Hawk Henries will demonstrate how to make flutes using traditional hand tools during our Open House from 2 - 5 pm

The concert will be inside the Hutchins Education Center at 6 pm

After the Wilson Museum’s Hands-On History Open House, join renowned Native artist, composer, and flute musician Hawk Henries (Nipmuc) for a performance on his handcrafted flutes in the Wilson Museum’s Hutchins Education Center at 6 pm. As one of a relatively small number of Native flute makers who continue in the tradition of using only hand tools and fire, Hawk’s work embodies his commitment to the revitalization and preservation of these skills. 

Hawk has been composing original music and making Eastern Woodlands flutes using hand tools for over 30 years. His musical compositions are a reflection of his thinking that we each have the capacity to make a change in the world, and he uses music to explore how we can build healthy relationships with each other. Hawk enjoys sharing his experiences and perspectives about Life in hopes of acknowledging and honoring the Sacredness in each person and all cultures.

Over the years, Hawk has been invited to present his music and share his words in places such as Harvard Divinity School, Harvard Graduation, Abbe Museum, Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and in England, with the London Mozart Players. His transformative performances create contemplative spaces for unity and meaningful reflection. Through music, discussion, and a note of humor, he weaves a calm, engaging, and thought-provoking experience.

About the Artist

Hawk Henries is an artist, composer, and flute musician of the Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuc, a people indigenous to what is now Southern New England. He expertly crafts Eastern Woodlands flutes through ancestral and contemporary techniques. His transformative performances create contemplative spaces for unity and meaningful reflection on how we each have the capacity to make change in the world. Through music, discussion, and a note of humor, he weaves a calm, engaging, and thought-provoking experience.

“Dialogue, laughter and reflection are perhaps the most prominent features of how my work in educational settings takes shape. I hope to be a vehicle for challenging students, in a gentle way, to think about the world in new ways that will enrich their lives as individuals, members of their local and global societies, and as students.”

Hawk has had the honor of presenting at venues such as The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Harvard Medical School Graduation, and in the U.K. with the London Mozart Players. He also enjoys educational settings from kindergarten to university and small venues where he can engage the audience in dialogue.

As a seasoned flute maker, Hawk has flutes all over the world and in several museums. He has three original CD's; First Flight, Keeping the Fire and Voices. He is also featured on the compilation CD Tribal Winds. His music has been used in a variety of films and documentaries, some of which won or were nominated for Emmy awards.

To learn more about Hawk visit his website at www.hawkhenries.com or on Facebook at Hawk Henries Flute Maker/Musician.

This program is part of the Wilson Museum’s program series Connecting to Collections: Curiosity, Culture, Climate made possible through the generous support of Bangor Savings Bank.