Allie High: Sanctuary
February 26-April 23, 2022
About This Exhibit
Sanctuary is an exhibition of masks and painted works on wood and canvas by Allie High (Tsimshian, Haida, Alutiiq) and the second exhibit in Sheldon Jackson Museum's Alaska Native Solo Show Series.
Artist Talk
Allie High gave an opening reception artist talk on Zoom on February 26, 2023.
Artist's Statement
My art is a direct reflection of my Tsimshian, Haida and coastal Alutiiq cultures. It is my goal to build upon traditional art symbols and motifs to further define the contemporary world and share the beauty of Alaska's diverse cultures through the mediums of glass, metal, wood and printmaking. In my recent works I have found a profound source of identity by merging artistic cultures.
I grew up on the lush islands of Southeast Alaska. There is an inexplicable rhythm to a life encompassed by water and towering forests. My young world was boardwalk streets, limited dirt roads, droning float planes, buzzing chain saws and the ever-present rain percolating down to the deep forest floor.
My artistic journey has also been influenced by my art teaching career. I love the uninhibited, playful freedom of children of all ages. I have sought to curate my art images through the lens of a child - the rainbow beauty of the scales on a fish, the light glinting off the waves, the magnificence of a whale breaching, the weightiness of bears lumbering through the woods.