MUSEUMS
Alaska Native Arts Gallery
Alaska Native Arts Foundation is a non-profit organisation that strives to support artists within their community. The gallery, run by Trina Landlord, therefore plays an important role in promoting Alaskan Native artworks that are incredibly unique. For centuries, Alaskan indigenous people have been sustained by the land, yet they have also channelled their creativity by using the gifts of the land to depict the world around them. Their hugely resourceful approach to life is demonstrated in their art: carvings formed by using ivory walrus tusks, sculptures made from whale bones and basket sown by beachgrass.
Arctic Rose Gallery & Art Center
This is a collaborative project curated by artists Jana Latham, Jon and Jona Van Zyle as well as 10 other creative members in downtown Anchorage. At the heart of the retail gallery’s enterprise is to instil a passion for art in Anchorage. Jon Van Zyle is a prominent painter in this state, distilling the essence of Alaskan landscape and its wildfire in his indelible watercolour paintings. He has also been inducted into the Iditarod Hall of Fame, having been the official painter of The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race since 1979. Jona, meanwhile, is a versatile artist most well-known for her Alaskan pictures made outs of beads.
Bunnell Street Arts Center
This creative hub is a real gem in the midst of the stunning Kachemak bay and Kenai mountains. It is a non-profit multidisciplinary arts organisation, situated in the historic Inlet Trading Post building. It is truly embedded in the community, playing a pivotal role in the revitalising of the Old Town in Homer. Bunnell Street Arts Center promotes both visual and performing arts, coordinating lectures, plays, exhibitions, workshops and Artists in Schools. Yet at the core of the arts organisation is the Artist in Residence programme, held three to five times a year.
International Gallery of Contemporary Art
IGCA is a modern and innovative gallery exhibiting experimental art that provides a crucial space in Alaska for discussions concerning contemporary art. It is brimming with creativity, engendering a communal ethos, as the trendy gallery houses numerous exhibitions spaces and artist studios. Importantly IGCA is a non-profit organisation, so therefore artists are actively encouraged to experiment and to push the boundaries without being hindered by any commercial pressures. This is exemplified in their monthly exhibitions, whereby artists demonstrably revel in this creative environment.
University of Alaska Museum of the North
The mere exterior of the museum is eye-catching because of its distinctive award-winning architecture. Inspired by the Pritzker Prize–winning architect Frank Gehry, the building evokes the shape of Alaska’s rugged rural scenery. However, once you enter the museum, you will be confronted by an abundance of historical objects and artworks, which all collectively depicts Alaska’s history as being culturally rich and diverse. For the devotees of contemporary art, the Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery on the top floor is place to go. Interestingly, the gallery juxtaposes the traditional with the contemporary, as it makes a concerted effort to highlight Alaska’s different cultures as being all on the same footing aesthetically.
Alaska House Art Gallery
This log house is an aesthetic sanctuary that promotes and conserves Alaskan art. This culturally significant gallery was established by Joe and Claire Fejes. The latter, although born in New York, became a renowned oil painter in Alaska. She was inspired by the beguiling surroundings and the Native people living in the area. After she died, it was decided by the family that the gallery should be reopened. The current owner is Claire’s daughter Yolande, who actually grew up in the log house. Yolande felt compelled to uphold her mother’s legacy, so therefore there is a considerable collection of art by Claire Fejes at the gallery.
Alaska Robotics Gallery
Alaska Robotics is simultaneously a comic bookshop and an art gallery. The store in Juneau demonstrates that comic books are a manifestation of artistic expression. For some mistakenly believe that graphic novels are solely confined to the genre of superhero fiction. Yet Alaska Robotics are keen to broaden the appeal of graphic novels by illustrating its richness as a form of visual art. The gallery itself is still in its infancy – just two years old – yet it certainly looks set to have a bright future. It features illustrations by Pat Race, the owner of Alaska Robotics, as well as other local and national artists.
Annie Kaill’s
Annie Kaill’s premier fine art and craft gallery has demonstrated its longevity in the capital city of Alaska, as it has been running for over 35 years now. Furthermore, Annie Kaill’s has managed to maintain its relevance, as conveyed by the fact that it received the award for ‘Best Gallery in Alaska’ from The American Art Awards this year. It is easy to see why, particularly as the gallery represents many reputable Alaskan artists.
Pratt Museum
The award-winning Pratt Museum is primarily concerned with exploring the dynamic relationship between human beings and the environment. The museum invites visitors on a jaunt through the natural history of Kachemak Bay, conveying how the evolution of people and the area are very much intertwined. It also possesses a respectable permanent collection of local artists, showcasing a range of artists inspired by the natural world around them such as Susie Silook’s ivory artworks.
Anchorage Museum
Anchorage Museum views Alaska through the spectrum of art, history and science. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the whole state. The museum seeks to survey the history of Alaska, as symbolised by its current exhibition Re/Marks that chronicles the evolution of contemporary Alaskan Native art from the 1970s to today. Yet this is only the tip of the iceberg as there are many exciting events to look forward to. For example, there is the exhibition in October Brick by Brick created by Nathan Sawaya and Mike Stimpson that highlight the potential of Lego bricks as a learning tool with ‘artistic, scientific, technological, engineering and mathematical applications’.
MARKETS
Minnie Street Flea Market
There are some awesome antiques at the Minnie Street Flea Market in Fairbanks.
Alaska State Fair Flea Market
The State Fair is held every year in Palmer and also hosts an annual Flea Market filled with thousands of goods and antiques just waiting for you to snag them up!
Alaska Market and Festival
People come together from all around town to sell their new and used goods to the public. Located right in the heart of Downtown Anchorage, open every weekend all summer long, this is a great place to score some awesome goods or just grab a bite to eat!
American Legion Flea Market
The American Legion Flea Market is in Seward Alaska and is open April-September, make sure to plan a trip!
Fairbanks Flea Market
Hosted at the Tanana Valley Fairgrounds in Fairbanks, the new and used market is open every month and offers everything from sportswear to hand crafted homemade jewelry.
Grazing Moose Summer Market
Every year across from the city hall in Seward, the Grazing Moose Summer Market brightens up the streets with goods and merchandise from the locals around town. As a newer festival, the market grows in size every year bringing you new and exciting booths to browse through on a warm summer day.
Ice Flea Market
The Ice Flea Market is held in Fairbanks during the warmer months on Thursday-Sunday. They have gorgeous wind chimes that would brighten up any back deck!
Ozarks
Ozarks is located in Anchorage and has a huge selection of merchandise from old, antique chairs and furnishings to stylish clothes and jewelry. It’s a must-visit flea market any time of year, just make sure you stop in for a visit!
PARKS
Chugach State Park
One of the largest state parks in America, Chugach State Park has an extensive ocean shoreline, an array of lakes, huge glaciers and ice fields. With a large variety of plants and wildlife including moose, brown bears, wolves and mountain goats, this spectacular park is ideal for tourists who are hoping to catch magnificent wild animals on camera in their natural surroundings. With over 280 miles of trails, Chugach State Park is sure to offer tourists breath taking views of Alaska.
Denali State Park
Described as one of North America‘s most spectacularly beautiful regions, Denali State Park is incredibly popular with tourists. Providing visitors with a variety of recreational opportunities, such as roadside camping and wilderness exploration, this spectacular park boasts views of the lake and a long range of peaks. With a cloak of snow all year round, as well as valley glaciers and steep ice-carved gorges, Denali State Park is truly magnificent.
Wood-Tikchik State Park
The largest state park in Alaska at an impressive 1.6 million acres, Wood-Tikchik State Park provides beautiful views of the lakes and forest. Created with the effort to protect the area’s fish and wildlife breeding, this park has a low-impact camping philosophy due to its rustic park facilities. With spired peaks and high alpine valleys, as well as a large array of wildlife including moose, caribou and brown bears, Wood-Tikchick State Park is the ultimate place to visit for lovers of nature.
Point Bridget State Park
Boasting meadows, cliffs, salmon spawning streams and rocky beaches, Point Bridget State Park has much to offer. With spectacular views of the sea, meadows and an open forest, tourists are given the opportunity to go skiing and snowshoeing, making for a perfect weekend away. Also offering wildlife, such as brown and black bears, Point Bridget State Park offers outstanding vistas of the Alaska landscape.
Kachemak Bay State Park
Alaska’s first state park and only wilderness park, Kachemak Bay State Park has an impressive reputation due to its 400,000 acres of mountains, glaciers, forests and ocean. With constantly changing weather patterns, the park provides an unpredictable and exhilarating experience for tourists. The park is also a critical habitat area and supports many species of marine life, giving visitors the opportunity to spot sea otters, porpoise and whales.
