LITTLE CURRENT—Wiikwemkoong artist Dan Manitowabi brought his ribbon skirt-themed custom guitar to the NEMI Farmers’ Market this past weekend. 

“It took me about a week to make,” said Mr. Manitowabi, “most of the time was spent just waiting for the coats to dry.”

The colourful front of the guitar was created by lacquering many coats over ribbon skirt fabric. The neck was carved from Island maple, the body is poplar and the fretboard is rosewood. “The rosewood is the only wood that wasn’t local,” he said. “The binding is ABS plastic.”

The pickups and knobs are not all that special, noted Mr. Manitowabi. “Really, the idea was to just make it a functional guitar,” he said. That allowed the artist to price the artwork/instrument at an accessible $500.

Mr. Manitowabi has also made a musical instrument from material taken from the recently demolished Genosee Hall in Wiikwemkoong. “That one went really fast,” he noted. Not surprising, given the historical significance of that building to the community.