Photo Credit: Nathaniel Wilder

Welcome! to Betany Porter who recently joined the team at ASCA as the Alaska Contemporary Art Bank Manager. And thank you to Janelle Matz, whose service to the Art Bank Program and Alaska artists and the Art in Public Places Program has meant so much to this state, and to this agency.

Betany said, "I am committed to promoting the Arts in Alaska. It is very important to me to support the amazing community of artists living, working and visiting the State. The Art Bank Manager position at the Alaska State Council for the Arts allows artworks to be visible in public legislative spaces, as well as to aid artists through the purchase of their work. I am honored to be the newest member of the dedicated team at ASCA.”

Born in 1980 in La Jolla, California Betany Porter is an artist living and working in Anchorage, Alaska. She received her MFA in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and her Post Baccalaureate from the Oregon College of Art and Craft. She earned a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Studio Art from San Diego State University, and a BA from Principia College. She worked as a Curator of Art and Contemporary Culture for the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center in Anchorage, Alaska, and curated the inaugural exhibition for their New Wing, utilizing over 250 works from the museum’s permanent collection. She worked as Installation Director for SUGS Galleries at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and as an Exhibitions Contractor and Interdisciplinary Museum Educator at the Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK.

Betany's experience and interests are uniquely suited to step into this role at ASCA. She told us the story of how she came to Alaska, and what it means to continue her work in the state, "My first trip to Alaska was in 2007 to visit friends from school who grew up in Alaska. They took me fishing at the Russian River and to camp on the spit in Homer, AK and a boat ride to Seldovia. After about nine days in Alaska, I was crying at the airport because I didn’t want to leave. I thought that was an unusual reaction to visiting a place for a week. After another visit the following year to Utqiagvik, Alaska began working its way into my paintings. In 2010 after attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I decided to move to Alaska to see if it was just a phase or not."

Betany's experience as an artist and educator gives her multiple perspectives on the work of the Art Bank Manager, who must be prepared to support artists, as well as communicate about their work in placing their work through the program, "I have lived in Alaska for about six years now and am impressed daily by the place and the community of people here. I recently attended an artist residency at the Oregon College of Art and Craft as an Instructor-in-Residence where I taught a graduate critique seminar and curated the Undergraduate and Graduate exhibitions for the graduating classes of 2018. I also began making a life-size three dimensional log cabin out of paper and paint based on my experiences living and working in Alaska.”

For questions about the Alaska Contemporary Art Bank, please call ASCA's main line at 907-269-6610.

The Governor's Arts and Humanities Awards is an annual partnership between the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation, and the Office of the Governor to recognize and honor noteworthy contributions to the arts and humanities in Alaska.  Each year, these partners select awardees in several distinct categories, based on nominations submitted by the public.

In 2019, Categories for Awardees in the Humanities include:

Categories for Awardees in the Arts include:

Nominations may be submitted online through September 1, 2018.

For complete information about the Governor's Arts and Humanities Awards, visit the website at https://www.akgovawards.org/ . Nominations online are available at https://www.akgovawards.org/nominate .

The Alaska Literary Awards were established in 2014 by the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation, through a generous gift from Peggy Shumaker and Joe Usibelli.The Alaska Literary Awards recognize and support writers of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, screenwriting, and mixed genres. Any Alaska writer over the age of 18 who is not a full-time student is eligible to apply. Quality of the work submitted is the primary consideration in determining who receives the awards. There are no restrictions on the writer’s use of the award and no formal report is required.

A select number of $5,000 awards will be awarded annually.

The Application Deadline for 2018 is August 19, 2018 at 9:59pm AST.

For Complete information visit the Alaska Arts & Culture Foundation website at https://www.akarts.org/2018-alaska-literary-awards-application-is-open. The application is available online through the CaFE system here. You can also visit https://www.callforentry.org/, and search "Alaska State Council on the Arts: 2018 Alaska Literary Awards."