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
The Alaska Native Arts Foundation is proud of artists and curators involved in the exhibition Qillaniq opening this week at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa. Qillaniq, an Inuktitut word describing how light from the sun or the moon shimmers brightly when reflecting on water, is co-curated by an all-Indigenous team from the
Alaska Native arts have long played a key role in communities across the state, supporting cultural continuity, artistic innovation, and local economics. Yet despite that evident impact, Alaska Native art has often been overlooked as an economic sector and has rarely been measured in ways that is reflective of its full contribution
The Alaska Native Arts Foundation is pleased to support an upcoming workshop led by Mellisa Maktuayaq Johnson: “Stitching Strength Through Threads of Awareness: Red Dress Earrings: Honoring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit relatives through beadwork, cultural knowledge, and community remembrance.” This workshop will take place May 8, 2026 from 5-7:30
The Alaska Native Arts Foundation is pleased to offer a series of Alaska Native arts workshops in 2026 thanks to generous support from the Arctic Willow Advisory Group. The workshop series will kick off in April 2026 with a seal skin slipper workshop led by Joni Spiess. In May, the workshop
In February, 2026 the Alaska Native Arts Foundation partnered with the Alaska Native Heritage Center to support an artist gathering at the Heritage Center. During the gathering photographer Chris Arend shared tips and resources on photographing art work for artist portfolios. John Hagen set up a photography station to take
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
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.