Portrait of Amber Webb by Howdice Brown
Portrait of Melissa Shaginoff by Jenny Irene
ANAF is dedicated to supporting Alaska Native artists by addressing identified gaps, such as the absence of a directory for sustainable economic opportunities in Alaska’s most remote regions. ANAF brings Alaska Native art to the global marketplace by increasing awareness of the cultural expressions of Alaska’s Indigenous peoples and stimulating demand for Native works of art.
The services and opportunities ANAF provides to its diverse artist population cannot be underestimated. Many artists registered with ANAF reside in some of Alaska’s most remote and economically challenged communities. The tenacity and self-determination of these individuals, who express and share their personal and cultural information through tangible works of art, are twofold.
Erin Gingrich
2025 was a year of major growth and visibility for the Alaska Native Arts Foundation, marked by the launch of the Alaska Native Arts Directory, expanded artist outreach, and new initiatives that strengthened statewide connections and recognition. In 2026, ANAF will build on this momentum to deepen regional collaboration, expand
In 2025 the Alaska Native Arts Foundation partnered with the Anchorage Museum Seed Lab to build an Alaska Native workshop series. Workshops ran from May through November 2025 and included mask carving with David Angaiak (Yup’ik), ladle carving with Eric Hamar (Haida), moosehide medallion beading with Rochelle Adams (Gwich’in), and seal skin bowtie making. Thank you to our project
Twenty artists shared their work in the pop-up exhibit “One Night Stand” held October 16, 2025 at the Wild Birch Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska. The exhibition development was led by Drew Michael in collaboration with members of Alaska Native Arts Foundation’s steering committee (Erin Gingrich, Melissa Shaginoff, and Nadia Jackinsky-Sethi).
The Alaska Native Arts Directory was launched by the Alaska Native Arts Foundation and made possible through the guidance, partnership, and support of artists, culture-bearers, nonprofit leaders, public agencies, and organizations across Alaska, whose insight, generosity, and shared vision shaped every step of its development.