AT THE MENDOCINO ART CENTER on Friday, the ninth annual Native Arts Expo returned for a celebration of Indigenous art, culture, dance and storytelling.

The first day of the two-day event, which is free and open to the public, had an attendance of about 300 to 400 people, according to the expo’s organizer. It featured Indigenous artists and dancers from tribes across North and South America.

The Native Arts Expo began in 2015 at the Gualala Arts Center. As it grew in size, the event moved to the Mendocino Art Center in 2023, where this year’s expo also took place.

Left: Locally made tribal outfits at the Native Arts Expo in Mendocino on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. Right: An assortment of locally made jewelry items on display at one of the craft booths. (Sydney Fishman/Bay City News)

Every year the expo is organized and hosted by husband and wife Eric and Karen Wilder to bring cultural and artistic discussions about Indigenous art to the Mendocino community.

On a foggy but lovely day on the Mendocino Coast, the Native Arts Expo featured artists selling jewelry, clothing with tribal designs, and Indigenous staples such as smoked salmon seasoned with pepper and garlic. The event also included storytelling, local musicians and other presentations on Indigenous art and culture.

At the smoked salmon booth, Humboldt County resident Karrie Colegrove, who affiliates with the Yurok Tribe, sold smoked salmon with her husband and family members. Colegrove’s family has fished on the Klamath River in Humboldt County for their entire lives and make jars of smoked salmon flavored with herbs and spices such as garlic, pepper and sometimes jalapeño.

A fish tale

Colegrove explained in an interview how important salmon and other fish species are to tribal communities, and how fishing on the Klamath River is one of her family’s favorite traditions.

“It’s a vital part of our culture and a part of our way of life,” Colegrove said. “We’ve been eating salmon forever. This tradition started with my mom and dad and it’s a family thing that we do.”

Alphonso and Karrie Colegrove hold jars of smoked salmon at the Native Arts Expo in Mendocino on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. The couple fished the salmon from the Klamath River and then smoked them. (Sydney Fishman/Bay City News)

Eric Wilder, one of the organizers of the expo who also hosted during the storytelling portion of the event, shared why he began the Native Arts Expo and why he wanted to showcase Indigenous artists to the coastal community.

“My favorite part is seeing opportunities for other artists that seldom get those opportunities to collaborate or be invited into galleries,” Wilder said in an interview. “For them to be able to expand how their art travels and make those connections.”