Jessica Metcalfe facts for kids
Jessica Metcalfe is a Native American art expert. She studies and teaches about Native American fashion. She also writes books and owns a store called Beyond Buckskin Boutique. She is a member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Tribe from North Dakota.
Early Life and Education
Jessica grew up in Dunseith, North Dakota. When she was young, it was sometimes hard to show her Native American heritage through clothing. This experience later inspired her work.
She went to college at Dartmouth College. Later, she earned a special degree (a PhD) from the University of Arizona. Her studies focused on American Indian topics.
Career Highlights
Jessica supports the "Buy Native" idea. This means buying art and fashion directly from Native American artists. It also encourages Native designers to work with others.
In 2009, Jessica started a blog called Beyond Buckskin. She used it to share her studies about Native fashion. In 2012, she opened an online store, Beyond Buckskin Boutique. It sells clothes and items made by Native American fashion designers. In 2016, the store also opened a physical shop on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation.
Jessica also worked as an editor and writer for Red Ink Magazine. This magazine shares stories and art from Indigenous people. From 2011 to 2012, she taught at Turtle Mountain Community College and Arizona State University. She taught subjects like Native American studies, art, and history.
She has spoken at many big events, including at the Smithsonian Institution. She also helped organize art shows. Her work today focuses on Native American art, clothing, and design from the past and present. She especially highlights modern artists.
In 2013, Jessica organized a Native American fashion show in Idyllwild, California. That same year, she put together an exhibit about Native fashion at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
In 2015, she was an advisor for the Native Fashion Now exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum.
Personal Life
In 2012, Jessica Metcalfe moved to Gardena, North Dakota.