In Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, the Anchorage Museum displays a combination of history, art, science, and culture to provide of deep understanding of the human experience. Since it’s opening in 1968, the museum has continued to grow into a cornerstone in the community of Anchorage. Through its emphasis on culture, art, history, science, and the environment this well-rounded learning center shows the diversity of Alaska. The mission of the museum is to connect visitors by enlarging their perspectives of the world, which then adds to the dialogue of the conversation about the North and it’s environment.
Through a variety of permanent, and temporary exhibits the story of Alaska is told through interactive and knowledge filled displays. As a recognized center for scholarship and investigation of Alaska, the variety of exhibits give a diverse representation of the culture within the North.
Some of the exhibits include Alaska Native Culture, Alaska Exhibition, Terra Installation, Dolastallat, Camouflage: In Plain Sight, and Portraits of Place: The Artic in Photographs. The permanent exhibit of Alaska Native Cultures, displays more than 600 objects selected to represent and interpret the culture of the northern state from the Smithsonian collections. Another permanent display is the Alaska exhibition, which is focused on highlighting the diversity within the state. By using different perspectives the exhibit explores the environmental history and allows visitors to engage with the culture of Alaska. Currently at the museum is the Terra Installation, which is a project that is uses off-the-shelf-technology to explore the Artic and provide education and exploration about the environment. The Dolastallat exhibit is currently running at the museum, which is a video created by Marja Helander. It uses film to playfully contrast the differences between modern culture and Sami heritage. The past exhibit of Camouflage: In Plain Sight explored the contrast between cultural and functional through the topics of history, fashion, art, design, technology, and popular culture. Using these lenses the exhibit highlighted how things work to be seen and unseen. Another display from the previous year is Portraits of Place: The Artic in Photographs, this exhibit used photos to represent the colours, landscape, and complexities of the North.
There are many different events offered at the Anchorage Museum throughout the year that encourage the community to become involved with the educational center. Some of these events include the Anchorage Museum Gala, Lunch on the Lawn, and Design Weekend Anchorage. The Anchorage Museum Gala is a night of focusing on the Northern culture, art, history, and science during this elegant evening. During this intimate event, it is possible to mingle with artists over champagne and dinner while biding on original art pieces. Lunch on the Lawn is a free family event, which includes live music. It runs throughout the entire summer and has new, fun, and educational activities every week. The Design Weekend Anchorage is an event that focuses on using creativity in the community. Filled with local and international designers, participants can explore the way that design affects products and building ideas. Outside of exhibits the museum aims to provide events and classes to encourage the love of learning.
The Anchorage Museum is dedicated to offering educational programs and summer camps to encourage learning. The aim of these innovative courses is to inspire both youth and adults in classes of science, art, and culture. There are classes that such as Homesteading 101 and others that specialize in educating adults on various topics such as history, astronomy, and figuring drawing for those interested in learning about art. In Urban Homesteading 101, it is possible to learn about traditional skills such as food preservation, clothes mending, tool usage, leatherwork, and butchering in historical and modern contexts. During summer, children are welcome to the Anchorage Museum to participate in summer camps. The program allows campers to learn about science, technology, and the arts through imagination and exploration of the facility.
Through the different educational programs and diverse collection within the institution, the Anchorage Museum strives to tell the story of Alaska. By providing authentic exhibits, real stories & perspectives, and an emphasis on art, history, culture, and science visitors have an in-depth educational experience. Along with educating on the past, the museum brings contemporary issues to light, making it a more than just a center for education. It is also a hub for dialogue about relevant topics that impact the population within Alaska, and emphasizes the perspectives of voices within the community.
