Gallup Independent 05/02/2015
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Kyle ChancellorStaff [email protected]
CHILCHINBETO, Ariz. —Shiprock film-maker Dwayne Joe has embarked on a projectto document the creation and history of theworlds largest Navajo rug.
Joe, a senior at the Institute for AmericanIndian Art in Santa Fe, first saw the rug inShiprock at an event to bring internet to thearea. He said that since then, he has been fasci-nated by the rug.
“I am honored to be able to do this documen-tary,” Joe said in an interview.
The project started when he met EugeneBedonie of the Shima Rug Foundation at a sym-posium in Isleta and the two started chattingabout documenting the rug.
The rug, called the “Big Sister Rug,” meas-ures 25 feet five inches by 37 feet 10 inches andwas completed in just two years, beginning in1977 and completed in 1979. It was first dis-played at the Navajo Nation Fair of 1979. Therug project started as a way to create employ-ment as well as recognition to the community.After many discussions and meetings, weavinga large rug was selected to be the project.
The loom was prepared for a length of 38feet and a width of 25 feet. The rug consists offive sets of individual symmetrical designs sothe visual effect is that of laying 25 separaterugs side by side. While the design and patternof rugs are almost unlimited, the 25 sets repre-sent the basic patterns used in weaving. Therugs with the Yei' symbol represent the HolyPeople. The two Yei's and a storm pattern repre-sent the world famous Two Greyhill style ofweaving.
The rug was constructed by 10 weavers fromthe Chilchinbeto chapter, but just three of theweavers are still alive today.
“Only three of the weavers are left alive. Itmakes it kind of urgent for me to get this outthere,” Joe said.
Joe has collaborated with fellow filmmakersRamona Emerson, candidate for the SundanceNative Filmmakers Lab and a member of theNative American Producers Alliance, as well asEchota Cheyenne Killsnight, winner of theHonorable Mention Zia Award at the 2014 TaosShortz Film Festival, for this project. All threeare students at AIAI. Emerson will graduate this
semester and Joe hopes to graduate in the fallwith his bachelor’s degree in fine arts.
Joe is using the crowdfunding website Kick-starter to raise $30,000 to cover the production
costs of the film and hopes to be able to beginproduction in July of this year.
Information: www.kickstarter.com/pro-jects/1693476307/big-sister-rug
By Richard ReyesStaff [email protected]
GALLUP — After about three monthssitting idle, El Morro Theatre is scheduledto show the movie “Interstellar” Saturdayfor a soft opening to test out the facility’snew projector and sound equipment.
El Morro is set to screen directorChristopher Nolan’s science fiction epic“Interstellar” — which stars MatthewMcConaughey, Anne Hathaway, JessicaChastain and Michael Caine — at 2 p.m., 6p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets cost$2.
El Morro Theatre Manager FrankBosler said tickets are available at a dis-counted price because the screening will
be a test run for the theater’s new ChristieCP2215 digital projector and 7.1 surroundsound system, which will enhance theaudience experience. The theater also fea-tures a new movie screen capable of dis-playing high definition movies.
“It’s bombastic and it’s jaw-dropping,”Bosler said. “When people hear the soundand see the image on the screen, your eyesbug out because you realize you’re in atheater that’s state of the art just like any-where in the country. The sound is incred-ible.”
The projector has a digital cinemapackage format, so it’s capable of display-ing high-quality images from differentsources without any delays or buffering.It’s also a first-run projector capable ofreceiving and playing any new film on
opening day. However, Bosler said the focus of El
Morro will be on three types of films: sec-ond run, repertory and classics. He said he’sstill working out admission prices, but hewants to keep movies around the $5 range.
The theater also has a renovated projec-tor booth and a streamlined concessionstand. Customers will be able to fill theirown drinks, which frees up employees toget their snacks ready and get peoplethrough the line faster. Bosler noted howsmall the lobby is and how he’d like tomove people into their seats quicker.
He said his focus is on the entire movieexperience from when people park andwalk toward the theater to when they leavesatisfied after a good show.
The new El Morro annex, or performingarts center, is still under construc-tion, but Bosler said the grandopening of the new facility isscheduled June 13 to coincidewith ArtsCrawl. The annex willserve as a community space and asort of black box theater capableof hosting workshops, expos,plays and even more movies.
Bosler noted that the theaterhas a new phone number and is inthe process of developing a newwebsite.
Information: El Morro The-atre, 505-863-1250
Page 18 — The Independent — Gallup, N.M. — Saturday, May 2, 2015 Celebrate! 66
El Morro’s new projector, sound system to debut with ‘Interstellar’
Cable Hoover/Independent
Gallup's El Morro Theatre recently finished a three-month-long renovation in 2012
By Vida VolkertStaff writer [email protected]
ZUNI — The 3rd AnnualZuni Pueblo MainStreet Festi-val will be held at the PuebloMay 9.
According to Tom R.Kennedy, director of ZuniTourism, the festival willinclude eight traditional dancegroups, three main tent sites,over a dozen venues, arts mar-kets, demonstrations, a pow-wow, mini carnival, education-al booths and Zumba.
The festival will take placealong New Mexico Hwy. 53.
Information: 505-782-7238 or www.zunipueblomain-
street.org
ZuniMainStreetFestivalMay 9
Courtesy of Eugene Bedonie
This postcard shows weavers and other members from the Chilchinbeto chapter poseunder The Chilchinbeto Rug, now known as the “Big Sister Rug,” shortly after its comple-tion in 1979.
Filmmaker aims to document world’s largest Navajo rug
Courtesy of Michael Billie
Filmmaker and senior at American IndianArt Institute, Dwayne Joe poses for a photo.
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