The 16th Annual Nez Perce Art in the Wallowa will be held October 6, 2012.

For fifteen years Wallowa Valley in Northeast Oregon has been the site, where, Nez Perce Indian Artists and neighboring Columbia Plateau Tribal Artists have gathered to share their unique inter-mountain Columbia Plateau art, representing the regions colorful First People’s culture with historically representative and contemporary pieces. In past years, traditional beading and rawhide work have been exhibited alongside bronze sculptures, painting, wood carving, and high tech photography.

Art show, reception, silent and oral auction will be held from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. at the historic Wallowa Lake Lodge and is free to the public. Saturday evening’s dinner  begins at 6:00 p.m. also at Wallowa Lake Lodge, featuring: fresh salmon, local grown buffalo, local grown garden favorites, with huckleberry cheese cake, and a no-host bar featuring regional wine.

We are pleased to announce this year's entertainer is Nez Perce storyteller, Carlotta Kauffman who will perform a collection of stories According To Coyote.

In THE BEGINNING there was nothing. According to some, God said, 'Let there be light'...According to others, there was a gigantic explosion, a big bang...According to Coyote, the Earth was once a human being. the creator made her out of woman...the Creator gathered some of her flesh and rolled it into balls...these balls became the creatures of the early world, the ancients...but there was a difficulty with this early world...at last the Creator sent Coyote down...to teach all of us how to live."

According To Coyote was written and first performed by Carlotta's brother, John Kauffman in 1987. Coyote is based on American Plains Indian legends of the trickster animal spirit, Coyote. The performance is a delicate balance of storytelling in the Indian tradition of oral history and modern theatrics. According to Coyote was commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. where it premiered in 1987. After opening the show, Kauffman travelled all over the United States performing; including special appearances in Australia and Moscow. After her brother's death in 1990, from complications with AIDS, Carlotta brought the play back to the stage. She has steadily performed Coyote throughout the Northwestern United States as well as special performances in Hawaii and The Seattle Children's Theater.

Coyote is a collection of John's favorite coyote stories passed down to the Kauffman children by their grandparents from their days on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.

According to Kauffman's notes, "I want people to appreciate the very outrageous character that Coyote is. He's a hero, villain, a buffoon...as a predecessor to man, he prepared the world for humans and taught them how to live by good and bad example..."

Tickets for the evening event are $45 in advance; with limited seating it is encouraged to secure tickets early. Advance tickets are available at the Bookloft in Enterprise, Lamb Trading Co. in Joseph, and Wallowa Band Nez Perce Trail Interpretive Center. For questions or reservation call: (541) 886-3101 or e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Dinner and lodging package are also available at Wallowa Lake Lodge; for Friday and Saturday night lodging for two includes two dinner tickets and breakfast. For more information contact the Lodge at www.wallowalakelodge.com or call 541-432-9821.