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Alaska Art

Alaska artwork rose from a tradition of tool-making and deep cultural convictions about the sanctity of life and nature. Natural objects -- wood, ivory, bone, grasses, bark -- served as both inspiration and raw material for Native artists. Much of what you find in stores today comes directly from a world where utilitarian items were made of necessity, with an eye to beauty and respect for the natural world.

RELATED ARTICLES:
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+ Alaska Marine Life
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Alaska 101 Knowledge Base >
Alaska Art

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Traditionally-Influenced Artwork
2. Birch Baskets from the Interior
3. Dance Fans
4. Eskimo Sunglassess
5. Yupik Eskimo Dolls
6. Walrus Take 1
7. Walrus Take 2
8. Eskimo Spirit Wheels
9. Alaskan Mask Carvings
10. The Silver Hand
11. Alaska Grandmothers Often Make Family Furs
12. Where to View Native Art
13. Links for further exploration

1. Traditionally-Influenced Artwork  

Baskets
Baskets are traditionally made by Alaska Natives of grass (from the coastal communities), bark (often birch), and roots. More recently, baskets are made from whale baleen.

The baskets at right are Yupik Eskimo in origin. They are made with coastal grass, decorated with intricate traditional designs, and trimmed with dyed seal gut. >>

Ivory
Ivory work tends to be small and tells a narrative about Northern life -- showing people whaling, fishing, or dogsledding.

Beads
Beads replaced porcupine quills, shells and seeds as decorations on leather mocassins, mittens and necklaces and earrings.

Leather & Furs
Mocassins, gloves, and fur coats are available for sale in Alaska. Many Alaska Native grandmothers take great pride in making parkas, mittens, slippers and ceremonial dress exclusively for beloved children and grandchildren.

Whale Parts
You'll find many dish and cup-like containers made from whalebone. The most expensive baskets are made from baleen.


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2. Birch Baskets from the Interior  

The baskets shown on the right were made of birch bark, from the Athabascan Indian Interior parts of Alaska. They're trimmed with willow root, and are waterproof.


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3. Dance Fans  

Traditional Eskimo dances feature these graceful fans. They're made of caribou beard. The handle is woven of grass, trimmed with dyed seal gut.


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4. Eskimo Sunglasses  

Much of Alaskan art is useful in some way. In the spring, when the sun reflects off the snow, snowblindness is a real hazard of northern travel. Snow goggles were invented to solve the problem. These are made of cottonwood and ivory.


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5. Yupik Eskimo Dolls Show Native Life & Culture  

Shelee Chamberlain, of Bethel, made these lifelike dolls of dall sheep, lamb, and rabbit. She works in buckskin, cottonwood, and a number of other materials. These dolls depict Eskimo women dancing and gathering firewood.


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6. Walrus, Take 1  

Kent Heindel made this walrus figure of whale underjaw and fossilized walrus jaw.


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7. Walrus, Take 2  

Roger Solook of Gambell fashioned this second walrus of fossilized whale vertebrae and ivory.


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8. Eskimo Spirit Wheels  

A traditional story-telling device, these Native Alaska-made wheels tell hunting tales. They're made of whale, walrus, seal, bone, soapstone & wood.


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9. Alaska Mask Carvings  

The tremendous variety of styles and materials in mask carvings is shown in this window display at Alaska Fur Exchange in Anchorage. These Native-made "Spirit Trees" are crafted of soapstone, cottonwood, and alabaster.


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10. The Silver Hand  

The Silver Hand logo was designed to authenticate arts and crafts made by Alaska Native artisans. You have to be an Alaskan Native to use the logo --but not all Native artists attach it to their work.


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11. Alaska Grandmothers Often Make Family Furs  

Traditional Alaskan grandmother Lorena Zeller, sewed these elaborate fur parkas for her entire family -- down to the smallest grandchild. Meticulously made handcrafted work such as this is very expensive on the open market -- easily costing many thousands of dollars per piece. In fact, such work is rarely available for sale. Alaskans like to wear their traditional furs to the Fur Rendezvous Sled Dog Race, held in February every year, which is where this photo was taken.


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12. Where to View Native Art  

+ Alfred Starr Cultural Center in Nenana
+ Anchorage Native Medical Center in Anchorage
+ Anchorage Museum in Anchorage
+ University of Alaska Museum in Fairbanks
+ Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage (shown here)
+ Cordova Historical Museum in Cordova
+ Local Native Art Stores


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Alaska State Council on the Arts

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