Sheldon Jackson Museum: Inspired by the Masters

My work life is ideal for someone who is just starting to take art work seriously, and try to make a living as an artist. For me,  it's transitional. I work 5 months out of the year at the historic Sheldon Jackson Museum in Sitka, Alaska. Not only are the work months ideal, leaving me 7 months out of the year to create art, I get to sit among cultural treasures from all the Alaska Native groups.

It's inspiring! I've written poems in response to the artifacts I gaze upon. Some of my better ideas for art projects have come from the pieces I study while the museum gallery is empty of tourists. It's never a dull moment.

Before tourist season starts up, the seasonal staff goes to work cleaning artifacts. This is a tedious process and we must be super cautious with the more fragile objects. Some of the cleaning is a bit precarious because we use an extendable ladder to access the kayaks that hang from the ceiling. You've got to see it to appreciate the amount of care these artifacts get. Artifact cleaning allows us to get up close and personal with the objects; to see how much work and technique was involved. We begin to really appreciate the ingenuity of our forefathers.

Like I said, they are cultural treasures and we treat them as such. It is a privilege to work here! And I get inspired to create!

Below is a photo graph I took that reminded me of the Franz Boaz photo in which he reenacts the Kwakwak'wa Hamatsa ceremony.