A Journey to What Matters- Sitka Fine Arts Camp Culture Classes Phase 2

Project: Community Cultural Classes, Phase 2
Grantee: Alaska Arts Southeast
Story and photos from: Mary Goddard

Community Cultural Classes, Phase 2 was a successful program hosted by the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, and made possible through The CIRI Foundation. Our greatest success was working with tribes and school districts to be able to offer classes in rural communities. We hired local artists as teachers and in all the classes the students were able to finish projects and learn skills to help them continue on with Alaska Native arts.

We have generated a lot of interest in continuing the program and have helped set two artists up for continued success in teaching, as well as school district teachers carrying on cultural arts in their classrooms. This program was vibrant, combining the youth with Elders. Out of these workshops we have seen beautiful moccasins and skin boots made, ornate with beadwork. We have seen traditional bentwood boxes completed as well as deer skin drums, finished with northwest coast painted designs. This program was a huge success, with a huge thanks to The CIRI Foundation.