News & Updates
Collaboration with Leadership Anchorage Advances Economic Impact Framework for Alaska Native Arts
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 to Alaska’s economy. Compared with industries such as tourism, fisheries, or oil and gas, the economic contribution of Alaska Native arts has often been underdocumented and difficult to quantify. This deficiency can make it more difficult to advocate for investment, expand market access, and demonstrate the broader value of Alaska Native creative work statewide and beyond. To
Red Dress Earrings Workshop Led by Mellisa Maktuayaq Johnson – May 8th, 2026
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 at the Anchorage Museum’s Seed Lab. During this workshop participants will create sealskin red dress earrings adorned with beads. The red dress is a symbol used to share visibility and bring attention to Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women. Indigenous women experience high levels of violence throughout much of North America. Alaska
Announcing 2026 Workshop series
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 series will continue with a beaded red dress earring workshop organized in partnership with MMIWG2S Alaska Working Group. In the fall, we hope host workshops focused on printmaking, bentwood technology and other topics. Stay tuned for workshop registration information. If you have an idea for a workshop topic that you
Artist Gathering at Alaska Native Heritage Center – February 2026
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 professional headshots for artists. Melissa Shaginoff, Alaska Outreach and Engagement Specialist from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, shared about opportunities for conducting research with the Smithsonian collections. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this collaboration. We hope to organize more artist gatherings in 2026.
2025 Annual Report: Building the Foundation for a Statewide Alaska Native Arts Consortium
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 artists’ participation, and advance an aspirational vision for the upcoming Alaska Native Arts Economic Summit—this conference will showcase Alaska Native art as a powerful cultural and economic force. The Alaska Native Arts Foundation (ANAF), founded in 2002, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the cultural, economic,
2025 Alaska Native Workshop Series
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 supporters for making these workshops possible: The CIRI Foundation, the Alaska Native Museum Sovereignty group (with support from the Henry Luce Foundation), and the Municipality of Anchorage! Rochelle Adams, beading workshop participant feedback: “Enaa baasee, for awonderful two days! I renewed my love for beading & Rochelle is a totally awesome