Storytellers…
Several years ago, Ms. Weisenburg became interested in the present connection to ancient myths, figures, and people. From the myths of ancient people, she was inspired to create a project which would challenge others to find their own connection.
Beginning with small figures that represented characters in the legends, she then took on the task of creating large representations to bring to the public. These new creations are impactful, and leave an impression on the viewer that both excites the imagination and inspires individuals to find their own form of self-expression.
In a creative new project called Storytellers, she offers a way for people to find themselves through the creations she made based on Inuit legends and gives in to the idea that there are as many ways to express oneself through art as there are ways to interpret stories from the past.
One figure was created from the legend of Sedna, the Mother of the Sea. Sedna was a beautiful Inuit maiden. She had many suitors in her village but thought none of them were good enough for her. One day a handsome man wearing a mask rowed up in his umiak singing beautiful songs.
Sedna married him and he took her far away to live on a beautiful island, clothed her in beautiful furs, and fed her every delicacy. Whenever he went hunting, he wore a lucky talisman. One day Sedna realized that he had forgotten his talisman and ran after him to give it to him. To her horror, she saw him transform into a BIRD!!
When she blinked her eyes and looked around her she realized her island was in fact a rocky barren cliff and she had been eating smelly raw fish. She cried and thought of her family. Her father felt her tears and set out in a boat to rescue her. Sedna and her father were rowing home when her husband found them. He was furious and his anger caused HUGE waves and a stormy, violent sea. Sedna's father threw her overboard to appease him.
She sank to the bottom of the sea and transformed into the Mother of the Sea. Each year a shaman goes down to help her comb her hair and she releases all of the creatures of the sea for bountiful fishing and hunting.
Storytellers bring together myths from many diverse cultures.
