Art Show Slated
‘‘Cloaks,’’ an art show by local artists about connection and resilience, will be 7-9 p.m. Friday, May 24, in Room 103 at the Yaw Arts Center.
It is open to the public.
SJ Museum to Showcase
Native Artist Demonstrator
Artist-in-residence Alutiiq/Sugpiaq gut skin sewer and beader June Pardue will be at the Sheldon Jackson Museum through June 5.
She will work on gut skin sewing most Tuesdays through Saturdays in the museum gallery.
Pardue will give a presentation on gut skin sewing techniques 3 p.m. Saturday, May 18, and teach an intensive imitation gut skin sewing class at the museum over the course of six days.
At the end of her residency, she will give a recap talk, 3 p.m. June 1, to present what she has worked on while at the Sheldon Jackson Museum and about her experience in Sitka.
Pardue grew up in Old Harbor, Kodiak. As a child, she spent time with her mother and their neighbor, Fedosia Inga, weaving grass into baskets and other types of containers in the traditional Alutiiq/Sugpiaq styles. Over time she became one of the most highly regarded traditional Sugpiaq weavers.
An important element of Pardue’s vocation is teaching. Painfully aware that few skilled weavers remain, she has taught at numerous communities along the Aleutian, Southcentral and Southeast coastlines.
“I love teaching cultural values, particularly respect for the elders,” she said. “It’s so important to give credit to those who taught you the values of your culture, and to pass those values on to the next generation.”
Pardue’s works, created mostly from beach rye and sedge, are in the collections of the Baranof and Alutiiq museums in Kodiak, the Sheldon Jackson Museum, and numerous private collections. Museums in Anchorage and Fairbanks often sell her work.
June has been an artist demonstrator at the Sheldon Jackson Museum and at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage. She has conducted workshops on her art at numerous other places around the state. Later this year, she will be the lead teacher for the Pinguat beading project, to revitalize making beaded headdresses at the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak.
The museum invites the public to visit the Sheldon Jackson Museum to meet Pardue, learn about her art form and culture, and to visit the museum to learn about all Alaska Native cultures. Summer hours are daily 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. General admission is $7, $6 for seniors, and free for children 18 and under and for members of the Friends of Sheldon Jackson Museum and Alaska State Museum.
The Alaska Native Artist Residency Program is sponsored by the Friends of Sheldon Jackson Museum and made possible with the support of the National Geographic Lex-NG Fund, which funded the program in 2018 and 2019, the National Endowment for the Arts, Alaska Airlines, Alaska Arts Southeast Inc., other local arts organizations, volunteers, and the general public. To support the Alaska Native Artist Residency Program, call 747-6233 or visit www.friendsofsjm.com.
Vintage Longline
Gear Needed
The Sitka Maritime Heritage Society is seeking the donation or loan of a vintage set of longline gear, including bamboo flag pole, buoy and skates, for the history exhibit at the Japonski Island Boathouse.
Those who have items to donate or loan can email sitkamaritime@gmail.com or call 738-7448.
Female Leaders
Panel May 29
UAS-Sitka Campus will host its first Female Leaders Panel Discussion 6-7 p.m. May 29 at Centennial Hall, in Room 3.
Sitka’s leading women will discuss their career paths, obstacles they’ve faced, and solutions they’ve created.
Panelists will include Trish White of White’s Inc., Alana Peterson of Spruce Root, Becky Meiers of KCAW, Tracy Sylvester of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, and Dani Snyder of the Sitka Fire Department. Sarah Stanley, from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, will facilitate the discussion.
The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.
The workshop is part of UAS Sitka’s Career Development Series. For information or accommodations, contact Angela Hilsman at aehilsman@alaska.edu, or call 747-7797.
Lyme Disease
Films to Show
In observance of Lyme Disease Awareness Month in May, the Phillips family will present two movies on Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases and illness this month at Sitka Public Library.
‘‘Under Our Skin’’ will be shown 6-7:30 p.m. May 21 and the sequel, ‘‘Under Our Skin 2 Emergence’’ will show 6-7:30 p.m. May 21. Admission is free and all are invited. Printed material will be available to take home and a limited discussion is planned.
Attendees can learn about Lyme disease, possible symptoms, and the steps one may take to either mitigate a tick-borne infection, recognize a possible tick bite, and possibly prevent someone from suffering from the disease complex.
‘‘Lyme Disease is not going away,’’ a press release said. ‘‘The number of diagnosed cases has increased dramatically over the past few years and the ticks that carry Lyme disease have been identified and confirmed in Alaska in the last year.’’
