The Alaska State Council on the Arts sponsored a Native Art Summit at the beautiful Morris Thompson Cultural Center in Fairbanks over the weekend. I was invited to speak on “The Business of Art and the Artist” last Saturday, September 19. The center is a beautiful facility with excellent displays partially completed, collections are being added daily. I was fortunate to be included in a tour conducted by Athabascan artist Dixie Alexander, who is extremely knowledgeable about the artifacts and history of the native people of the region.
What impressed me most is the huge diorama painted by artist Jan Vriesen totaling 3,400 square feet depicting interior Alaska in winter, summer and fall. This photo shows a section of the fall diorama as it transitions into a display of rocks, flora and fauna complete with taxidermy replicas of brown bear, moose, other animals and birds. It is stunning! Dixie explained that it took 10 months to paint.
My seminar was well attended, and all in all the conference was a successful event.
Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist
