SHI TO SPONSOR LECTURE SERIES FOCUSED ON NORTHWEST COAST ART
Program to feature prominent artists, museum visionary
February 20, 2020
(Flyer)
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will sponsor a free lecture series on Northwest Coast art presented by noted Northwest Coast artists and the former head of the Peabody Essex Museum.
The series will feature artists Jackson Polys, David R. Boxley and Alison Bremner and former president and CEO of the Peabody Dan Monroe.
Traditionally, clans, rather than specific artists, were recognized for creating clan objects and regalia. Artists and even the names of artists were given secondary recognition, said SHI President Rosita Worl.
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will sponsor a free lecture series on Northwest Coast art presented by noted Northwest Coast artists and the former head of the Peabody Essex Museum.
The series will feature artists Jackson Polys, David R. Boxley and Alison Bremner and former president and CEO of the Peabody Dan Monroe.
Traditionally, clans, rather than specific artists, were recognized for creating clan objects and regalia. Artists and even the names of artists were given secondary recognition, said SHI President Rosita Worl.
“Today we have artists who create art or at nané (Tlingit for an iconic event in which a crest was acquired) for others beyond the clan. This series of lectures features emerging master artists and scholars who will provide us insight into the evolving thought about Northwest Coast art,” Worl said.
The series will be presented as follows:
Friday, February 28
- Jackson Polys
Returning the Gift
Jackson Polys, also known as Stephen Paul Jackson, is Tlingit of the Dakl’aweidí, Kéet Gooshí Hít. He began carving at a young age with his father, the renowned Tlingit artist Nathan Jackson. He was adopted into the Dakl’aweidí clan of the Jilkáat Kwáan. Jackson holds an MFA in visual arts, with individual and collaborative works exhibited internationally. Polys was chosen to create a bronze house post at SHI that depicts the woman who gave birth to the Raven.
Monday, March 16
- David R. Boxley
Walking in the Footsteps: An Artist’s Journey
David R. Boxley is Tsimshian of the Laxgibuu clan from Metlakatla. His Tsimshian name is Gyibaawm Laxha. Boxley is an award-winning artist who began carving as a child. As an adult, he has continued to express his love for Tsimshian culture through his art, teachings, Sm’algyax language work and cultural performances. He and his father, David A. Boxley, created the masterpiece house front in the lobby of the Walter Soboleff Building. Boxley was also chosen to create a bronze house post at SHI that depicts Txeemsm (Raven), the legendary hero of ancient Tsimshian stories.
Thursday, March 26
- Dan Monroe
New Perspectives on Northwest Coast Art and Culture
Dan Monroe was the executive director and CEO of the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) for 25 years until his retirement in 2019. He was lauded by the museum as a visionary leader who transformed PEM into an innovative, world-renowned museum of art and culture during his tenure. He also played a key role in the creation and implementation of landmark federal legislation regarding repatriation of Native American human remains and cultural items.
Tuesday, March 31
- Alison Bremner
Women in Northwest Coast Art
Alison Bremner is a Tlingit artist born and raised in Southeast Alaska. Through humor and a variety of mediums, Bremner seeks to depict the experience of the modern Native. Painting, woodcarving, and regalia are a few of the mediums the artist employs. Bremner’s work can be found in the permanent collections of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, the Portland Art Museum, the British Museum, and the Musée de Boulogne-sur-Mer, among others.
All lectures will begin at 12 pm at SHI’s Walter Soboleff Building, 105 S. Seward St. in Juneau. The lectures will be videotaped and posted on SHI’s YouTube channel.
Sealaska Heritage Institute is a private nonprofit founded in 1980 to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska. Its goal is to promote cultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding through public services and events. SHI also conducts social scientific and public policy research that promotes Alaska Native arts, cultures, history and education statewide. The institute is governed by a Board of Trustees and guided by a Council of Traditional Scholars, a Native Artist Committee and a Southeast Regional Language Committee.
CONTACT: Amy Fletcher, SHI Media and Publications Director, 907.586.9116, amy.fletcher@sealaska.com.
