Taking Root at Angels Gate

Atop a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in San Pedro, Angels Gate Cultural Center occupies former military buildings, now transformed into artist studios, classrooms, galleries, and cultural spaces. The center has become a fixture of San Pedro’s long-standing arts community.

The site is also on ancestral land once occupied by the Tongva people, where Indigenous people have lived for thousands of years. That history gives added meaning to the current exhibit, “Rooted in What Carries Us,” a group exhibition of Native and Indigenous artists presented in conjunction with the Many Winters Gathering of Elders. The art exhibit will be on display through October 24.

The exhibition features 38 artists representing a wide range of tribes, nations, and cultures. According to Cecilia Caro, director of exhibitions at Angels Gate, the show reflects the diversity of Native identity.

Pottery by Rowan Harrison. (photo: twotribespottery.com)

“The show represents the multifaceted identity of various Native peoples. Native identity is not homogeneous; it is diverse and rooted in ancestral history and knowledge that is still present and active today,” says Caro.

Among the artists featured is San Pedro resident Rowan Harrison, a ceramics and clay instructor and visual arts teacher. Harrison’s work is connected to nature and his heritage. One of his ceramic pieces in the show reflects the relationship between nature and Mother Earth. He personally mines the clay from the reservation where his Pueblo family lives in New Mexico.

“Most people rely on processed clay that you can buy in a supply store. I use clay that I dig out of the earth and bring into the studio to make workable clay, then use traditional hand-building techniques without a potter’s wheel,” says Harrison.

The process is done by hand, from shaping and smoothing the clay to painting the finished piece. Harrison paints freehand, without stencils or rulers, creating patterns inspired by Southwest Pueblo designs.

Harrison moved to San Pedro three years ago and said he has found a strong and supportive arts community here. He describes San Pedro as a thriving art community that is very generational, not overly gentrified, and supportive of local artists.

The exhibition is being held in conjunction with the 20th annual Many Winters Gathering of Elders, taking place October 8 through 11 at Angels Gate. The gathering brings Native and Indigenous peoples from throughout the region together to share teachings, ceremonies, stories, and lectures.

The event gives elders an opportunity to pass knowledge to younger generations as part of intergenerational healing from historical trauma and the preservation of cultural traditions. Caro said the gathering is intended primarily for Native participants rather than being a public event.

“It is not a powwow or a spectacle. It is geared to Native individuals,” she says. Community members who attend are asked to respect Native traditions and the space being created for the gathering. Women, for example, may wear long skirts as part of the traditions, although it is not required.

“For the healing, there needs to be a feeling of safety where tradition is honored and protected,” says Caro.

One of the focal points of the gathering is the Bear Ceremony, in which the bear symbolizes the spirit of the local Native community. Elders offer foods such as fish, berries, and honey to the bear. The ceremony includes a dance around a central fire just after sundown, bringing participants together through movement, music, and ceremony.

For San Pedro, the exhibit and gathering offer an opportunity to experience Native art and learn more about traditions that endure from one generation to the next. At Angels Gate, artwork, artists, and cultural history converge in a setting that has become an important part of the community’s identity.

To learn more about Angels Gate and the “Rooted in What Carries Us” exhibit, visit angelsgateart.org. For information about the Many Winters Gathering of Elders, visit mwgoe.org. To learn more about San Pedro artist Rowan Harrison and his work, visit twotribespottery.com. spt