News Room: Announcements

Alaska Native Artist Residency Program Applications Available

The Friends of Sheldon Jackson Museum are looking for Alaska Native artists to apply to the 2019 Native Artist Residency program. This 2019 Alaska Native Artist Residency Program starts in May and ends in October.

Several residency positions are available. All residencies involve working at the museum and include artist stipends of $2,200, a food per diem to offset food costs, lodging, and travel to and from Sitka. Several of the residencies involve working with youth and two of them involve working nearly half of the time at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, adjacent to the Sheldon Jackson Museum and the other half of the time at the Sheldon Jackson Museum. All residencies are twenty-two days long. The dates of the residencies are: May 15^th and June 5^th (may involve working with youth under 18 for several days in the museum gallery); June 7^th and June 29^th (involves working at the museum and working with Sitka Fine Arts Camp middle school students); June 29^th and July 20th (involves working at the museum and with Sitka Fine Arts Camp high school students); Aug. 22 and Sept. 12^th; and Sept. 14^th and Oct. 5^th.

In 2019, the Sheldon Jackson Museum is offering a higher financial award, a stipend for food, travel to and from Sitka, and as in previous years, a Welcome Dinner with a local Welcome Committee, and paid time accessing and studying the museum’s exceptional Alaska Native ethnographic and art collection.

Artists-in-residence may focus on traditional or contemporary Native art forms including but not limited to wood carving, ivory carving, silver engraving, beading, skin, gut and fish skin sewing, drum making, and basket or textile weaving, drumming, and dancing. Outstanding beginners as well as experienced artists are welcome. Artists benefit from utilizing the museum’s collections for research and meeting visitors from around Alaska and the world and local Sitka community members while working in the museum gallery.

Individuals who wish to obtain an information packet on the Alaska Native Artist Residency Program outlining pay and benefits, position expectations, the residency schedule, and other details may call the museum at (907) 747-8981 and request a packet be emailed or mailed. The packet is also available at www.friendsofsjm.com and http://museums.alaska.gov/artist_opportunities.html .

If you have questions about the program or application, please email Jacqueline.Fernandez-Hamberg@alaska.gov or call (907) 747-8904. Applications are due Jan. 2, 2019.