Artists | Voices of The River of Grass

From left to right artists, Josie Osceola, Cayla Willie, Camisha Cedartree, Houston Cypress and Daniel Tommie.

Daniel Tommie

Daniel Tommie is a seminole artists specialized in the art of dugout canoe. He worked at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum as a traditional interpretive coordinator. He has been a spokesmen and educator of the Seminole culture.

“As a young boy I was told to start out small and simple when engaging in art or craft. I have learned invaluable methods, techniques, and approaches in carving a dugout canoe using this concept.

This particular canoe measures twelve feet and three inches long and is my twenty eight completed canoe and my longest. The cypress log came out of Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation where I reside.

In the beginning when the tree was first cut the diameter measured two feet at the big end and was fifteen feet long. The sap wood had to be chipped away until the heart of the tree was reached and then the shaping and forming of the canoe began.

The journey of the canoe began on October 3, 2020 and was finally on November 25th, few days prior to “voices of the river of grass” even. I carve dugout canoes to preserve my heritage, culture, and lifeline of my ancestors who suffered, sacrificed, and survived, so I can live today. «

Shonabish, Ochehachee

Daniel Tommie

IG: @6danieltommie2

Renee Manyari

Miccosukee Artist

Houston Cypress

Artist, activist, poet, and ordained minister Reverend Houston Cypress is the founder of Love the Everglades, an organization devoted to the development of platforms and initiatives for environmental protection and cultural preservation.

Cypress is also an advocate for two-spirited and non-binary gender peoples, cultural preservation, business development, and sovereignty.

Cypress is a active member of the artistic community of Miami, he acts as a cultural ambassador of native clans and the community.

Artist Cypress has collaborated with variuos cultural institutions, his recents works inlcude a a commisiones work from ICA Miami, called …what-endures … (2021) and a short film collaboration with Nowness presented at Superblue, Every Step is a Prayer.

IG:@ottercypress

Camisha Cedartree

«I am an independent Native American and African American Artist. Independent meaning I am not affiliated with any tribes, my family as well. I became exposed to art by seeing my late mom always drawing and occasionally creating things like centerpieces for family functions and sewing various outfits for me to wear. She was my inspiration to be open to making my own art, but I didn’t realize it when I was younger.

As an adult I can see that my mothers art and mine are very alike and how much of an impact she has had on the genre of art I like to make. I love geometric forms of art. I always have a feeling of wanting to make something different and aesthetically pleasing. I care so much about the colors I use, and the position of my shapes.

A lot of times my ideas come from the drawings I make in my sketch book or old pieces I’ve done in the past. I try to see how I can take an old section of art and incorporate it into a new piece in a different way. Sometimes when I really want something different I research colorful new things online, such as art, jewelry, and clothes. I’ve had moments where I go to the store and I see things on the shelf aligned in such a way that gives me an idea for a new piece, and I’ll take a picture. I will always allow myself to be open to all forms of art for inspiration.» Even the most unconventional things can spark waves of new ideas.

IG:@camisha_cedartree_