The Alaska Native Arts Foundation (2002–present) is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

organization formed to support the Alaska Native art community. Its mission is focused on the advancement of Indigenous art into global marketplaces to enhance economic development in the state of Alaska and create fairly-priced markets for Alaska Native art. The Foundation also seeks to provide general awareness and public education of Alaska's Indigenous cultures, and as a result offered programs to support Alaska Native artists and preserve cultural heritage. Funded by a combination of government grants and private funding in the form of donations from Alaska Native corporations, the organization distributed grant money through project support programs to provide in-residence art programs, educational programs for rural schools, funding for museum demonstrations, art workshops, and exhibitions and documentation of native artists' work.

Curation of Native Works

The Native Arts Foundation gallery in Anchorage, which opened in 2006 presented and curated the works of Native artists, including visual art, spoken word, performance art and choreography, dance, fashion, and video, as well as presenting works created during privately organized workshops and business training. Outside of Alaska, the foundation also promoted Alaskan Native art at events and festivals in

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, and

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. In addition, the Foundation maintained extensive inventory of Native art and utilitarian handmade items of all sorts, based on the "subsistence" lifestyle of their makers: walrus ivory carvings,

baleen Baleen is a filter feeder, filter-feeding system inside the mouths of baleen whales. To use baleen, the whale first opens its mouth underwater to take in water. The whale then pushes the water out, and animals such as krill are filtered by th ...

etchings and baskets,

whalebone Baleen is a filter-feeding system inside the mouths of baleen whales. To use baleen, the whale first opens its mouth underwater to take in water. The whale then pushes the water out, and animals such as krill are filtered by the baleen and ...

sculpture,

salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...

and

halibut Halibut is the common name for three species of flatfish in the family of right-eye flounders. In some regions, and less commonly, other species of large flatfish are also referred to as halibut. The word is derived from ''haly'' (holy) and ...

skin baskets, fish skin crafts, caribou

antler Antlers are extensions of an animal's skull found in members of the Cervidae (deer) Family (biology), family. Antlers are a single structure composed of bone, cartilage, fibrous tissue, skin, nerves, and blood vessels. They are generally fo ...

dolls dressed in traditional sealskin clothing, bronze sculpture and oil and acrylic paintings; and wearable art and accessories: jewelry, carved masks, traditional " ulu" knives, traditional mukluks made using natural material, summer parkas, beaded gowns using quills and moose hide, bolo ties, walrus whisker earrings, "

scrimshaw Scrimshaw is scrollwork, engravings, and carvings done in bone or ivory. Typically it refers to the artwork created by whalers, engraved on the byproducts of whales, such as bones or cartilage. It is most commonly made out of the bones and te ...

" belt buckles, and silver, gold and copper jewelry.

Closure

The Foundation went dormant in the spring of 2016 as the result of lost state funding and low markups on sold art. The physical gallery in downtown Anchorage was closed. At the time of closure, the stock of the Foundation gallery was made available for private sale, and services were phased out to accommodate future marketing efforts.

Relaunch

In 2023, the Alaska Native Arts Foundation was relaunched with new funding. As opposed to the curation and reopening of a physical gallery, the new concept consisted of an online portal for Alaska Native artists and an innovative digital marketplace that directly connects buyers with Indigenous art. The web launch is set for early 2024.

References

2002 establishments in Alaska Alaska Native culture in Anchorage Alaska Native organizations Arts organizations established in 2002 Native American arts organizations Non-profit organizations based in Anchorage, Alaska {{NorthAm-native-stub