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December 2017 ASCA News
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Alaska Contemporary Art Bank Acquisition by Deland Anderson of Homer,
Welcome to Shaktoolik,
Egg tempera on wood, 5 x 24"
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News for the ASCA Communique?
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Submit articles, short notices, calls for art or RFPs for ASCA to consider including in the next Communique.
Contact Saunders McNeill at
[email protected]
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An especially rewarding aspect of our mission at ASCA is celebrating noteworthy Alaskans who have devoted their lives and careers to the advancement of Alaska's art and culture. We
 are fortunate to live in a state where rich, diverse, creative activity is a source of pride in our identity as Alaskans. Four arts and culture leaders, along with four Alaska Humanities Forum awardees will be honored February 8, 2018 in Juneau at the Governor's Awards for the Arts and Humanities:
Alvin Amason, Individual Artist from Anchorage | Kodiak
Delbert Cederberg, Arts Business Leadership | Anchorage
Charlie Skultka, Jr., Margaret Nick Cooke Award for Alaska Native Arts and Languages | Sitka
Robert Pond, Lifetime Achievement in the Arts (posthumous) | Anchorage
Another bright spot is ASCA's partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts' Creative Forces expansion network which focuses on the power of the arts to heal. ASCA's role in Creative Forces is to connect community arts resources and military servicemen and women who wish to voluntarily access creative opportunities as a way to continue the therapeutic treatment they receive for traumatic brain injury and PTSD. ASCA will provide more information about the Creative Forces initiative at a community workshop in Anchorage in February 2018.
Alaska's own military traumatic brain injury treatment program is located at the hospital on Joint Base Elemendorf Richardson. Danielle Vetro-Kalseth MM, MT-BC, NMT, one of six board certified music therapists in Alaska, leads the program which is funded through the National Endowment for the Arts and Americans for Arts in collaboration with the US Department of Veteran's Affairs. ASCA is pleased to enhance this life changing work as expressed by the words of military service members who have
experienced benefits in their lives through
art and music therapy.
As we celebrate Alaska's greatness through creativity and a sense of hope for the coming year, ASCA staff and the Board of Trustees wish you all the best for the moonlit month of December.
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Alaska's New Artistic License Plate Announced!
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The Alaska State Council on the Arts and the Office of Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins are pleased to announce that one original design has been selected by public vote as Alaska's new "Artistic License Plate".
The winner is an aurora-inspired design by Anita Laulainen, a UAA graphic design student from Palmer, Alaska. Laulainen's original design was one of one hundred forty-two submissions from Alaskans of all ages and geographic locations around the state.
Representative Kreiss-Tomkins expressed, "Congratulations to Ms. Laulainen and thank you to the celebrity jury and every Alaskan who voted. I'm excited that Alaska's hundreds of thousands of license plates have the potential to transform into miniature six inch by twelve inch canvases of beautiful aurora borealis-inspired art."
ASCA Chairman Benjamin Brown added, "As the State of Alaska launches the Artistic License Plate, we are excited to see such a wide array of impressive submissions and a robust competition. It is great to see emerging Alaska artist Anita Laulainen create her classic and inspiring winning design. The Alaska Artistic License Plate program affirms the potential for Alaskans to pursue careers in artistic fields that are both economically and creatively rewarding."
Over 17,000 Alaskans weighed in on their favorite of five designs that were narrowed down by a panel of celebrity judges. The panel reviewed all entries based on quality of design submission, readability for law enforcement and imagery that celebrates aspects of our unique Alaskan identity. The spirit of the "Artistic License Plate" competition encourages creativity, invites Alaskans to capture what we love about Alaska, and highlights the importance of the arts in our daily lives.
The winning Artistic License Plate will be produced by DMV for the next four years, until the Alaska State Council on the Arts holds the next competition. The plates will be available for Alaskans to purchase in early summer 2018. The proceeds will be reinvested into artistic and cultural programs by ASCA in a continuing effort to diversify revenue and advance Alaska's creative industry.
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Alaska Contemporary Art Bank Acquisitions Announced!
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The Alaska State Council on the Arts is pleased to announce that we have recently purchased 18 new artworks to be added to the Alaska Contemporary Art Bank. Please join us at a community reception to see the new artwork and meet some of the artists. Light refreshments will be served.
When: Thursday, December 21, 2017, 2:00-4:00pm
Where: Alaska State Council on the Arts, 161 Klevin Street, Suite 102, Anchorage, AK
The selections were made by the Visual Arts Advisory Committee, a volunteer jury comprised of arts professionals and citizens from around the state. 499 artworks were submitted for consideration, and 12 of the 18 artists are new to the Art Bank Collection. In January 2018, the new art will be available for loan to State of Alaska offices and agencies. ASCA will share the full complement of works on our Facebook page in the coming weeks!
The following artists' work was selected for purchase in this round of acquisitions:
- Deland Anderson, Homer
Alaska Contemporary Art Bank Acquisition
by Gail Priday of Fairbanks,
Autumn Spruce, Woodcut reduction print, 26 x 20"
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- Donna Catotti, Haines
- Benjamin Charles, Bethel
- Heather Floyd, Kenai
- Hal Gage, Anchorage
- Shori Heaton, Haines
- Linda Infante Lyons, Anchorage
- Elizabeth Irving, Fairbanks
- Matt Johnson, Anchorage
- Kristin Link, McCarthy
- Deb Lowney, Homer
- Puanani Maunu, Juneau
- Amy Meissner, Anchorage
- Gary Postelthwait, Anchorage
- Gail Priday, Fairbanks
- Jennifer Sonne, Anchorage
- Sara Tabbert, Fairbanks
- Jennifer Younger, Sitka
The Alaska Contemporary Art Bank (ACAB) was founded in 1975 by the Alaska State Council on the Arts and was created with two primary goals: to expose more Alaskans to high quality work by contemporary Alaskan artists through the loaning of original art to public offices throughout Alaska and to invest in Alaska's creative industry through direct purchase of artists' work. The collection has grown to more than 700 art works in a wide variety of media, styles and subject matter. Although the art is the same as that collected by museums, the purpose of the Art Bank is to provide a circulating collection of Alaskan artwork to exhibit in public buildings throughout the state.
Benjamin Brown, Chairman of the ASCA Board of Trustees, commented, "We are delighted to be able to add so many wonderful pieces of inspired art to the Art Bank Collection, which not only strengthens the program, but also provides very meaningful opportunities to Alaskan artists at key points in their careers. These acquisitions demonstrate the essential contributions of the creative economy to life on the Last Frontier."
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The Joan Mitchell Foundation announced Drew Michael and Sonya Kelliher-Combs among their 2017 Painters & Sculptors Grant recipients. Drew and Sonya are two of 25 artists in the diverse group of awardees who will each receive an unrestricted grant of $25,000, along with professional development and residency opportunities. Congratulations!
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SAVE THE DATE: 2018 Governor's Arts and Humanities Awards
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Visit the website at https://www.akgovawards.org/ to learn more about the 2018 awardees, or past awardees, and to purchase tickets or support the awards event! For questions about the Governor's Arts and Humanities Awards, or for more information, contact the Alaska State Council on the Arts at 1.888.278.7424 or 907.269.6610. Or email us at
[email protected].
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Alaska Arts Education Consortium
Champions of the Arts Nominations
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 The Alaska Arts Education Consortium (AAEC) Champions of Arts in Education Award was created as a way to formally recognize and honor individuals or organizations from around the State of Alaska who "champion" the arts in education. AAEC believes these Champions carry the torch for arts education through high-caliber instruction, arts support, and ongoing arts promotion.
This award is a celebratory action, aimed at highlighting the positive impact of the arts on the lives of our children and youth. The efforts of these champions in teaching and supporting arts across the curriculum reflect the mission of AAEC, which is "to advance teaching and learning in and through the arts across Alaska."
AAEC has designated four categories of Champions of Arts in Education, including
- Arts Educator
- Arts Leader
- Arts Advocate
- Arts Student
For the nomination form go to
http://ow.ly/Q7mW30gyFMX. For information about past Champions of the Arts go to the AAEC website at
https://akartsed.org/champions-of-the-arts/. You may contact the Alaska Arts Education Consortium Executive Director at (907) 322-6669 or by email at
[email protected] with any questions, or for technical assistance. This nomination form must be submitted by the deadline of February 14, 2018. Once the nominations close, AAEC will review the nominations, and notify nominators of the result of the review. AAEC will ask for nominators' help in honoring your Champions, and will provide materials for that purpose. The organization will then contact the Champions of the Arts and notify them of their selection following the AAEC's regular board meeting in March, 2018.
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Rasmuson Foundation Distinguished Artist Award
Nominations Close December 15, 2017!
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Don't forget, the deadline nominate for a Rasmuson Foundation Distinguished Artist Award is
 December 15, 2017!
Rasmuson Foundation offers one $40,000 Distinguished Artist Award annually in recognition of an Alaska artist's creative excellence and superior accomplishments in the arts. The award is a validation of the artist's creative output and contributions to the state of Alaska. It is also an acknowledgement of the artist's potential for subsequent creative work.
Mature, established artists are eligible to receive the Distinguished Artist Award. Mature artists are those who have created an extensive independent body of work representing a life-long investigation and maturation of their personal creativity. They demonstrate a high aesthetic level of artistic ability with a strong consistency of expression over at least a 15 year professional arts career. Artists may work in any artistic discipline.
Past recipients of the Distinguished Artist Award are Gertrude Svarny of Unalaska; Garry Kaulitz and Don Decker of Anchorage; Peggy Shumaker, Kes Woodward, John Luther Adams and John Haines of Fairbanks; Teri Rofkar of Sitka; Rie Munoz of Juneau; Ron Senungetuk of Homer; Sylvester Ayek of Nome; and Delores Elizabeth Churchill, Ray Troll and Nathan Jackson of Ketchikan.
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Cultural Collaborations Access and Excursion Grants Now Open for FY18
Harper Arts Touring Fund Grants Now Open for FY18
Alaska State Poetry Out Loud Competition
| Juneau | March 7, 2017
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Calls for Art and Requests for Proposals
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2018 Left Coast Annual Juried Exhibition | Sanchez Art Center
Deadline: January 30, 2018
Calling all California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska fine art visual artists! Sanchez Art Center
http://www.sanchezartcenter.org/index.html invites you to enter the 2018 Left Coast Annual. Enter up to 20 images at $15 per image.
JUROR: Claudia Schmuckli, Curator in Charge for Contemporary Art and Programming at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
AWARDS: 2 Exhibition Awards ($250 plus an exhibition in 2019); and 2 Merit Awards ($250).
Chilkoot Trail Residency Call for Submissions
Deadline: February 1, 2018
Mark your calendar as February 1st, 2018 is the deadline to apply for the 9th edition of the program, if you are a visual artist and you want to spur your creativity on the Chilkoot Trail. Together, the Yukon Arts Centre, Parks Canada and the US National Park Service and the Skagway Arts Council seek three visual artists to participate in a cross-border creative journey within Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Alaska and Chilkoot Trail National Historic Site in British Columbia.
Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center: All-Alaska Biennial 2018 Call for Entries
Deadline: June 15, 2018
The All-Alaska Biennial features contemporary work by Alaska artists. This juried exhibition is a continuation of the Anchorage Museum's
All-Alaska Juried and
Earth, Fire & Fibre exhibitions, which began more than 30 years ago to encourage the creation of new works by Alaska artists in all media. The process is open to Alaskan artists working in all media, including digital and new media.
This exhibition will open to the public November 2, 2018 in the 3rd floor galleries of the
Anchorage Museum. The All-Alaska Biennial will travel to other venues in Alaska after it closes in Anchorage March 3, 2019.
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Grants and Funding
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Alaska Humanities Forum Annual Grants Deadline Coming Up
Deadline: December 15, 2017
For 40 years, the Forum has invested in Alaska artists, writers, historians, filmmakers, and community conveners. This funding fuels creative projects that educate the public, get people talking, increase public access, and preserve and promote Alaska's stories. The final deadline for annual grant applications is Dec. 15, 2017. Awards will be announced in early February 2018.
Peabody Essex Museum Summer Native American Fellowships Open
Deadline: January 5, 2018
Apply now for an 11-week, full-time, paid fellowship at the
Peabody Essex Museum (PEM). PEM seeks rising leaders in the museum field and nonprofit cultural sector for our expanded Native American Fellowship (NAF) Program. We are looking for graduate students and emerging professionals of Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaska Native backgrounds who are eager to develop the knowledge, skills and networks necessary to become 21st-century community and museum leaders.
Fellows work with PEM's dynamic staff and gain access to a comprehensive perspective on the theory and practice of museum management. Weekly workshops, field trips, mentoring and in-depth engagement on museum projects support Fellows in sustaining their existing skills while cultivating their professional development needs. Placements will be available in: Curatorial, Integrated Media, Creative Services, Collection Management, Merchandising/Business Marketing, Development and Education.
NAF Program offers stipend, housing and travel expenses. Academic credit is available upon official request. You can find a description of the program, application guidelines and frequently asked questions at:
https://pem.org/nasummerfellowship. Questions? Email us at
[email protected]
Foundation for Contemporary Arts | Emergency Grants
Deadline: Monthly
In keeping with
FCA's mission to encourage, sponsor, and promote work of a contemporary, experimental nature, applicants must demonstrate that their artistic practice falls within this context. Created in 1993, Emergency Grants provides prompt funding for innovative visual and performing artists who:
- Have unanticipated, sudden opportunities to present their work to the public when there is insufficient time to seek other sources of funding
- Incur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates
Emergency Grants is the only active, multi-disciplinary program that offers immediate assistance of this kind to artists living and working anywhere in the United States or U.S. territories, for projects occurring in the U.S. and abroad. Grants range in amount from $500 to $2,500.
For complete information about the Emergency Grants, visit the website at
Alaska Community Foundation Strengthening Organizations Grant
The
Alaska Community Foundation (ACF) offers the
Strengthening Organizations grant program with the goal of funding projects that will help Alaska nonprofits become better equipped to meet their missions. This program seeks applications for projects that will directly enhance the work of the applicant organization, making it stronger with well-organized systems in place and skilled employees who have the training and resources to successfully provide services.
Eligible nonprofit organizations apply for grants to build the capacity of their organizations. Eligibility is limited to 501(c)3 nonprofit, or equivalent, organizations located in the state of Alaska. Equivalent organizations may include tribes, schools, churches, local government agencies and programs.
To best position your application for success, applicants are strongly encouraged to speak with ACF staff ahead of time to discuss their project and to submit a draft proposal for review by ACF staff. Draft reviews are available. Please contact ACF program staff via email:
[email protected] or by phone: 907-334-6700 for a draft review.
More information and links to the online application system are available at
www.alaskacf.org.
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Education and Youth
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Classics for Kids Foundation Matching Grants | Musical Instruments for Youth
Deadline: December 31, 2017
The mission of the Classics for Kids Foundation is to empower young people to shape positive futures through music, build sustainable stringed instrument music programs, and provide grants for high quality instruments. The Foundation is offering matching grants to K-12 schools and nonprofit organizations throughout the United States to help purchase stringed instruments. Grants will not exceed 50% of total instrument cost. Requests are reviewed quarterly; the upcoming application deadline is December 31, 2017. Visit the Foundation's website at
https://classicsforkids.org/ to learn more about the grant program.
National Endowment for the Arts | Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge Open to High School Students
Deadline: January 5, 2018
The Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge is a national competition for high school students who have a passion for writing songs that could be part of a musical theater production. Launched in 2016 as a pilot program in three cities (Dallas, TX; Minneapolis, MN, Seattle, WA), the Songwriting Challenge offers six finalists mentorship opportunities with professional songwriters and musicians and the opportunity to have an original song performed by those musicians. Finalists will also receive scholarship awards and more. Applications are open on October 2, 2017 and due by January 5, 2018. Finalists will be announced in February 2018 and the national competition will take place in New York City in April 2018.
Applications Open for AAEC Teacher Leaders for Summer Institutes
Deadline: January 8, 2018
The Alaska Arts Education Consortium (AAEC) is planning on holding three arts institutes during the summer of 2018 and we are looking for interested arts and culture teachers to apply to be teacher-leaders.
The planned Institutes are:
- SAMS (Summer Academy Mat-su), May 23-26, 2018. This institute will be a five day, 3 credit event,as part of the districts larger inservice. We will be looking for 3-4 teacher-leaders with varying specialties and interests. Theme to be determined but the overall intent of this week is to reinvigorate teachers and we will do it through arts and culture.
- Anchorage Academy, May 29-June 1, 2018. This institute will be a 4-day, 2 credit event, focusing on Arts for All Abilities and designed for Elementary and Special Education teachers. We will be looking for 3-4 experienced arts teachers for this shorter than normal event.
- Bethel Multicultural Institute, last week of July or first week of August TBA. Looking for arts teachers with multicultural /intercultural experience to lead the Institutes and local cultural experts.
Letters About Literature 2018 Contest for students grades 4-12
Deadline: January 12, 2018
Students in grades 4 through 12 are invited to enter Letters About Literature 2018, a national writing contest sponsored by Alaska Center for the Book and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target Stores. The contest has levels 1-3, and To enter, students must write a letter to an author-living or dead-explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or themselves.
Alaska state winners at each level will receive a $100 cash prize. They also advance to national competition. Runners-up receive $50 cash. Six national winners (two per competition level) and 12 national honorable mentions (four per competition level) will be selected. National Winners in each competition level will receive a $1,000 cash award, and National Honor Winners in each competition level will receive a $200 cash award.
Each letter must be accompanied by an official entry coupon or copy of one. Entry coupons will be available at your local participating library or online at
www.alaskacenterforthebook.org. Guidelines and teaching supplements are also available for teachers, parents, or librarians at the site.
Kennedy Center Office of VSA and Accessibility | 2018 VSA Playwright Discovery Competion
Deadline: January 17, 2018
Young writers with disabilities and collaborative groups that include students with disabilities, in U.S. grades 6-12 (or equivalents) or ages 11-18 for non-U.S. students. Writers are invited to explore the disability experience through the art of writing for performance: plays, screenplays, spoken word poetry (for single performer or a group), or music theater. Writers are encouraged to craft short works from their own experiences and observations, create fictional characters and settings, or choose to write metaphorically or abstractly about the disability experience.
One winning piece is chosen in the Primary and Junior Divisions (grades 6-7 / ages 11-13 and 8-9 / ages 13-15 respectively). Winners will be featured in the press and on the Kennedy Center website.
Selected winners in the Senior Division (grades 10-12 / ages 15-18) will receive exclusive access to participate in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Washington, D.C., and the opportunity to participate in staged readings and workshops alongside the nation's premier collegiate playwrights as well as participate in the festival's award ceremony.
VANS Custom Culture 2018 will open for registration January 3-31
Vans Custom Culture was created to inspire and empower high school students to embrace their creativity through art and design and to bring attention to diminishing arts education budgets. Vans believes everyone should be empowered to express themselves creatively and should be given the tools to do so.
Custom Culture is a national high school customization competition using blank Vans shoes to be customized around specific themes. Once your school's designs are completed, they go through a voting process to narrow down our top 50 entries. Then, it's up to your school and classmates to garner votes from the public to choose our top 5. One school will be chosen as the Grand Prize Winner, receiving $75,000 for their art program!
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Professional Development
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Alaska Independent Musicians Initiative | Alaska Music Summit
Saturday, December 16, 12pm - 11pm at Church of Love in Anchorage
The ALASKA MUSIC SUMMIT is a one day event to rally around a new vision for Alaskan music and increase the states for Alaskan musicians. We see a future where Alaska is an international hub of northern music, arts, and culture. We are taking action to DEVELOP, BRAND, & EXPORT Alaskan music and put Alaska on the map as "a place where music comes from".
The fast-paced agenda for the day will include presentations by members of the Alaskan music community. The guest speaker lineup includes Danielle King of CD Baby (Portland, OR), Devon Leger of Hearth Music (Seattle, Minneapolis, Nashville), and other music industry professionals.
The SUMMIT will culminate in a blowout concert and fundraiser to support AKIMI and The Alaska Room at the Folk Alliance International Conference.
For complete information, summit agenda and registration, visit the website at
https://akimimusic.org/alaska-music-summit/. Registration cost is $30 in advance, $40 day of event, $20 students, and $20 for the evening concert. The summit will begin at 12pm, and the evening concert will begin at 7pm.
Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference Open for Registration
Registration is open for the seventeenth annual Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference, June 8-12, 2018.
Held in Homer, Alaska, this nationally recognized writing conference features workshops, readings and panel presentations in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and the business of writing. Keynote presenter Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize winner and National Book Award finalist, will be joined by fifteen other writers, poets, and publishing industry professionals. Optional manuscript reviews, agent/editor meetings, post-conference workshop and boat cruise. All information and faculty bios at our website:
http://sites.kpc.alaska.edu/writersconf/
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Employment
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Alaska Humanities Forum
Deadline to apply: Until filled
The Alaska Humanities Forum, whose mission is to connect Alaskans through stories, ideas, and experiences that positively change lives and empower communities, has announced hire openings for a number of professional positions including Creating Cultural Competence Education Program Manager, Program Coordinator and Program Associate. Go to
https://www.akhf.org/employment for more information about the positions and how to apply.
Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center is Hiring
The Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center has multiple job opportunities for which they are hiring until filled including: Public Relations and Digital Engagement Manager.
Visit their
website
for extended position descriptions and application.
Palmer Museum of History and Art (PMHA) hiring an Executive Director
This position is responsible for implementing strategies and directing activities of the PMHA and the Palmer Visitors' Center in downtown Palmer, AK. The ideal candidate will have museum or comparable nonprofit executive experience, skills in creating and maintaining strategic partnerships, and expertise in grant writing and management. The position supervises employees, budgets resources, and helps the Board of Directors make PMHA a vital part of area culture.
For complete information and application materials visit the website at
http://palmermuseum.org/, and look under the tab "At the Museum."
Rasmuson Foundation is Hiring a Communications Manager
We are seeking an experienced communications manager who is ready to wield our robust set of communications tools, hone them and take us to the next level. To be successful, it's critical that you have superior writing skills, strong oral presentation abilities and political savvy. Ideally, you'll have a solid knowledge of our state's unique nature, the nonprofit sector, and the media landscape. The successful candidate will enjoy working in a fast-paced, detail-oriented collaborative environment. For complete information visit the website at
https://www.rasmuson.org/about/open-positions/.
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Items of Interest
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Createquity Discusses Arts Careers with a Compilation of Resources
Createquity is a think tank and online publication investigating the most important issues in the arts and what we, collectively and individually, can do about them. On November 2, Createquity posted a set of research in support of the belief that a "healthy arts ecosystem should provide opportunities for everyone to participate in the arts at their own individual level of skill and interest. This includes allowing more "scarce" opportunities - like making art for a living - to be available to those people for whom it matters most (i.e., making art is most meaningful) and whose work in the arts offers the greatest benefit to others - by connecting to a large audience, winning acclaim from experts, adding something unique to the cultural diet of humanity, or improving people's lives in other meaningful ways."
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ASCA Staff
Andrea Noble-Pelant, Executive Director
L. Saunders McNeill, Community and Native Arts Program Director
Laura Forbes, Arts in Education Program Director
Keren Lowell, Administrative Assistant III
Janelle Matz, Alaska Contemporary Art Bank Manager
ASCA Council
Adelheid "Micky" Becker (Anchorage)
Alice Bioff (Nome)
Benjamin Brown, Chair (Juneau)
Peggy Ferguson (Fairbanks)
Charlotte Fox (Anchorage)
Cordelia Kellie (Wasilla)
Patrick Race (Juneau)
Charles "Charlie" Sears (Anchorage)
Jeffry Silverman (Anchorage)
Mary Wegner (Sitka)
Kes Woodward, Vice Chair (Fairbanks)
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Copyright © 2017, Alaska State Council on the Arts, all rights reserved.
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