MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Museum of Alabama opens its new First Peoples of Alabama gallery on Saturday with a grand opening and art festival celebrating the culture of the Native Americans whose homelands are in Alabama.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Museum of Alabama, 624 Washington Ave. in Montgomery. Admission is free.
The festival brings together Native artists and artisans, many of whose commissioned works appear in the new gallery. Visitors can tour the exhibit, meet the artists, watch demonstrations and learn about Native American history and culture.
Artist talks and demonstrations begin at 10 a.m. with Muscogee painter Johnnie Diacon and Choctaw painter Ulan Moore. At 11:15 a.m., Choctaw basket maker Eveline Steele and Chickasaw basket maker Sue Fish demonstrate their work, followed at noon by Seminole textile artist Jake Tiger.
The event is hosted by the Alabama Department of Archives and History.