JWM

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 and ASCA Partnership- ARTShops 2017 Alumni Room

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Project: ARTShops 2017 Alumni Room        Alaska State Council on the Arts Partnership Story by: Mary Goddard The ARTShops program is a collaboration between the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation and The CIRI Foundation’s A Journey to What Matters: Increased Alaska Native Arts and Culture grant program. Established in … Read more

A Journey To What Matters and ASCA Partnership– ArtShops 2017 Objects of Research

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Project: ArtShops 2017 Objects of Research Alaska State Council on the Arts Partnership Written by: Melissa Shaginoff, ArtShop Leader The ArtShops program is a collaboration between the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation and The CIRI Foundation’s A Journey to What Matters: Increased Alaska Native Arts and Culture grant … Read more

A Journey To What Matters and ASCA Partnership- ArtShops 2017 Kokhanok Grass Basket Class

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Project: ArtShops 2017 Grass Basket Class in Kokhanok Alaska State Council on the Arts Partnership Written by: Marlene Nielsen, 2017 ArtShop Leader The ArtShops program is a collaboration between the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation and The CIRI Foundation’s A Journey to What Matters: Increased Alaska Native Arts … Read more

A Journey To What Matters and ASCA Partnership- ArtShops 2017 Chilkat Weaving

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Project: ArtShops 2017 Alaska State Council on the Arts Partnership Written by: Lily Hope, ArtShops participant The ArtShops program is a collaboration between the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation and The CIRI Foundation’s A Journey to What Matters: Increased Alaska Native Arts and Culture grant program. Established in … Read more

A Journey To What Matters- Painting A Vision of Alaska’s Youth

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Project: Painting a Vision of Alaska’s Youth Grantee: Covenant House Alaska Written by: Jason Searle Over the course of the last six months, youth of Covenant House Alaska were awarded the valuable opportunity to experience Alaska Native Culture and Art first-hand. In between rips of fabric and stitches made, beads sewn, drums stretched and paint swept over … Read more

A Journey To What Matters- Old Harbor’s A Time to Dance Again

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Project: A Time To Dance Again
Grantee: Old Harbor Alliance
Written by: Melissa Berns

‘A Time to Dance, Again’ is a program that was developed by the Old Harbor Alliance, our local non-profit, through a grant with the CIRI Foundation, Alaska State Council on the Arts, and many sponsors and supporters. Melissa Berns, Alliance Board Member and OHNC Project Manager coordinated the program in Old Harbor.

This program allowed for youth and community members to participate in regularly instructed Alutiiq dancing, ivory carving, headdress making, regalia making, drum making and mask making workshops all leading up to a dance festival. From July 2016 through March 2017 the Old Harbor Alliance held regularly scheduled Alutiiq dance practice led by Lena Amason-Berns.

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A Journey To What Matters and ASCA Partnership- ARTShops 2016 Constructing Traditional Kayaks

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Project: ARTShops 2016 Constructing Traditional Kayaks Alaska State Council on the Arts Partnership Written by: Cheri Simeonoff, ARTShop Participant The ARTShops program is a collaboration between the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation and The CIRI Foundation’s A Journey to What Matters: Increased Alaska Native Arts and Culture grant … Read more

A Journey To What Matters- Akhiok Kids Camp at Native Village of Akhiok

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Project: Akhiok Kids Camp Grantee: Native Village of Akhiok Written by: Speridon Simeonoff Jr. Photo by: Sven Haakanson Jr.  The camp for the project was located at Cape Alitak with the permission of Akhiok-Kaguyak Inc. All campers/supplies must be transported to the location by skiff. Here materials were gathered from the beach for the Sugpiat Kayak … Read more

A Journey To What Matters- Traditional Material Arts at Elders and Youth

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Project: Traditional Material Arts at Elders and Youth
Grantee: First Alaskans Institute
Story and Photo by: Lena Jacobs, Participant

I, along with my four children between the ages of 2 and 13 and my husband, attended the Athabascan beadwork and red and yellow cedar weaving workshops at the 2017 First Alaskans Institute Elders & Youth Conference. I was so thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in hands-on arts activities and to have my children participate as well. We learned new technical skills for tangible arts (I had never woven cedar before), but we also gained cultural knowledge to help guide our weaving and beading and understand when and how these activities should be done. We met new people as we were at large round tables and interacted with both Elders and youth from all over the state. The camaraderie and willingness of people to help each other and share new knowledge created a beautiful exchange, and I know that some of these people going home with this new knowledge will share it with others. We were so grateful to have this opportunity, and I look forward to more!

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