him.
David Martin
David Martin is a lifelong resident of Zenba Odan (the Potawatomi name for South Bend, Indiana). His digital art, body art, oil painting, ribbon applique, and beadwork are just a few of the mediums this multi-talented artist has mastered. David's distinctive style is influenced by the traditional aesthetics of the indigenous people of the Great Lakes as well as his personal love of science fiction and fantasy.
Jason Wesaw
Jason Wesaw (Turtle Clan) lives and works near the historic Pokagon Potawatomi settlement of Rush Lake in southwestern Michigan. He is a multi-disciplinary artist specializing in ceramics, drawings, textiles, and traditional cultural pieces. His art relates stories about the Potawatomi people's ancient and evolving connection to this Land, observing how nature organizes and influences us. Jason balances being a maker with working in his Tribal community as a Peacemaker, helping to sustain cultural ceremonies and traditional knowledge.
Embroidered Tote Bag
Created by John and Patrice Warren, Geeshup-MiMi
John and Patrice Warren's company, Geeshup-MiMi was named after Patrice's Indian name, "Mourning Dove" (Geeshup Mimi). Her Indian name was given to her by Pokagon Potawatomi Elder Clarence White. Each bag they create is made from scratch in their home and is made with love, prayer, and good thoughts. With this intentionality, they hope these feelings will carry over to the person who eventually owns each bag. Most of their designs are created by members of their family, and each bag is unique and carries a distinct personality through the colors, materials, and design.
This tote bag was gifted to the Center's collection by John Low, PhD - inaugural lecturer for Native American Initiatives (NAI) at the University of Notre Dame.