Project Grant

A Journey to What Matters- Yupik Arts Workshop

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Yupik Arts Workshop Grantee: Bethel Arts Council The SouthWest Alaska Arts Group was happy to have hosted a series of four Native Arts workshops in Bethel funded by The CIRI Foundation. Our region is full of amazing artists that create beautiful traditional art forms! Over the course of the last year, we gathered together to … Read more

A Journey To What Matters Project Grant- Traditional Alutiiq Skin Sewing and Beading Education

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Project: Traditional Alutiiq Skin Sewing and Beading Education (2015)
Grantee: Native Village of Afognak
Story and Photos by: Nina Gronn

The Native Village of Afognak (NVA) was awarded A Journey To What Matters grant from the CIRI Foundation. NVA used the funding at our Dig Afognak Youth camps for two separate traditional Alutiiq art projects.

Our first project was completed at our Traditional Harvesting and Adventure Earth camp, where the youth created fur pouches that replicated the traditional Alutiiq pouches that our ancestors used. The second project was completed at our Cauyaq (“Music” / Language) Camp, where the youth created Alutiiq head bands. The head bands were used as regalia for their Alutiiq dancing performance at the end of the 6-day long camp.

Both projects were taught by both lecture and hands on learning from a master skin sewer.

Quyanaa!

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A Journey To What Matters and Heritage Project Grant- Culture in the Classrooms

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Project: Culture in the Classrooms
Grantee: Cook Inlet Native Head Start
Written by: Marilynn Woods, Cultural Coordinator

Dustin Newman & Tatiana Petticrew

We had Dustin Newman and Tatiana Petticrew share with our students the items that they made for our classrooms, Dustin made bentwood visors and Tatiana made Unangax regalia. The students were able to touch all the items and learned a little history about each. Dustin made the visors match each classroom animal and Tatiana made a girl and boy regalia item for each class.

 

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A Journey To What Matters Project Grant- Twining Cedar

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Project: Twining Cedar- Restoring the Art and Cultural Practice of Tsimshian Bark Basketry Grantee: Anchorage Museum Association in partnership with the Haayk Foundation Photos by: Wayde Carroll [one_half last=”no”] [/one_half][one_half last=”yes”] Written by: Kandi McGilton  The Haayk Foundation – a nonprofit organization located in Metlakatla, Alaska, whose primary goal is to save Sm’algyax, the endangered language of the … Read more

A Journey To What Matters Project Grant- Material Traditions: Cedar Residency

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Project: Material Traditions: Gut, Ivory, and Cedar Grantee: Anchorage Museum Association Written by: Marian Kaminitz As a conservator from the National Museum of the American Indian – one of the loaning institutions to the Anchorage Museum’s Arctic Studies Center – I was invited to observe and participate in the Voices from Cedar residency with guest carvers John Hudson, … Read more

A Journey To What Matters Project Grant- Alaska Yuut Arts- Dolls Workshop

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Project: Alaska Yuut Arts and Crafts E-Commerce Project
Grantee: Association of Village Council Presidents (ACVP)
Written by: Eva Malvich, Director/Curator Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center

For many generations, little Yup’ik girls were provided with ‘cloth’ dolls – entire families consisting of dad, mom, big brother, big sister and baby, a traditional teaching method targeted at young girls in order for the females to learn how to raise a family. Most recently, with the advent of western lifestyles and the cash economy, those same little girls grew up making bigger, more elaborate dolls to sell for cash.

When you think of it, Yup’ik dolls (and any home-made doll for that matter) are a great way to use up precious scraps of fur and cloth, hide and trim. Most often, the same doll maker, is also adept at making fur parkas, mukluks or qaspeks, and has a nice tidy supply of scraps at hand.

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A Journey To What Matters Project Grant- Alaska Native Art Classes

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Project: Alaska Native Art Classes Grantee: Qutekcak Native Tribe Written by: Mariah Johnson, Program Coordinator, Qutekcak Native Tribe The Qutekcak Native Tribe received funds from The CIRI Foundation through a “Journey To What Matters” project grant. The tribe used the funds to hold weekly traditional art classes attended by tribal and community members of all ages. … Read more

A Journey To What Matters Project Grant- Material Traditions: Ivory Residency

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Project: Material Traditions: Gut, Ivory, and Cedar
Grantee: Anchorage Museum Association
Written by: Mary Johns and Jerome Saclamana

My name is Mary Johns, I am Ahtna, Athabascan and I am of the Water Clan. This residency brought new light to my understanding of Alaska Native art. I know a lot of my own peoples’ art and the process, however not much about ivory carving and the process behind it and the amount of thought and symbolism that goes into it. This definitely made me think about expanding my knowledge about Alaska Native art, so in other words, I thoroughly enjoyed this workshop and all that it had to offer.

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A Journey To What Matters Project Grant- Wrangell’s Journey to Revive the Culture

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Project: Wrangell’s Journey to Revive the Culture
Grantee: Alaska Native Sisterhood
Written by: Tis Peterman

ANSA was the recipient of A Journey to What Matters in 2015. Cultural classes were rarely held in Wrangell and the base of this grant was to provide more classes to our local people to increase their skill levels in skin sewing, beading, weaving and Tlingit form line drawing. ANSA partnered with Sealaska Corporation to hold a week long cedar basket weaving class. The local teacher Faye Kohrt and 18 students worked diligently to complete their projects. Thanks to this grant other classes were held as well. Gunal’cheesh!!!

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