Special project funded in part by A Journey to What Matters program.
Dates: Anchorage 17^th July- 18^th July 2019

During a two-day Fashion Sketchbook Workshop, Fulbright UK US scholar Elisa Palomino led students through the process of collecting personal research from diverse and inspiring sources. The workshop took place at the Arctic Studies Center at the Anchorage Museum. Students had the unique chance to use imagery from the Smithsonian’s collections as part of the research content for their sketchbook, encouraging them to engage in further research about their own Alaskan Native culture.

The workshop had an initial introduction of Elisa Palomino’s current PhD research on Intangible cultural heritage preservation connected with fish skin. Elisa shared with the students the fish skin knowledge gathered through the workshops she has developed among the different Arctic artists across the circumpolar area and her own printing techniques. The workshops have been envisioned as the beginning of a continuing and expanding discourse allowing for conversations on the future of fish skin craft. Collaboration with indigenous partners have enriched her understanding of this material and the experiences gained continue to guide and inform the methods and attitudes she uses to work with indigenous communities. Most of the participants in the workshop use fish skin already and were glad to learn new fish skin tanning, dying and printing techniques to incorporate them into their own practice.