On April 19, 2022, the New York Times ran an article about the closing of the Wells Fargo Museum in Anchorage, AK. Over 1,700 items from that museum have transferred to the Alaskan Native Heritage Center, "a museum that focuses on Indigenous culture and is operated by Alaska Natives," and is also in Anchorage, according to Zachary Small's article. Some items were transferred to the Anchorage Museum as well. (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/19/arts/design/alaska-heritage-center-gift.html).
I was fortunate to be able to visit the Wells Fargo Museum in 2019, and here are a few my photos of the exhibits there.
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| Unangan Aleut twined baskets, late 19th - early 20th centuries. |
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| Cukiq, grass socks worn with mukluks. |
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| More Unangan Aleut fancy baskets and a painted wooden hat. |
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| A wooly mammoth's tusk is highlighted in the now-defunct Wells Fargo Museum's gallery. |
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The Alaska Native Heritage Center is a vibrant place where artists from throughout Alaska demonstrate their arts, from basketry to dance. It is well worth a trip if you are ever in Alaska. It will be interesting to see what new exhibits might feature items from the Wells Fargo Museum. (BBP photo 2012) Seen at the Anchorage Museum, 2019: Left, sewn and beaded detail on a fur dance parka. Below: a basketry dance fan in the hand of a dancer. The Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Anchorage Museum both have shops where authentic arts such as baskets can be purchased. |
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