Enrolled Citizen of the Elnu Abenaki Tribe

Juried Artist since 2013

Vera Longtoe Sheehan is an artist, educator, and activist who believes strongly in community service and giving back to the community so she has served on many committees and education initiatives over the years.

For more than 25 years, Vera combines the cordage-making and weaving skills she learned from her father in the production of her fiber art. Using materials such as milkweed, dogbane, and inner cedar bark she makes one-of-a-kind twined art that is both contemporary and ancient at the same time. Each innovative handmade object takes hours, days, weeks, or even months of complex weaving and knotting to complete.

Vera is committed to passing this endangered art form on to the next generation and beyond.

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Artist Statement

 My education in traditional fiber arts began when I was six years old. My father taught me about the plants and everything I needed to know about processing plant fibers and weaving.

As a child, I loved to go to museums but was discouraged by glass cases. So when I set up displays or do demonstrations at museums and schools, I always encourage the public to touch, smell, and listen to the sounds that my twined baskets, bags, containers, and textiles make. I want this art form to continue as a living, breathing art, not just a dusty basket in an archive or glass case.

With practice, I grew as an artist, so my passion grew as well, almost like jumping from one fire to another. I have worked with the natural fibers of milkweed, dogbane, and inner barks that I harvested and rolled myself; commercial hemp, jute, cotton, silk, wool, and finally with metallics and even plastic bags – and there seems to be an endless number of materials yet to be experimented with. The array of designs spins endlessly in my mind. Natural fibers are by far my favorite because of their spirit. I can be swept away by my textile projects, twisting and weaving are ever-inspirational.

My artwork is not available for sale to the public. Instead, I prefer to make pieces to give as gifts and lend to tribal governments, organizations, and citizens.

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Contact

Email: [email protected]

On Going Exhibits

 2009 to present

Contact of Cultures, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes,  VT

 2013 to 2018

Walking With Our Sisters, A Commemorative Art Installation for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women of Canada and the USA. The large collaborative art piece will be made available to the public through selected galleries and locations  (Canada & United States)

2014 – present

Northeast Woodland Fiber Arts (Guest Curator and Artist), Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH

Limited Engagement Exhibits  (select list)

2019

• I AM... Vermont Arts Council. Invitational exhibit.  Montpelier, VT.

2016

• Nebizun: Water is Life. Curator and artist. Vermont Abenaki Artists Association. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Vergennes, VT
• Babaskwahomwôgan: The Spirit Game. Curator and artist. Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH

2017-2018.

Alnobak: Wearing Our Heritage (traveling exhibit). Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

2016

• Parley and Protocol: Abenaki Diplomacy Past and Present. Curator and artist. Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Farmington, PA
• Contemporary Wabanaki Art.  Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH

2015

• Parley and Protocol: Abenaki Diplomacy Past and Present, Curator, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Vergennes, VT
• Warmth and Protection. Curator and artist. Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH

2014 

• Along the River, Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
• All of My Relations (Guest Curator and Artist), Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
• Traditional Sources, Contemporary Visions” – Invitational Group Art Exhibit. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT

2013    

• Idle No More. Trickster Gallery, Schaumberg, Illinois
• Featured Artist, Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington, CT
• Containers.  Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
• Indigenous Fiber Arts.  MacDonnel-Williamson House, Ontario, Canada
• Reading Native Art. Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH

2012    

Native Arts, Boston Children’s Museum, Boston, MA

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Presentations (select list)

2017

Decolonizing Native American Art. March 22. Eckerd College. St. Petersburg, FL

2016

• Annual Native American Weekend/Abenaki Heritage Celebration, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes,  VT
• Abenaki Cultural Weekend. Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Farmington, PA
• Meet a Native American Artist. “Night at the Museum.” American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
• Lecture & workshop. Understanding Place. Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT

2015

Annual Native American Weekend/Abenaki Heritage Celebration, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT

2014      

• Speaker. Anthropologist in Community Colleges Annual Conference, Burlington, VT
• Annual Native American Weekend, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes,  VT

2013     

• Meet a Native American Artist. “Night at the Museum.” American Museum of Natural History,  New York, NY
• Fiber Arts. Nor’Westers and Loyalist Museum, Glengarry, Ontario, Canada
•  Demonstrator. Ft. at # 4, Charleston, NH
• Indigenous Fiber Arts exhibit and lecture.  MacDonnel-Williamson House, Ontario, Canada
• Annual Native American Weekend, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes,  VT
• Native Interpreter. Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington, CT

2012 

• Meet a Native American Artist. “Night at the Museum.” American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
• Annual Native American Weekend, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
• Demonstrator. Ft. at # 4, Charleston, NH
•  Abenaki Fiber Arts lecture & workshop. Green Mountain College, Poultney, VT.

2011    

• Meet a Native American Artist. “Night at the Museum.” American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
• Annual Native American Weekend, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
• “Speaking To The Ancestors Abenaki Gathering,”  ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center/Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, VT
• Demonstrator.  Native American Month Presenter. University of Vermont, Burlington, VT

2010    

• Meet a Native American Artist. “Night at the Museum.” American Museum of Natural History,  New York, NY
• Annual Native American Weekend, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
• “Winter Celebration.”  ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center/Leahy Center   for Lake Champlain, Burlington, VT

2009    

• Meet a Native American Artist. “Night at the Museum.” American Museum of Natural History,                 New York, NY
• Annual Native American Weekend, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
•  “Vermont Indigenous Celebration.”    ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center/Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Burlington, VT
• Native American Month Presenter. University of Vermont, Burlington, VT

2008     

• Annual Native American Weekend, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
• Native American Month. University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
•  Native American Month Presenter. University of Vermont, Burlington, VT

2007    

Annual Native American Weekend, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes,  VT

Publications

• Contributor, Wiseman, Frederick M. et al, Vermont Indigenous Ethnobotany Project, 2011-2012
• Sheehan, Vera Longtoe. All My Relations Exhibition Catalog, Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH. 2014
• Sheehan, Vera Longtoe. The Abenaki: Past and Present. Westminster, VT: Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, 2016
• Sheehan, Vera Longtoe. “The Double Curve Motif,” Voice of the Turtle, Brattleboro, VT, 1996
• Sheehan, Vera Longtoe. “ The Buffalo Slaughter “Voice of the Turtle, Brattleboro, VT, 1996
• Sheehan, Vera Longtoe. Editor.  “Voice of the Turtle, Brattleboro, VT, 1996

Current Affiliations

• Act 1 Working Group
• New England Museum Association
• Textile Society of America
• Vermont Abenaki Artists Association. Director & Juried Artist (2013 – present)
• Vermont Humanities Council, Executive Board

Past Committees

• Coalition for Ethnic Studies and Social Equity in Schools, Core Member (2019 – present)
• Girl Scouts of America
• Hand Weavers Guild of America
• Native American Quadricenteniel Advisory Committee (2008-2009)
• Native American Advisory Committee, Institute for American Indian Studies
• WAOLOWZI Minority Health and Wellness Program
• Woodland Confederacy