Chugach Fantasy by Bill Brody, 2012, alkyd on canvas, 11'8" x 3'8"

This painting is located in Anchorage in the State of Alaska Scientific Crime Detection Lab. Chugach Fantasy is an idyllic landscape loosely based on Bill's many trips into the Chugach Mountains both in Wrangell Saint Elias National Park and a hike in the Crow's Pass Trail in Chugach State Park.    

2012 Governor's Awards for the

Arts and Humanities Awardees

 Once a year, the Governor of Alaska honors a select group of citizens and organizations who exemplify great art and devotion to the humanities. Seven outstanding awardees from around the state were honored at the 2012 Governor's Awards for the Arts and Humanities. The awards were presented during a dinner at the Hotel Captain Cook on Thursday, October 18th.

This year we were so pleased to also introduce and celebrate our new Alaska Writer Laureate, Nora Marks Dauenhauer, who will serve as our State Writer Laureate from 2012 to 2014.

These awards are sponsored by the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Alaska State Council on the Arts, and the Office of the Governor with generous support from ConocoPhillips Alaska and BP. Congratulations to the awardees as they celebrate this well-deserved honor!

From Left: Peggy Shumaker (Alaska State Writer Laureate 2010-2012), Sven Haakanson, Jr. Ph.D, Carol Swartz, Annette Evans-Smith (Alaska Native Heritage Center), Susie Bevins-Ericsen, John Sinnok, Nora Marks Dauenhauer (Alaska State Writer Laureate 2012-2014), Janet Kennedy and Garry Forrester (Valley Performing Arts), and Gail Niebrugge.

About the Awardees (for more information about the awardees click here):

Valley Performing Arts (Governor's Award for Arts Organization) Valley Performing Arts made its start in a small log church on the Alaska State Fair Grounds in 1976. For 37 consecutive years, the grassroots theatre has coupled their innovative ideas and a singular vision to provide their audiences with a diverse spectrum of family-friendly quality live theatre productions. Through offerings of quality entertainment to thousands of the borough's citizens, the organization has become an integral and deeply valued part of the Matanuska Susitna Valley's creative community. 

Dr. Sven Haakanson, Jr. (Governor's Award for Distinguished Service to the Humanities) Dr. Haakanson, Jr. is a master of his scientific discipline and regarded professionally as the undisputed leader in advancing the understanding and preservation of Alutiiq language, culture, and customs. Dr. Haakanson's research career has spanned nearly two decades and has helped educate the public about the Alutiiq culture's contemporary relevance. He has helped build the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository into a world renowned collection of cultural artifacts of the Kodiak archipelago.

Susie "Qimmiqsak" Bevins-Ericsen (Governor's Award for Alaska Native Artist) Bevins-Ericsen is driven to improve the economic well being of Alaska Native artists.True to her passion to raise awareness, educate, and create understanding of Alaska Native people, she became one of the founding members of the Alaska Native Arts Foundation. She has served on many boards and committees, representing the interests of Alaska Native artists and positively impacting the lives of countless young people through her teaching and mentorship. Bevins-Ericsen's work is housed in the permanent collections of the esteemed British Royal Museum, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the Eiteljorg Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA), and the Heard Museum.

Alaska Native Heritage Center (Governor's Award for Distinguished Service to the Humanities) A leader in Alaska native cultural and arts education for more than a decade, the Alaska Native Heritage Center uses the arts and humanities to teach visitors the rich culture and heritage of Alaska's indigenous peoples. Since opening in 1999 the Center has welcomed tens of thousands to participate in a long list of educational programs, including its Artists in Residence program, the Alaska native Playwrights project, its Language Project, the Understanding Culture workshop series and school visits. In fact, more than 200,000 students have visited the center since its opening.

The Center also maintains a website filled with facts and fascinating information about Alaska's first people, further spreading its reach helping accomplish its mission: "Sharing, perpetuating and preserving the unique Alaska Native cultures, languages, traditions and values through celebration and education."

John "Sinŋaq" Sinook (Governor's Award for Arts Educator) John Sinnok was born and raised on a northern Alaska island made more of water than solid land; a terrestrial whisper of an ancient Bering Land Bridge. Like the place itself, John is regarded by his students, professional peers, and elders as "nothing short of remarkable." For more than 40 years--27 of which he has been declared legally blind--John has nourished Shishmaref students' intellectual and creative pursuits. He has taught Inupiaq language and traditional carving, sewing skills and design to generations of students who have now received recognition and awards for their own art submissions to the Heard Museum All-Native Student Exhibitions.

Carol Swartz (Governor's Award for Distinguished Service to the Humanities) Carol Swartz has directed the Kachemak Bay campus of Kenai Peninsula College (UAA) with distinction since 1986 and is known in literary circles across Alaska and the country as the founding director of the Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference. Since 2002, the Writers' Conference has hosted exemplary Alaskan and national writers in Homer, Alaska to provide writers with opportunities to improve their literary skills, explore their creative boundaries, share knowledge about their discipline, and build their community. On behalf of Alaska's literary community, Ms. Swartz has brought nationally known writers such as Pulitzer Prize winning author of "The Hours," Michael Cunningham, and Barry Lopez, National Book Award winning author of "Arctic Dreams".

Gail Niebrugge (Governor's Award for Individual Artist) An inveterate adventurer, Gail traveled from San Diego, California to Copper Center, Alaska in 1976. She brought her family and her artistic training with her to serve as the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Artist-in-Residence for six years. She holds a Master of Fine Art Illustration with honors from Syracuse University, New York and over the course of her 40-year career has created more than 970 original drawings and paintings. Gail's unique labor-intensive painting style and subject material has received worldwide patronage.

Nora Marks Dauenhauer (Alaska State Writer Laureate for 2012-2014) Nora Marks Dauenhauer was born (1927) in Juneau, Alaska, and was raised in Juneau and Hoonah, as well as on the family fishing boat and in seasonal hunting and fishing sites around Icy Straits, Glacier Bay, and Cape Spencer. Her first language is Tlingit; she began to learn English when entering school at the age of eight. She has a B.A. in Anthropology (Alaska Methodist University 1976) and is internationally recognized for her fieldwork, transcription, translation, and explication of Tlingit oral literature. Her creative writing has been widely published and anthologized. Her Raven plays have been performed in several venues internationally, including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

She is married to Richard Dauenhauer, writer and former poet laureate of Alaska, with whom she has co-authored and co-edited several editions of Tlingit language and folklore material. She has 4 children, 13 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren. She lives in Juneau, where she is semi-retired but still continues with research, writing, consulting, and volunteer work with schools and community.

 

Governor Sean Parnell gives his opening remarks at the awards, commenting on the positive impact the arts have on communities.

Dr. Lyle McNeal demonstrates fleece evaluation and describes benefits of animal husbandry best practices on animal fiber production.  All photos in this article courtesy Saunders McNeill.

What do UAF Cooperative Extension, Alaska Grown, and Alaska Diversified Livestock Association Inc. have to do with art and artists? For three blustery days in October, 30 Alaska livestock farmers, herd managers, fiber producers and artists from all over the state met at the Palmer Center for Sustainable Living Matanuska Experiment Farm with nationally renowned agricultural, grazing, and animal fiber experts for a conference on Holistic Feeding and Grazing Practices and Animal Fiber Production in Alaska - and discovered just how much they have in common.

The conference was coordinated for Alaska animal fiber producers and users to establish a statewide fiber business network to produce, process, and promote Alaska animal fiber as a viable, sustainable agricultural enterprise. Individual farmers described their respective herds, the types and numbers of animals they raise, the current production quantity and quality of fiber, and their marketing strategies. Fiber artists and vendors discussed their interest in, and market challenges surrounding, the availability and access to locally produced Alaska animal fiber, including its quantity, quality, and price.

Dr. Lyle McNeal evaluates a qiviut fiber sample during his Palmer Musk Ox Farm site visit.

Keynote speakers Dr. Ben Bartlett,

addressed the group's convergent management interests and challenges, with dynamic results. By the conference conclusion, participants designated a steering committee that is now investigating the best organizational structure to: pursue producer resources, identify fiber markets and opportunities, and connect and serve fiber producers and end users statewide. The goal is to establish an economically sustainable in-state animal fiber processing facility. Dr. McNeal visited the Palmer Musk Ox Farm - a nonprofit steward of the largest captive Musk Ox herd and the greatest single source producer of live animal qiviut fiber in the world - to consult with their staff about best practices in herd management and optimal fiber production. Through post-conference connections, nationally recognized traditional Tlingit Chilkat weavers Teri Rofkar and Shelly Laws traveled to Palmer to learn more about a rare in-state fiber source for their work. 

Palmer Musk Ox Farm Executive Director Mark Austin, Herd Manager Janelle Curtis, and artists Teri Rofkar and Shelly Laws discuss exciting potential for qiviut fiber use in Chilkat weaving.

Quarterly Grant 3rd Quarter Deadline - December 1st: Community Arts Development, Workshop, Master Artist and Apprentice, Walker Arts, Career Opportunity Grants

Funding Guidelines Available for NEA Our Town Grants
Guidelines and application materials for Our Town (http://arts.gov/national/ourtown/index.php), the National Endowment for the Arts' (NEA) primary creative placemaking grants program, are now posted online. Grants may range from $25,000 to $200,000. 

Among the project types supported through Our Town are arts engagement projects that support artistically excellent artistic production or practice as the focus of creative placemaking work. This includes:

• Innovative programming that fosters interaction among community members, art organizations, and artists, or activates existing cultural and community assets;
• Festivals and performances in spaces not normally used for such purposes;
• Public art that improves public spaces and strategically reflects or shapes the physical and social character of a community.

Complete Our Town application guidelines are available here  on the NEA's website. The NEA will host informational webinars about this program on November 6 and 13, 2012 at 3:00 pm EST at arts.gov. Applications are due January 14, 2013 at 11:59 pm.

America's Historical and Cultural Organizations: Implementation Grants 

DEADLINE: January 9, 2013

AVAILABLE: Up to $1,000,000 over up to a 3 year period

Link to RFP:  http://www.neh.gov/files/grants/ahco-implementation-jan-9-2013.pdf 

FUNDING USES:
The National Endowment for the Humanities America's Historical and Cultural Organizations grants provide support for museums, libraries, historic places, and other organizations that produce public programs in the humanities. Grants support the following formats: exhibitions at museums, libraries, and other venues; interpretations of historic places, sites, or regions; book/film discussion programs; living history presentations; and other face-to-face programs at libraries, community centers, and other public venues; and interpretive websites. Implementation grants support final scholarly research and consultation, design development, production, and installation of a project for presentation to the public.

GENERAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
U.S. nonprofit organizations; state and local governmental agencies; and federally recognized Indian tribal governments.

The Alaska Community Foundation is now accepting applications for the Capacity Building for Charitable Organizations (CBCO) grant program. The program offers a unique opportunity for eligible nonprofit organizations to apply for grants to build capacity in the areas of leadership development, organizational development, program development, collaboration and community engagement, and effectiveness evaluation.

Eligibility is limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations located in the state of Alaska, and equivalent organizations may include tribes, schools, churches, and local government agencies and programs. Organizations may be awarded up to $15,000 with typical grants ranging between $3,000 and $5,000.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis starting with the first deadline on October 1, 2012 followed by deadlines on December 1, February 1, April 1, June 1, and August 1, 2013

For more information about ACF, the CBCO grant program or to apply, visit The Alaska Community Foundation at  www.alaskacf.org or call (907) 334-6700.

EmcArts is pleased to announce Round 8 of The Innovation Lab for the Performing Arts with the generous support of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The Lab is a 12-month program that helps performing arts organizations incubate and test innovative strategies to address major adaptive challenges.

The Round 8 Application deadline is December 4, 2012

The press release, Round 8 RFP, and media focused on a few questions that establish guiding principles for applying to the Innovation Lab are available here. 

The Innovation Lab for Performing Arts was created to advance and accelerate the development of new and innovative strategies by performing arts organizations in order to address well-defined adaptive challenges. It is designed to do this in a way that promotes internal culture change and builds the capacity of participating organizations to innovate more effectively in the future. Participating organizations form a "laboratory" for testing new approaches to achieving artistically vital and organizationally healthy arts institutions.

You can write Liz Dreyer, Manager of National Programs  LDreyer@emcarts.org with questions and to schedule a consultation.

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts seeks to contract with eligible and qualified organizations to reinforce and expand education initiatives for young people with disabilities. Presently, the Kennedy Center and its affiliate, VSA, are seeking contractors to provide educational services that have a broad reach across school districts, cities, states, and/or regions; that have immediate significant impact; and that have measurable and sustainable outcomes in the following two programs:

1)    VSA Arts Education for Students with Disabilities (VSA-AESD)

2)    VSA Professional Development for Educators (VSA-PDE)

Proposal Submission Deadline: November 16, 2012 at 11:59 pm (Eastern Time)

Notification: Selected recipients will be notified by December 10, 2012

The Kennedy Center is only accepting proposals submitted by email. Completed proposals must be emailed to  sslitvak@kennedy-center.org. Proposals received after the proposal submission deadline will not be considered. The Center is not responsible for any delays in transmission of proposals via email.

To request the RFP or ask a question, please contact:

Stephanie Litvak

Manager, VSA Affiliates, VSA and Accessibility Office

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Washington, DC 20566

Tel: 202-416-8847; Email: sslitvak@kennedy-center.org

Alex Combs Award Application Deadline November 31

The Alex Combs Artist Award is a designated fund administrated by Bunnell Street Arts Center for working artists to apply for up to $1500 to explore new techniques and ideas through workshops and symposiums. Applicants must be Alaskan artists working in ceramics, painting or sculpture. The award is based on the merit of the work and proposal. Limit of one award per artist per year.

To apply please submit: a letter of intent, 5 digital images (not larger than 1MB each, please) of work that has been completed in the last two years, artist statement and resume. Questions or submissions may be emailed to: asia@bunnellstreetgallery.org

Call for Exhibition Proposals Deadline Moved to December 31

Bunnell Street Arts Center is now accepting applications for visual art exhibitions in 2014. Applications in all media and formats including solo, group and interdisciplinary arts are welcome. The 2012 deadline for applications is December 31, 2012. Artist are required to submit the following for a peer review panel: a letter of intent for the exhibit, 5 digital images (not larger than 1MB each, please) of work that has been completed in the last two years representative of what you wish to exhibit, artist statement and resume. Preference is given to Alaskan artists.

Questions or submissions may be sent to: asia@bunnellstreetgallery.org 

Embracing Our Differences invites art submissions for its 10th annual outdoor art exhibit celebrating diversity. National and international submissions are encouraged. Thirty-nine artists will be selected for the exhibit. The exhibit will be displayed April and May 2013 at Island Park along Sarasota, Florida's beautiful bayfront. The exhibit will contain 38 billboard-sized (16 feet wide by 12 1/2 feet high) images of the selected artworks. 

Final selections will be chosen based on artistic excellence in reflection of the theme "embracing our differences." Submissions will also be evaluated on how effectively the proposal will read outdoors when enlarged to billboard size. Final selections will be made by a 3-judge panel of professional artists, curators and art professionals. A total of $3,000.00 in awards will be presented. Submissions must be postmarked no later than January 7, 2013. There is no submission fee nor limit on the number of entries.

The mission of Embracing Our Differences is to use art as a catalyst for creating awareness and promoting the value of diversity, the benefits of inclusion and the significance of the active rejection of hatred and prejudice.

Submission forms and more information concerning past winning entries are available at www.EmbracingOurDifferences.org or by emailing Info@EmbracingOurDifferences.org.  

PUBLIC ART OPPORTUNITIES  

University of Alaska Fairbanks Request for Proposals for the Life Sciences Facility  

ART IN PUBLIC PLACES PROJECT # 2010100 LFRF # 0362013

Total Art Budget $250,000 USD.

Deadline: December 12, 2012 5pm, Alaska Standard Time.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks is seeking proposals from artists and/or artist teams for the permanent installation of public art for the Life Sciences Research and Teaching Facility project located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, Fairbanks, Alaska. Complete RFP documents for this project are available in electronic form at: http://facilities.alaska.edu/uaf/fsProps/rfp.cfm.

The Alaska State Council on the Arts, on behalf of the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services is requesting qualifications from artists for interior artwork to be commissioned for the recently renovated McLaughlin Youth Center (MYC) in Anchorage, Alaska. Total Art Budget $175,000 USD. Deadline for Entries: Received by December 7, 2012 9:59 pm Alaska Standard Time. Applications will be accepted online only through CaF� at: www.callforentry.org 

The State Library, Archives and Museums (Juneau, AK) Call for Artists is scheduled to open November 26, 2012 - Jan 10, 2013 on www.callforentry.org. Total Art Budget $600,000 USD.

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough new Mat-Su Day School Call for Artists is scheduled to open November 7, 2012 - December 21, 2012 on www.callforentry.org. Total Art Budget $97,132 USD.

City of Homer Request for Proposals Incorporating Art into Four Public Restroom Facilities in Downtown Homer and on the Homer Spit  

Proposals to incorporate art into four new Public Restroom Facilities, two located on Pioneer Avenue and two on the Homer Spit, will be received at the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall, City of Homer, 491 East Pioneer Avenue, Homer, Alaska, until Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. As there will be four separate buildings, artists are encouraged to submit one or more concepts or proposals to ensure artwork will be incorporated into all four restrooms.  Budget: $17,000.

A project site visit will be held on Thursday, November 13, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. to physically view the four project sites on the Spit and on Pioneer Avenue. Proposers interested in attending should meet in the Cowles Council Chambers at City Hall. Proposal requirement questions shall be directed to Renee Krause, CMC, Deputy City Clerk, City Clerk's Office, City of Homer, 491 E Pioneer Avenue, Homer, AK 99603 phone: 907-235-8121, ext.2224; email: rkrause@ci.homer.ak.us Project questions shall be directed to Carey Meyer, Public Works Director, City of Homer, 3575 Heath Street, Homer, AK 99603 phone: 907-235-3170; email:  cmeyer@ci.homer.ak.us 

2013 Choose Respect Student Poster Contest is Open

As part of Governor Parnell's Choose Respect Initiative, all Alaskan youth (pre-school through high school) are invited to participate in this year's iRespect poster contest. Youths are asked to send a positive message about respect and healthy relationships by creating a poster depicting this  year's theme, "iRespect," with appropriate imagery and wording.

Teachers are asked to select a finalist from each classroom to submit to the Governor's Office by December 10. The winning artwork will be professionally printed and promoted along with the Choose Respectmarches in March 2013. The winner's classroom will win an ice cream party sponsored by Jewel Lake Tastee Freez, anywhere in Alaska. Questions can be directed to Erin Patterson-Sexson 907-269-7450 or erin.patterson-sexson@alaska.gov 

This year's winners will be published in a special issue of F Magazine, showcased at Out North Contemporary Art House in Anchorage, and the top two will go to Sitka Fine Arts Summer Camp! 

Creative teens in grades 7-12 are invited to submit work in a number of categories of art and writing. The submissions are judged locally. 49 Writers will jury the writing entries, and artist/UAA art instructor Jimmy Riordan will oversee the judging of art entries.

In March, the statewide winners of the 2012 competition will have their work showcased at Out North Contemporary Art House in Anchorage. Winning writers will have their work read aloud by experienced readers and actors and the entire event will be streamed online for students unable to attend. For the third year in a row, the statewide art and writing winners will be published in the April issue of F Magazine.  

One writing and one art winner will be chosen to receive full scholarship and airfare for two weeks at the Sitka Fine Arts Summer Camp in Sitka, AK.

DEADLINE JAN. 20, 2013. Click HERE for more information or to apply on callforentry.org or go to our website: fhideout.org/competition.

Photo Printing Workshop

Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3 and Sunday, Nov. 4

You've got a great photo - now what? Learn how to edit and prepare digital photos for fine art printing. Each student makes one large photo print. Taught by artist Carl Battreall. $170 member/$190 non-member

Mosaic Workshop

10 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10 and noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 11

Learn to create beautiful and functional mosaics using a variety of materials, techniques and tools. Students create a 12-by-16-inch mosaic of their choosing, such as a tabletop, trivet or mirror. Taught by artist Michelle Turk. $120 member/$140 non-member

Ceramics Workshop

1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1 and Sunday, Dec. 2

Students craft ceramic mugs, plates or bowls using a combination of hand-forming and clay tool techniques. Taught by artist Wendy Gingell. $90 member/$110 non-member

Collage Workshop

6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6 and Friday, Dec. 7

Create unique artwork by learning to collage with inventive materials and techniques, such as rubbing and using hot plates. Taught by artist Erin Osinkosky. $90 member/$110 non-member

Find complete class listings and registration information at www.anchoragemuseum.org/learn 

Americans for the Arts officially launches and opens registration for the 2013 Local Arts Classroom. This five-month virtual leadership development series, running January through May 2013, provides an opportunity for emerging local arts leaders to master foundational concepts and build skills through exposure to current practice in the core areas of local arts development. The program is designed to serve arts professionals with less than 10 years of experience in the arts field, including current undergraduate or graduate students and those who are transitioning into the field from another sector.

Selected participants will attend seven 90-minute webinars and seven 60-minute post-webinar discussion calls, each offering opportunities to connect with field leaders. Participants will also have opportunities to regularly connect with peers around the country, and have access to a Classroom participant only web portal that will include resources to further study in each subject.

Full schedule and Topic Descriptions http://www.artsusa.org/networks/emerging_leaders/classroom/002.asp 

Participants in the 2013 Local Arts Classroom will be selected via a competitive application and panel process. A maximum of 40 individuals will be accepted into the program. CLICK HERE for Registration Details and to download the Application Form. For more information, contact Leadership Development Program Manager Stephanie Hanson at shanson@artsusa.org.

 "Dressing From The Inside Out. Georgian Costume; What Our Founding Mothers Wore."

Georgian Wardrobe Workshops (For costumers, historians and seamsters with sewing experience), sponsored by the Celtic Community of Alaska 

 Georgian Stays Workshop

Saturday and Sunday December 15-16, 9 am - 4 pm $175.00

Georgian Gown Workshop: Anglaise, Francaise or Jacket

Tuesday and Wednesday, December 18-19, 12 - 8 pm $100.00

To register, click here. Both workshops will be held at the UAA-Weaving Studio , 707 A Street, Suite 206, Anchorage, AK. Email Kristen Foggie at genteelkris@gmail.com, call 347-439-8885 or click here for more information.

WordPress Web Design Workshop

Nov. 30 & Dec. 1, 2012 8 AM - 5 PM

Kathy Smith "New Works on Paper", Nov. 2 - Dec. 5 at the Bunnell Street Arts Center, 106 West Bunnell Street, Homer, AK.  www.bunnellstreetgallery.org  

395 Whittier Street, Juneau, AK, www.museums.state.ak.us 

Nov. 2 - Dec. 2 at ConocoPhillips Gallery - APU Grant Hall, 4101 University Drive, Anchorage, AK

Remains on view through Nov. 25 at Anchorage Museum. This exhibition is organized by the

Alaska Photographic Center and will travel throughout the state. After the exhibition closes in Anchorage Nov. 25, it will travel to the Bear Gallery in Fairbanks (Dec. 7-30); Kenai Peninsula College (Jan. 11- Feb. 7, 2013); and Kodiak College Campus Center (Feb. 15-March 8, 2013).  www.anchoragemuseum.org 

7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6 at the Anchorage Museum

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, Dec. 4-7

Observe and ask questions as Alaska Native fish skin sewing experts Audrey Armstrong,

Marlene Nielsen and Coral Chernoff create salmon skin bags and clothing in the

North & Center Galleries: "Drawing '12", a group exhibition curated by Don Decker, featuring 16 artists including Peter Dunlap-Shohl, Celia Anderson, Mariano Gonzalez, Wanda Seamster, Sonya Kelliher-Combs, and Esther Hong.

South Gallery: "CUPtemporary" Become a member, or renew your current membership at the $50 level or above and select a cup of your choice (including case), as our gift to you. Cups may be taken home at the end of the exhibit. Thank you to all the artists who created cups!

Speaker: Ernestine Hayes, Assistant Professor of English

This acclaimed address, delivered by Hayes at venues such as the Association for Literature and the Environment Conference and the International Polar Year gathering, presents the recent history of Lingit Aani and examines its relevance to current circumstances from a perspective unfamiliar to commonly held beliefs.

"My talk asks listeners to consider history from a perspective that is unfamiliar and perhaps even somewhat uncomfortable. When we place ourselves in new contexts, our views may shift. When we look at history from a different point of view, we can also look at the present--and the future--with new understanding," said Hayes, an American Book Award recipient.

Contact: Ernestine Hayes, Assistant Professor of English

Arts and Sciences-Humanities, Juneau campus,  ernestine.hayes@uas.alaska.edu,

"Rarefied Light", an annual juried exhibition showcasing the best of Alaska's fine art photography, debuts Oct. 5 at the Anchorage Museum. This exhibition is organized by the Alaska Photographic Center www.akphotoctr.org and will travel throughout the state.  

After the exhibition closes in Anchorage Nov. 25, it will travel to the Bear Gallery in Fairbanks (Dec. 7-30); Kenai Peninsula College (Jan. 11- Feb. 7, 2013); and Kodiak College Campus Center (Feb. 15-March 8, 2013).

Process Alaska, a curated exhibit featuring 10 Alaskan artists, opened in New York City at the Good Question Gallery at the DUMBO Spot and at the Peanut Underground Gallery The show then traveled back to the Bunnell Street Gallery in Homer, AK, with a reception and short gallery installation October 19 - 21. The exhibit will be at International Gallery of Contemporary Art in Anchorage, Dec. 7-31 .

Participating artists are Michael Walsh, Gretchen Sagan, Jimmy Riordan, Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Brian Adams, Michael Conti, Deborah Tharp, Garry Mealor, Nicolas Galanin, and Julie Decker. The exhibit was co-curated by Richard Cutrona of The Good Question Gallery and Michael Conti.   

The Pratt Museum is pleased to present a new exhibit opening Friday, November 9. History in the Making: Quilts, Quilters and their Stories is a non-juried show of contemporary quilts. Each piece reflects the rich history of Kachemak Bay and its creator's connection to the region. Presenting a wide variety of quilting techniques and a diversity of artists, History in the Making explores our eclectic community through this ever-evolving American art form. Please join us for the opening reception on Friday, November 9, from 5 to 7pm. The exhibit will run through December 30

Throughout the month of November the Alaska Humanities Forum offices will feature Dia de Muertos-themed creations including new works from artists Christina Barber and Angela Ramirez, altars from Begich Middle School students, brilliantly decorated sugar skulls from Cecilia Karoly-Lister and Holly Anderson-Caldwell, and photography from Indra Arriaga.The Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) exhibit in the Forum lobby gallery opens this Friday, November 2, from 5 to 8 p.m., with an artists' discussion at 6 p.m. Refreshments and appetizers prepared by Alaska chef Rob Kinneen will be served.

The Girdwood Center for Visual Arts, a vibrant artists' cooperative with a well-established history of developing and celebrating the arts, is seeking to contract a part-time Creative Director. The Creative Director's duties would include planning, assisting and attending all art shows and fundraising events; seeking out new artists; and other duties as defined by the Board of Directors. Marketing, fundraising and social networking experience are a must. An art background is encouraged. In addition to a flexible work schedule, this position would require occasional commutes to Girdwood. Compensation: $20 an hour/ 50 hours a month. To apply, please send a letter of application and resume to: GCVA Search Committee, P. O. Box 678, Girdwood AK 99587. Contact Gina Edwards at Gallery 31 Fifty, 907-336-2457 for more information. 

The Alaska Arts Education Consortium (AAEC) Board has begun the search for a new, part-time executive director who will assist the AAEC Board with the day-to-day operations.  A job description and application are available at www.akartsed.org.  Applications will be accepted until 9 p.m. Nov. 30, 2012.

The successful candidate must have

• Excellent computer skills and experience working with blogs, social networks, website, Quickbooks, Word, & photo programs
• Arts education and/or education background preferred
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
• Experience in working with a board, budgets and familiarity with Alaska, education and arts in the state
• Ability to work independently from their own home office with a computer and internet and maintain regular communication with a statewide Board

Interested candidates should submit a completed application, resume, and questions to  dharris@kpbsd.k12.ak.us no later than 9 p.m. November 30, 2012.

To help artists understand the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (PPACA) and the related Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (HCERA), and to help them navigate the changes in law that will take place over the next few years, LINC (Leveraging Investments in Creativity) recommends the following resources created by contributors to their National Artist Health Insurance Initiative:

• The Artists Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC) a program of The Actors Fund, has authored a summary and timeline of the provisions of the PPACA legislation, available at  www.ahirc.org 
• Springboard for the Arts has produced a Health Fair Toolkit to leverage the successes of Springboard's various Artists' Access to Healthcare (AAH) initiatives. Visitwww.springboardforthearts.org/health for information on hosting a health fair in your own community to help local artists navigate the changes that PPACA will bring.
• For a snapshot of "what's in it for you," visit LINC grantee Fractured Atlas to find your demographic profile.

The Student Veterans of the University of Alaska Fairbanks are seeking volunteer readers and supervisors for the second annual Veterans Day Memorial Roll Call on November 12 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will memorialize the more than 6,500 service members who have been killed in action while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Visit www.uaf.edu/veterans , email svofuaf@gmail.com, or call 907-474-2475.

The Alaska State Museum in Juneau has announced the 2012 award winners and selections for Alaska Positive, a biennial photographic competition open to all Alaskans, now in its 40th year. Selected for awards were:

*           Juror's Choice Award ($300): Loren Holmes, Anchorage, Butchering the Whale

*           Award of Recognition ($150): Ben Huff, Juneau, Mile 250, Idling Trucks, Chandalar Shelf

*           Award of Recognition ($150): Deanna Lampe, Juneau, Lost, Found

*           Honorable Mention (for Body of Work): Loren Holmes, Anchorage

*           Honorable Mention: Douglas Yates, Ester, Main Street, Ester, Alaska

*           Honorable Mention: Clark James Mishler, Anchorage, Winter Dogs

"Every submission to Alaska Positive 2012 reflects pride in the state's unique culture, industry and landscape," said this year's juror, Holly Andres, an accomplished professional photographer from Portland, Ore. "The judging process gave me a whole new appreciation for the contemporary Alaskan experience."

The Juror's Choice and Recognition Awards are sponsored by the Friends of the Alaska Museum. All photographs selected by the juror will be displayed as part of the Alaska Positive 2012 exhibit, which opens at the Alaska State Museum on November 2 and travel around the state for the next two years. Alaska Positive will be on display at the museum until January 5, 2013.