Category: Anchorage Museum

October 5, 2018- May 12, 2019

Perhaps no creatures better reflect the climate, landscape and culture of Alaska and the Arctic than the walrus and polar bear. Power and vulnerability coexist within these giants living in a massive Arctic – a distinct region known for its own striking contrasts. They are animals nearly without equal in size and strength. Yet perhaps their greatest strength – and weakness – comes from the ability to adapt to a changing world and a warming climate. Their lives have entwined with humans for centuries. To the first peoples of the Arctic and sub-Arctic, walrus (aiviq) and polar bear (nanuq) each have been predator, co-habitant, sustenance and spiritual ally. To generations of artists and culture-bearers, these remarkable creatures are both material and muse. They have been revered for centuries, studied by scientists, commodified by pop culture and manipulated by politicians. Through the lens of artists and artworks from Alaska and around the world, this 8,000-square-foot exhibition at the Anchorage Museum explores the ways these iconic animals offer important insight into the culture of the North and its complex future.

October 5, 2018 – April 21, 2019

We use it for everything from feeding ourselves to shooting through space, and yet energy itself is not easily understood. This exhibition presents unexpected discoveries about how we think and talk about energy, the concepts of embodied energy and energy density, and renewable energy sources, from the traditional oil lamp used by the Inuit, Chukchi and Yupik peoples of the Arctic, to the chemical energy in batteries that power today’s electric vehicles. Through interactive displays, public discussions and educational programs, The Power of Energy recalls humans’ first encounters with fire and draft animals, considers the myriad uses of energy in the 21st century and ponders what might be next.

September 7, 2018–April 14, 2019

Gertrude Svarny grew up in Unalaska until she was evacuated and interned during World War II along with nearly 900 Unangax people of the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands. Those who survived and returned home found their communities ransacked and burned. Today, Svarny lives in Unalaska, where she makes her artwork.

Although Svarny painted in her younger years, it wasn’t until age 51 that she dedicated her life to making art. She is an accomplished weaver, bentwood artist, and ivory and soapstone carver. Within all of her works are traditional materials—pigments made of local minerals, decoration created from sinew, seal intestine and sea lion whiskers—and a distinct interpretation of Unangan history and culture.

Svarny’s work is housed in numerous permanent collections around the world. In 2017, she was honored with a Distinguished Artist Award from the Rasmuson Foundation and received an Alaska Federation of Native President’s Award for her involvement in the arts.

October 19,2018–February 3, 2019

All-Alaska Biennial features contemporary work by Alaska artists. This juried exhibition is a continuation of the museum’s All-Alaska Juried and Earth, Fire & Fibre exhibitions, which began more than 30 years ago to encourage the creation of new works in all media by Alaska artists. Guest juror Candice Hopkins is a citizen of Carcross/Tagish First Nation in Yukon, Canada, and is an independent curator and writer based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The exhibition’s call for entries drew 634 submissions from 161 artists. Works include drawing, painting, mixed media, craft, jewelry, fiber art, visual art, metalsmithing, printmaking, encaustic, ceramic, book/paper arts, photography, and sculpture.

Hopkins selected Anchorage artist Kristy Summers’ mixed-media piece Descend for the Juror’s Choice Award, with honorable mentions going to Anchorage artist Christopher Judd’s oil on linen on board painting, Grandma; and Anchorage photographer Mark Stadsklev’s photography giclée print No Way Out. The exhibition travels to other Alaska locations throughout Summer 2019.

October 19,2018–February 3, 2019

Elizabeth Irving’s paintings present a mythological interpretation of the Alaska landscape, reflecting a lifetime lived in the far North with formative years spent on the vast, silt-laden Tanana River.

She says her understanding of landscape is complex and personal, inspiring dreamlike images of landscapes in her paintings. According to Irving, the works in this exhibition use boat and river to symbolize the soul’s spiritual travel from the earthly plane to other dimensions.

Informing her process in these works are stories from Egyptian lore, Native American spiritual rites, Greek mythology and stories from her own Viking ancestry. What results within the earthen hues of her large oil paintings is, in her words, “a metaphorical representation of change and transformation.”