Barbecue and public art planned for Saturday

BARSTOW — This Saturday, Barstonians can satisfy their desires for art, culture and barbecue at the same time.

The Mojave River Valley Museum is holding its 42nd annual fundraiser barbecue at Dana Park in conjunction with the unveiling of a new art installation piece created by the nonprofit group Main Street Murals at the Desert Discovery Center. The three-dimensional art piece, “Native American Voices from the Mojave Desert,” was created by about 20 school-age children in Barstow working under the guidance of muralist David Brockhurst.

The students created a mural depicting people from the Mojave Desert tribes harvesting and using desert plants. The painting is augmented by live plants and a hand-constructed papier-mâché rock landscape with Native American petroglyphs, Main Street Murals president Jane Laraman-Brockhurst said.

In the creation of the mural that will be dedicated on Saturday, the kids spent six months studying the Native American tribes who lived in the Mojave Desert, took field trips to archeological sites, studied the properties of desert plants and took workshops on traditional crafts like basket-weaving, pottery and even the making of a rabbit skin blanket, Laraman-Brockhurst said.

“It’s been a really in-depth program,” she said.

Saturday’s events will also include demonstrations of traditional music, crafts, art and history from the tribes of the Mojave Desert.
“It’s quite varied, and it will be a really great family day,” Laraman-Brockhurst said.

Contact the writer:
(760) 256-4123 or abby_sewell@link.freedom.com

If you go:
The Mojave River Valley Museum Barbecue Fund Raiser and Native American Festival
Saturday, May 10, starts at 11 a.m.
Dana Park, 850 Barstow Road, and the Desert Discovery Center and Mojave River Valley Museum
Barbecue tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for children. All other activities are free.

Schedule of events

Inside the museum
12 p.m. Clifford Walker & Jane Laraman-Brockhurst, Main Street Murals Introduction
12:30 p.m. Vanyume Tribe, We're not extinct
1:00 p.m. Charles Woods & Phil Wyman, Chemehuevi Tribe
1:30 p.m. Mary Claw Earnesteen, Chemehuevi Basket Weaving and keeping the language alive
2:00 p.m.: Mojave Tribe
2.30 p.m.: Harold Williams, Kawaissu Tribe Cultural Heritage and Kinship
3.00 p.m.: Main Street Murals, Students from the educational program "Native American Voices from the Mojave Desert"

Dana Park
12 p.m. Mike Martinez & family, Cultural presentation - dance music and song
1:15 p.m. Bird Singers, Gourd Rattle workshop
2:15 p.m. John Hammond, shelter building update and talk
2:30 p.m. Mojave Tribal Band
3:00 p.m. Bird Singers Performance
3:25 p.m. John Hammond Update Circle of life
3:45 p.m. Mojave River Valley Museum, opportunity drawing

Desert Discovery Center
4:30 p.m. Mural dedication of “Native American Voices from the Mojave Desert,” presentation of certificate to students
Followed by drinks and Indian taco reception, flute played by Mike Martinez