We are thankful for the opportunity to partner with the Alaska Native Heritage Center to display artwork created by Alaska Native artists in our Alaska Lounge at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.
Alaska Airlines was founded in and currently serves traditional homelands of Alaska’s Indigenous people, who comprise 229 federally recognized tribes within at least 20 distinct cultures. Each has its own history, language or dialect, environment, and traditions. These characteristics influence each culture’s style of art. For example, communities in Alaska’s Southeast and Southcentral regions have abundant forests, whereas communities in the Arctic north and Aleutian Islands have little to no trees and are closely connected to the sea.
Alaska Native people have lived in this Great Land for at least 15,000 years. Artwork created by a modern Alaska Native person, like any artist anywhere, may be an expression of continuity with his or her culture’s ancient traditions or that individual’s own creativity.
Thank you for taking the time to respectfully view the Alaska Native artwork on display here. If you would like to learn more and see additional works of Alaska Native art, including live dance and other performances, we recommend visiting the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage.
ABOUT ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE CENTER
The Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) is a living cultural center located on Dena’ina lands in Anchorage, Alaska, that promotes active observance of Alaska Native cultures and traditions. As the only statewide living cultural and educational center dedicated to celebrating all cultures and heritages, ANHC serves as a statewide resource for Alaska Natives from birth until Elder age.
Our Misson: Alaska Native Heritage Center preserves and strengthens the traditions, languages, and art of Alaska’s Native Peoples through statewide collaboration, celebration, and education.
Our Vision: Thriving Alaska Native people and cultures are respected and valued.
The Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) was created by a unanimous vote of the Alaska Federation of Natives in 1987, which called for the establishment of a statewide Alaska Native cultural center. Two years later, ANHC was officially an incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and, with the help and support of committed community members, in coordination with distinguished organizations like the Alaska Native Corporations, began fundraising to build the Center. ANHC first opened its doors to the public in May of 1999 and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024.
Make time to visit in person to see our ANHC village sites and brand-new renovations to our Gathering Place and Hall of Cultures. If you’d like to purchase authentic jewelry, artwork, books, and gifts made by Alaska Native artists from around the state, visit ANHC’s Ch’k’iqadi Gallery, the only Alaska Native-owned and -operated gallery in Anchorage. We are located at 8800 Heritage Center Drive, Anchorage, AK 99504. Or visit online at https://www.alaskanative.net/.
ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE CENTER COLLECTION
James Schoppert (1947 – 1992)
Inside Passage
Culture: Łingit
Hometown: Juneau
Dimensions: Each panel is 24” x 48”
Culture: Łingit
Hometown: Juneau
Dimensions: Each panel is 24” x 48”
This carved and painted work is a two-panel composition consisting of slightly offset square cedar pieces above connected to vertical cedar rectangular-shaped panels below that leave an open negative space between the two halves. The carved and painted decor of the panels utilizes shapes derived from formline design, including arcs, ovoids, and C-shaped forms along with other geometric elements, all arranged to create a lively, fractured surface. The dominant colors include browns, lavenders, and blues, with white and red highlights. This piece is named after the body of water that spans the coasts of southeast Alaska and Canada through which ferries and other boats travel.
Robert James Schoppert was born in 1947 to a German father and a Łingit mother. Schoppert became one of the influential Alaska Native artists of the 20th centuries and is known in many Alaska Native art circles as the grandfather of contemporary Alaska Native art for pushing the boundaries of “traditional” art. Although his influence continues today, he tragically passed away in the early 1990s.
Martin Farrell gifted this piece to the Alaska Native Heritage Center in 2010.
Brian Chilton (b. 1962)
Raven Paddle
Culture: Łingit
Hometown: Juneau
Dimensions: 36" x 5"
Culture: Łingit
Hometown: Juneau
Dimensions: 36" x 5"
The Chilton Family is Tlingit from Southeast Alaska. They are members of the Deisheetaan (Beaver) Clan of the Raven House in Angoon, a Tlingit village on the west side of Admiralty Island. While they were young children, the family of five brothers and eight sisters moved to the mainland to live in Juneau.
Brian’s oldest brother, Gene, studied carving with Tlingit artist Ed Kasko from Klukwan. After completing this study, Gene researched jewelry techniques in books and learned through trial and error. He then taught three of his brothers to carve. Today, they are all skilled artists who work in 14k gold, sterling silver, red cedar, and yellow cedar. Brian has carved totem poles at various heights and said, “Most of the poles I make are clan poles. I am inspired by the totems done by past carvers. Today, I use rulers, levels, and other modern tools they didn’t have. But they still carved these amazingly symmetrical poles up to 50 and 60 feet tall.”
This paddle was purchased from the Ch’k’iqadi Gallery at the Alaska Native Heritage Center.
Rochelle Adams (b. 1979)
Life Along the Yukon River Series
Culture: Dene
Hometown: Beaver and Fort Yukon
Dimensions: 15.5”x18”
Culture: Dene
Hometown: Beaver and Fort Yukon
Dimensions: 15.5”x18”
The beadwork was made by Rochelle, and the photos were taken by Rochelle.
Rochelle Adams is Gwich’in Athabascan from the Interior Alaska villages of Beaver and Fort Yukon. Her parents are Angela Peter-Mayo of Fort Yukon and the late Cliff “Tuffy” Adams Jr. of Beaver. Her maternal grandparents are Susan (Lord) and Johnny Peter Sr. Her paternal grandparents are Hannah “Babe” (VanHatten) and Cliff Adams Sr. Rochelle’s children are Amaya, Koso and Łeeyadaakhan. She was raised living a traditional Athabascan lifestyle with her family, following the seasonal cycles of hunting, fishing, and gathering off of the Yukon River, and taught to always honor those sacred connections. Rochelle is committed to language learning and teaching, especially in ways that involve art to develop materials and content. She serves as a cultural adviser to “Molly of Denali”, the award-winning animated PBS television series and first children’s programming of its kind to feature an Alaska Native character in the title role.
These photographs were purchased from the Ch’k’iqadi Gallery at the Alaska Native Heritage Center.
Anthropologist, professor, artist, and author Phyllis Fast was of Koyukon Dene and English descent. She was raised with her brother, Richard, and sister, Esther, on a homestead that ran between Tudor Road and Old Seward Highway in Anchorage, Alaska.
Phyllis graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and earned a master’s degree from the University of Alaska Anchorage. She later earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from Harvard University and taught at the University of Alaska in both Fairbanks and Anchorage. A gifted author and artist, her paintings have hung in several museums in the United States and corporate centers in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Of her art, she wrote on her website: “At first I just tried to bring my Koyukon heritage into my thoughts, work and art … I find happiness when something comes through my art that doesn’t seem familiar and maybe it’s somebody or something else that wants to see what it can do with my hand or world.” Her art may also be seen on the covers of her books. These include “Northern Athabascan Survival,” a valuable research source for academics and writers. She retired Professor Emerita in 2014 and completed two children’s books and four Native American novels, including one not yet released, “Red Paint Woman.”
Phyllis was the matriarch of her family. In her role of professor or aunt, she was always nurturing and encouraging young people around her to develop their minds through higher education. Her life was lived with purpose and principle; she did not work for money or fame alone, although she would have liked to have had more of both, but out of sense of accomplishment and the love of what she did.
This piece was purchased for the Alaska Native Heritage Center at the KNBA Alaska Native Art Auction.
Percy is Iñupiaq and Yup’ik. He drew upon his experiences growing up in the Alaska village of Chefornak to paint this traditional, invitational dancer on canvas. Bold colors and a contemporary approach to movement help Percy reach his goal of attracting a new generation to Alaska Native art.
Percy’s works have been showcased in solo and group exhibitions, events, art auctions, and public arts in Alaska. He enjoys focusing on scenes from Alaska, and Percy’s early paintings were of whimsical Alaska animals enjoying different scenes. His most lauded work portrays Alaska Native dancing and singing in an abstract style. He also specializes in traditional Yup’ik mask making, wood carving, ivory carving, acrylic painting, drawing, and jewelry making.
Percy graduated from the University of Alaska Fairbanks with a BFA in Native Arts and Painting. He currently lives in Eagle River, Alaska.
This piece was donated to the Alaska Native Heritage Center by Target in 2008.
Culture: Iñupiat
Hometown: Point Hope
Dimensions: 20”x26”
According to an article in the Anchorage Daily News on December 5, 1993, “’The Feast’, at first glance a whaling celebration, is quickly identifiable as a rendering of the Last Supper by anyone with a passing familiarity with medieval and Renaissance art. To make sure there’s no confusion, the artist includes a written description of each of the figures in the picture, from the tax-collector Matthew (the only one with pockets in his parka) to Jesus as a youthful, clean-shaven whaling captain.”
Charles wrote a description about his piece identifying the figures from the Last Supper and also mentioned, “We have a festival once a year in the middle of June only when whale hunt is successful. The men will sit under an umiak* and have our Eskimo dances. This celebration lasts for 3 days.”
*An open boat used for hunting on the ocean. Traditionally, an umiak is constructed by Yupik and Iñupiaq people with driftwood or whalebone covered in tightly stretched and stitched walrus or seal skin(s).
This piece is a watercolor on cold-pressed paper depicting Helen’s grandmother putting up braided fish in the traditional way on Alaska’s Afognak Island.
Helen was a force of nature. A painter who traveled the world and studied collections around the globe, she played a pivotal role in working with the Museé de Boulogne-sur-Mer in France where cultural belongings from the Sugpiaq region are currently held. Her connections with the museum helped form a relationship with the Alutiiq Museum and the Anchorage Museum that regularly host pieces of the Pinart collection.
Before she passed, Helen played an important role as an advisor on the Sugpiat/Unangax̂ Cultural Advisory Committee at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. She was a cultural advocate and mentor to many people.
This piece was purchased for the Alaska Native Heritage Center with Rasmuson Arts Acquisition Funds in 2007.
Culture: Yupiit/Iñupiat
Hometown: Bethel and Eagle River
Dimensions: 30”x22”
“Three Graces” was created during a time when Drew was focused on learning more about Christianity and related iconography and his connection to the land.
Drew was born in Bethel, Alaska, in 1984, a premature twin not expected to survive. He overcame the obstacle of early birth and found his way into the foster care system shortly after. After being in and out of foster care, he was adopted by a loving family and grew up in Eagle River, Alaska, allowing his culture to be an important part of his life. He was able to learn about his people and eventually started his career in mask carving.
His father, in an attempt to connect with him and encourage his creative side and cultural exposure, signed him up for a mask carving class in 1997 with Bob Shaw and Joe Senungetuk. This was the beginning of Drew’s mask carving career. He learned some of the basics of history, usage of tools, and wood-working techniques. He worked at the Alaska Native Heritage Center while in high school and was able to enroll in some of the carving classes provided through the high school program. He had the great opportunity of working with Kathleen Carlo-Kendall early in his career.
This piece was donated to the Alaska Native Heritage Center by Drew Michael in 2014.
Culture: Yupiit
Hometown: Eek
Dimensions: 48” x 24”
This mask depicts a Yup’ik man performing yuraqing (Yup’ik dancing) as he holds dance fans of the type traditionally used by male dancers. It is made of basswood and hemlock. The dance fans have turkey feathers and artificial sinew. The pigments used in this piece are red ocher, blue vivianite, and white kaolin clay which are all from southwest Alaska.
Mike lived in Eek until he was about 8 years old and his family moved to Bethel, where he now lives. Growing up, he always loved art and music, but it wasn’t until he attended the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) in Greenland that he found himself inspired to try something new. Mike saw rock band musicians performing in their Native language and returned to Alaska to form Frozen Whitefish, a Yup’ik rock band.
He also dabbles in graphic design, photography, and video/music production. Living in Bethel, he noticed a large void in media services, so he formed Yuk Media. One of his first projects was an album for 17-year-old Byron Nicholai titled “I Sing. You Dance.” Mike is working with a number of other artists to help produce albums, including hip-hop performed in Yup’ik. “I blended my culture with technology, and it shows other people they can blend their passions, too,” he said.
Mike also has a passion for making movies and screenprinting T-shirts with Yup’ik designs, but his goals are all rooted in inspiring the next generation, especially his own children.
See more of Mike McIntyre’s artwork on Facebook at: McIntyre Yupik Art.
Preston Singletary’s art has become synonymous with the relationship between European glass blowing traditions and Northwest Native art. His art features themes of transformation, animal spirits, and shamanism through elegant blown glass forms and mystical sand carved Tlingit designs.
His great-grandmother, Susie Johnson Bartlett Gubatayo, was born in Sitka, Alaska, in 1880, a member of the Eagle moiety, Kaagwaantaan Box House, Killer Whale clan of the Tlingit.
Shortly after graduating a Seattle high school in the early 80s, Preston was actively pursuing a career as a musician when the son of a glass artist Paul Marioni, Dante Marioni, gave him a job as night watchman at Glass Eye, a glass-blowing studio. Preston quickly moved from being night watchman to working the day shift to eventually joining one of the studio’s production teams.
He learned the art of glass blowing by working with artists in the Seattle area, including Benjamin Moore and Dante Marioni. As a student and assistant, he initially focused on mastering the techniques of the European tradition. His work took him to Kosta Boda (Sweden), where he studied Scandinavian design and met his future wife.
Yet, it was when he began incorporating Tlingit designs and stories that he believes his work took on a deeper sense of purpose, enabling him to merge ancestral storytelling with a modern medium, giving voice to both his maternal culture and artistic vision.
Throughout his 30+ years of glass blowing, Preston has also had opportunities to learn the secrets of the Venetian glass masters by working with Italian legends Lino Tagliapietra, Cecco Ongaro, and Pino Signoretto. In 2010, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Puget Sound.
Ted Lambert is regarded as one of the premier Alaska artists, a true pioneer.
Born in 1905 and raised in the Chicago area, he moved to Alaska in 1925 and went to work as a miner near McCarthy. He held several jobs, predominantly working at a copper mine and mushing dogs – first for adventure, then as a mail carrier.
Ted left Alaska in 1931 to study art for a year at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, then moved to Seattle, where he began a mentorship under Eustace Paul Ziegler (whose art is also featured here), and Ted’s artwork shows Ziegler’s influence in ways such as broad brush strokes and use of pallet knives. The two artists traveled throughout Alaska and painted.
He lived in Fairbanks, where he solidified his reputation as a painter and an artist. But after a contentious divorce, he lived for nearly 20 years as a hermit, moving deeper and deeper into the Alaska bush. He disappeared in 1960 from the remote cabin in Bristol Bay where he’d been living. No trace of his body was ever found, but among his personal effects left behind was a memoir of his early days in Alaska that revealed Ted was a keen and intelligent observer of Alaska.
Yevgeniy Ivanovich Romanenko was born on August 3, 1963, in Provedenia, Russia, which is in Siberia across the Bering Strait from Alaska. At age 18, he joined the Russian military and served as a border guard on the Chuicotka peninsula, just 65 miles from St. Lawrence Island, Alaska.
After his military service, Yevgeniy worked as a carpenter, during which he introduced to Native carving. He came to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1993, then lived in Nome, Fairbanks, Wasilla, and Juneau. His first artwork in Alaska was woodworking, watercolor, and portraiture.
Today, Yevgeniy lives in Anchorage and uses materials from the northern regions of Alaska, primarily whalebone, and incorporates Alaska Native legends and mythology in his work. His work can be found in galleries throughout Alaska.
In 1969, his family moved to Juneau, Alaska, where Michael explored the numerous gold mines and dug for rustic Alaskana. After living in Anchorage for four years, the Scott family moved to Valdez, Alaska. From about the age of 5, Michael showed advanced skills in drawing, particularly of wildlife and cartoon strips. His late father, the talented artist Ed Scott, recognized his son’s talent and taught him the basics of making art. Growing up, Michael also learned ivory and fossil bone carving from his Alaska Native friends.
In the wilderness surrounding Valdez, Michael hunted, fished, and trapped in the pristine environment. He spent many hours exploring the vast Lower River Basin in the Keystone Canyon area. It was in this area where Michael began carving totem poles out of cottonwood bark.
Returning to Anchorage in 1980, Michael took up carving wood duck decoys, tropical fish, salmon, and birds. Today, he sculpts with mediums such as old bone, soapstone, alabaster, old ivory, and wood. He also paints with watercolors and acrylics.
1881 – 1969. Born in Detroit, Michigan. He came to Cordova, Alaska, in January 1909 and became one of the most celebrated painters in and of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest from the Gold Rush period through statehood in 1959.
Eustace was known for landscape, figure, frontier genre, mural painting.
While in Seattle, Eustace was a founder and first president of the Puget Sound Group of Northwest Painters, and he won numerous awards in Northwest art exhibitions. He completed important commissions for institutions ranging from the Washington State Press Club, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and St. James Cathedral in Seattle.
His powerful, original vision of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest as a place of individual and collective achievement is compelling, and his work is widely collected and admired. It is well represented in private, corporate, and museum collections not just in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, but throughout the nation and beyond.
A major retrospective exhibition of his work was organized in 1998 by the Anchorage Museum of History and Art and the Morris Museum of Art and was shown in museums in Alaska, Washington, and Georgia.
1881 – 1969. Born in Detroit, Michigan.He came to Cordova, Alaska, in January 1909 and became one of the most celebrated painters in and of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest from the Gold Rush period through statehood in 1959.
Eustace was known for landscape, figure, frontier genre, mural painting.
While in Seattle, Eustace was a founder and first president of the Puget Sound Group of Northwest Painters, and he won numerous awards in Northwest art exhibitions. He completed important commissions for institutions ranging from the Washington State Press Club, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and St. James Cathedral in Seattle.
His powerful,original vision of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest as a place of individual and collective achievement is compelling, and his work is widely collected and admired. It is well represented in private, corporate, and museum collections not just in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, but throughout the nation and beyond.
A major retrospective exhibition of his work was organized in 1998 by the Anchorage Museum of History and Art and the Morris Museum of Art and was shown in museums in Alaska, Washington, and Georgia.
Friendly Encounter, Catch of the Day, Bundle of Joy
Talented watercolor painter Christine Hutten is our concierge here in the Anchorage Alaska Lounge. She studied art and design in Munich, then about 22 years ago, moved from Germany to Anchorage.
The inspiration for her paintings came from the dog mushing tradition in Alaska Native communities and the beautiful landscapes of Alaska.
Christine has been a dedicated member of our Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport Lounge family since 2005. We are proud to feature her artwork in our Anchorage collection.