Embedded Files
My name is Theresa Woldstad, I am a Wildlife Biologist and Indigenous Artist. My maternal family is from the Montana Flathead Reservation and I am Bitterroot Salish and Kootenai. However, my mother and I were born and raised in Alaska. As such my mother and I are enrolled in the Ketchikan Indian Community in Alaska.
Most of my indigenous artwork is influenced by the many Alaska Native Elders and Artisans that I have studied under. As such my art style is diverse and encompasses numerous cultural groups; Inupiat, Yupik, Athabascan, Alutiiq, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian.
Alaskan Masks
Alaskan Masks
Sculptures
Sculptures
Alaskan Beading
Alaskan Beading
Woven Baskets
Woven Baskets
Woven Hats
Woven Hats
Woven Balls
Woven Balls
Regalia
Regalia
Button Blankets
Button Blankets
Digital Art
Digital Art
“There is an art to science and a science to art; both are distinct, yet both flourish together”
I possess two masters degrees, the first is a MS in Wildlife Biology and the second is a MFA in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Native Arts from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. This blending of academic cultures has greatly influenced my art as I try to view indigenous art as both analogous yet distinct from the scientific community.
When I was born, my father was so nervous he started reciting Alaska commercial fishing and hunting regulations to my mother. It was an interesting start to career in Alaskan Fish and Wildlife. Yet despite my wacky love of fisheries and wildlife research, it was an interest in natural resource laws and permitting that truly drew me to the arts.
Native Arts is unique in the art world as it incorporates many natural resources that are often harvested from personal and subsistence hunting, fishing, and gathering. From ptarmigan feathers to deer toes, many of these non-edible byproducts are used to create beautiful pieces of fine art. Yet, there are additional permits and regulations an Native Artist must follow beyond the simple consumption of wild food. Navigating these ambiguous regulations became an hobby of mine which later inspired me to obtain both my MS in Wildlife and MFA with an emphasis in Native Arts.
Photography was one of the first art forms that I explored. As a fisheries technician and later a biologist I was able to travel to many remote areas across Alaska. For over twenty years (1998 to 2018) I documented my work, life, and fellow neighbors at the field camps. Many of the photographs celebrate the grandeur of the Alaskan landscape and the diverse wildlife.
Field research is an important aspect of fish and wildlife management in Alaska. Yet many of my photos show the quirky side of field research. Just one series of photos shows my coworkers and I pouring over a thousand orange dyed smolts from five gallon buckets into the river to estimate trap efficiency to assess sockeye smolt out-migration for run reconstruction.
Landscape
Flowers
Its a Weird Weir World
Alaskan Wildlife
Page updated
Report abuse