00:00.24 archpodnet Welcome back to the rock art podcast and as always when you hear my voice to start out with that means I'm interviewing Dr Alan Gold sorry I'm interviewing Dr Alan Garfinkel on his own show about. Topics relating to rock art. So Alan welcome to your show. 00:19.73 alan Well god bless you Chris Webster it's it's always ah a wonder and an adventure when you and I interact and you never know what's going to happen next. But it's it's a blessing and I thank you for this continuing. 00:31.45 archpodnet Ah, yeah. 00:36.69 alan Adventure that we're on. We're almost pressing up to the century Mark in the number of of different podcasts. The episodes that we have so we'll have to have a celebration when we when we hit the golden one hundred. 00:41.70 archpodnet Oh yeah. 00:52.48 archpodnet We'll definitely have to do that because actually I was just thinking about that when I saw 92 I was like oh we're getting dangerously close to a hundred and I was thinking man it took us probably a year and a half of just talking about doing a podcast before we even did one and now we're almost at a hundred episodes. So it's ah yeah. 01:06.38 alan It's it's it's It's fabulous. Fabulous. So. 01:10.28 archpodnet So speaking of things that take a few years to to really you know come in and and and get and get really good. 1 thing that's been getting good consistently year after year is something we've talked about quite a bit on this show and had people involved on the show and and and organizers and attendees. But that is the Ridge Crest petroglyph festival that happens in Ridgecrest California and you you were a key feature of the ridgerest petroglyph festival this last weekend as we're recording this in early november and we're going to talk about that on this show because you know we've talked about the festival before but we don't think we've ever talked about it. But it's like this fresh in your mind because it was just a few days ago right. 01:50.20 alan Now Yeah, it was literally literally less last weekend and there's um, there's a lot to reflect upon On. Ah on this one and it's It's an interesting dynamic. So. We'll get into it. How's that. Yeah, so. 02:06.65 archpodnet Yeah, sounds good. So let's start with with what give us an idea because sometimes it's a little different year after year when they get different acts and performers but layout for us. What the what the basic structure. Maybe some of the highlights of this year's festival were from the from the vendors to the. You know things were that were performing and and things you could see. 02:25.61 alan Yeah, so they've been up and down and back and forth and trying to figure out what they want to be and how to create a Petroglyph festival. This is the only one in the world. 02:44.00 archpodnet Yeah, yeah. 02:44.27 alan To my understanding. Um and so and so ridgerest itself has branded itself. The town has branded itself as the city of the Petrolyphs. So wherever you go throughout the town you will see images of petroglyphs. Either as paintings or as sculpture or what have you? So I think the town is finally beginning to recognize that they're special and unique and and have a ah ah bit of ambiance and symbolism and gene. So what's that what's that word, the. 03:06.87 archpodnet Ah. 03:20.35 archpodnet Gene sequa. 03:22.20 alan French word for some sort of ah yeah gene secois. So that's that's interesting this is like the eighth or ninth year of doing this and I've been at most if not all of them and seen it evolve and seen the experiments that work and don't work and. What happens and what doesn't happen and when I talk to the people who are managing the festival. Ah, you know they have a whole different array now they took 1 of the individuals a woman you know, rather young woman. Um. 03:59.40 archpodnet Huh. 04:00.70 alan Obviously had some talent in this arena and she became the executive director of the festival now as well simultaneously they open a brick and mortar facility called the California welcome center. 04:08.71 archpodnet Cool. 04:19.45 alan And that's on the main drag and it's a beautiful, just wonderful facility that itself again publicizes and promotes and provides outreach to the general public with a signature or emphasis. 04:21.93 archpodnet Ah. 04:38.74 alan In part on the rock art. So I know we have talked about this to some extent or not but when you go in that Welcome Center which is right there next to and contiguous with the festival. 04:42.16 archpodnet Ah. 04:56.63 alan There's a um, a set of images a set of um headsets that you can wear and you can take a 3 d tour of of both little petricklive canyon quickly but also on the other one. 05:05.89 archpodnet Um, yeah. 05:14.88 alan You can see Petoglyphs and rock drawings and rock paintings from all over the world and step into them in a three dimensional Arena So that's that's brand new. That's that's a brand new piece of the puzzle. Um. 05:24.35 archpodnet So wow. 05:34.41 alan Rather interesting. So although that's a sidebar. It's interesting that they have been able to pioneer that and work with 1 of the most cutting edge and advanced people who are specializing in. 05:41.42 archpodnet Um. 05:52.79 alan You know this? Ah how would you put it this historic preservation or or historic interpretation indigenous outreach and understanding on on cultures throughout the world and and they're there to edify and. 06:00.50 archpodnet Ah. 06:11.35 alan I Think bring some recognition and understanding to the exotic. How's that. 06:16.25 archpodnet Nice I like it That's really cool I Can't wait to pass through ridgecrest at some point in the future and check out that Welcome center because it sounds it sounds really cool I mean Welcome centers are oftentimes. We see a lot of those in our travels and they're oftentimes just to. 06:29.76 alan Um, sure. 06:33.50 archpodnet Ah, small building with a volunteer working in and some pamphlets for for things in the area and they're not always you know, really well put together things. 06:38.61 alan Right? No no in this and this um yeah, and this one when you walk in, you're just your your jaw drops and your eyes pop because they have graphically displayed so much of the landscape and the eye candy. 06:44.78 archpodnet Yeah, yeah. 06:55.59 alan That makes ridge crest special. So that's one that's one piece of the puzzle and ah the California Rock Art Foundation this five zero one C three that I've pioneered for many years um is an is an intrinsic part. They actually have. 06:57.32 archpodnet Um, nice. 07:15.59 alan Books and this and the Dvds and other paraphernalia that they sell there that represent the California Rock art foundation and they um, they appear to have have ah have welcomed or integrated. 07:19.41 archpodnet Ah. 07:32.89 alan My services and the organization into what they're doing through the festival which is remarkable. You know we're we're basically you know, not much of anything. You know we have a ah budget of maybe maybe ten or twenty thousand dollars at most. 07:38.45 archpodnet Nice. 07:47.33 archpodnet Um. 07:51.86 alan Just to pay our bills and we lead little field trips and have cultural tours and try to try to do something but to be to be elevated and grandstanded at a festival that brings in. 07:56.54 archpodnet Um. 08:07.20 archpodnet Ah. 08:09.40 alan You know, five or ten thousand people has ah hundred has a hundred vendors. A um, you know and has a ah a park with it's called a petrliff park that they must they spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on 08:09.46 archpodnet Um, yeah. 08:22.52 archpodnet Ah. 08:27.50 alan To create this Replica place that allows one to walk and experience rock art in a a magnificent way. Um is rather edifying and and and unusual. It's not something that is conventional. Is it. 08:39.40 archpodnet Oh. 08:45.56 archpodnet No, did it seem like attendance was was really good this year I've noticed. Yeah I've noticed that you know some events last year was a little you know was a little bit of an anomaly because in 20 there weren't any events at all anywhere and and people didn't do anything so a lot of people attended things last year but 08:47.16 alan You don't see things like this. 08:59.85 alan Right? right. 09:04.26 archpodnet How was how is it this year did it seem like there was a fair number of people there. 09:10.20 alan Place is packed out absolutely packed out I've never seen anything like it. Um, there are more people there this year than ever before ever before I think it doubled in size easily and people and people were there to ah. 09:12.54 archpodnet Um, wow. 09:19.38 archpodnet Just. 09:26.71 alan To go to the you know the Powwow and appreciate that and I got a different flavor from the Powwow this time um than I ever have you know native people have had a challenging. 09:34.31 archpodnet Ah. 09:45.71 alan Journey at many different levels and they feel that often their culture is diminished or not recognized and they don't know who they are they? Um, they try to live in this industrial society but yet they also. 09:46.59 archpodnet Sure. 10:03.94 alan Want to try to preserve their culture and traditions and what the powerwow does is bring that together in an honorable way in a in a way that ah it's it's a centerpiece a showcase to Non-indians and it's a beautiful. 10:14.68 archpodnet Ah. 10:22.90 alan Experience because the costuming and the dancing and the music and the food are all there and also the various art and artifacts that are sold are ah are magnificent. They're just amazing. So I got that ambiance this time. 10:31.45 archpodnet Ah. 10:38.30 archpodnet Um, yeah. 10:42.39 alan That came through in a very authentic and explicit way that I didn't get before I never got that. But this time I Really really felt it strongly now there has been you know Critiques about well you know. 10:51.21 archpodnet Ah. 11:00.74 alan You're here in indian Wells Valley and this is California in the great basin in the desert west you know why do you show off other indian groups from all over the country. Well you know I thought I thought about that back and forth and and they have a good dose to of some of the native people. But are immediately in the area they do and there's no reason why they should not give homage and recognition and acknowledgement to other groups as well. It's in the native american heritage month and um i. 11:23.62 archpodnet Um. 11:33.69 archpodnet Sure. 11:38.61 alan I Now really don't see a disconnect with doing that as much as it was before. How's that yeah. 11:45.34 archpodnet Nice, nice, all right? Well why don't we ah why don't we take a quick break and when we come back, we'll talk about what some of your direct responsibilities were and how you interacted with people at the twenty twenty two ridrest petroglyph festival back in a minute.