Art & Culture Expo

April 24-28th, 2017

Location: Brevig Mission

2nd Annual Expo

April 24-28th, 2017

Brevig Mission

2017 Expo Instructors:

Drew Michael- Mask-carving

Jane Lind- Theatre/Performing Arts

Karen Olanna- Muskox horn carving and linocut printmaking

Randall Jones- Ivory carving

Angela Olanna- Beading

Deb Hayes- Mosaics

Kyle Sagoonick- Ulu-making

Ryder Erickson- Acrylic painting

Celebrating Art & Culture

By Robin Child

The gym of Brevig Mission School was packed. Dancers of all ages stretched from one end of the gym to the other while the drummers of Brevig sang and pounded the beat. Behind the dancers, artwork from the week hung on the walls and stretched out on tables: landscape paintings, wooden masks, linoleum block prints, ivory whales and rings, muskox horn pendants, ulus, beaded earrings and necklaces, and props from the three plays performed for the community during the final celebration. It was a grand finale for the culminating celebration of the 2^nd Annual Art and Culture Expo, hosted by Brevig Mission School from April 24^th-28^th, 2017.

The event brought together student representatives from Golovin, Shishmaref, Savoonga, Gambell, Koyuk, Stebbins, and Teller, bilingual teachers, community members, and Brevig Mission 6-12^th grade students to participate in three whirlwind days of celebrating arts and culture. This year, seven teaching artists brought their expertise to the classrooms of Brevig: Randall Jones of Brevig Mission taught ivory carving, Karen Olanna of Nome taught printmaking and muskox horn carving, Ryder Erickson of Unalakleet taught acrylic painting, Drew Michael of Anchorage taught mask carving, Angela Olanna of Brevig Mission taught beading, Kyle Sagoonick of Koyuk taught ulu-making, Deborah Hayes of Brevig Mission taught mosaic-making, and Jane Lind, of Perryville, AK and Billings, MT, taught theatre.

Thank you to the wonderful students and teachers for your eager and passionate participation, and to the Brevig Mission School staff, student-body, and community for welcoming and helping us to put on this event! Thanks, also, to Shaelyn Shetters, Glenna Nowpakahok, and Ina Koonooka for bringing and sharing the Crankie story “The Man & the Giant”- a traditional St. Lawrence Island legend illustrated by Gambell art teacher Sally Grimsrud’s class.

1st Annual Art & Culture Expo- April 30-May 1, 2015

St. Michael

Read below for details about the 1st Art & Culture Expo in 2015:

From April 30th-May 1st 2015, students and community members of St. Michael, along with students and bilingual/bicultural teachers from Gambell, Brevig Mission, Teller, White Mountain, Koyuk, Shaktoolik, and Stebbins gathered at the Anthony Andrews School for the 1st Annual Art & Culture Expo! Students explored their creativity through a variety of mediums, tools, techniques, both contemporary and traditional, working alongside seven teaching artists for sessions in dance, acrylic painting, ulu-making, mask-carving, skin-sewing, map mural painting, and traditional games and videography.

Meet the teaching artists:

Luci Washington– St. Michael native, Luci has been an educator in the region for 20+ years. She is a valued Elder, gifted sewer, and role model for many students, staff, and community members. Students worked with Luci on a number of sewing projects- from hats and mittens, to ornaments. Along with teaching traditional skills, Luci exudes knowledge of the Yup’ik values and language, which are ever-present in her classroom.

Lawrence Pete– A self-taught ulu craftsman, Larry shared his knowledge alongside St. Michael’s shop teacher, Chase Ervin. Together students made over 100 ulus over the course of 3 days! Students learned how to shape and cut metal from saw blades, create handles, and sand and pin pieces together.

Drew Michael– Born in Bethel, raised in Anchorage, Drew shared not only his expertise in mask design and mask carving, but his own life experience and embracing of art as a catalyst to express life story. Helping students to create sketches of their ideas, learn carving techniques, students created over 50 unique palm-sized masks!

Ryder Erickson– A painter from Unalakleet with a keen interest in local scenery and traditional artifacts and ways of life, Ryder taught a course in acrylic painting via VTC (Video Tele-Conference), focusing on techniques of color-mixing, gathering references images, and using contrasting colors to create dramatic effect.

Jen Jolliff– Anchorage-based artist, Jen came to St. Michael as part of the Artist-in-Schools program (see AIS Residencies 2015), and we were lucky to include her as part of the Expo. Working with aerial images of Norton Sound, the St. Michael/Stebbins peninsula, and St. Michael, Jen worked with students to create three incredible mosaics that zooming out from St. Michael to the Seward Peninsula. Using tessellating patterns, intricate details of buildings, and icons to represent different villages, students used acrylic paint to complete the mosaics.

Nick Hanson– A top athlete and spokesperson for Inupiaq culture, Nick Hanson of Unalakleet worked with students to learn the ins and outs of Native Youth Olympic games: seal hop, one-foot high kick, two-foot high kick, one-hand reach, and stick pull. Along with the rules, he taught the stories and history behind the games. Students filmed their experience, and Nick worked to piece together a culminating film of the Expo. Stay tuned for the final version!

2015 Art & Culture Expo Instructors

Right: Luci Washington- skin sewing

Second row (from L to R)- Lawrence Pete- ulu-making, Ryder Erickson- acrylic painting, Jen Jolliff-map mosaic

Third row (from L to R)- Nick Hanson-Native games, Drew Michael-Mask-carving

At First Annual BSSD Art and Culture Expo, Creativity Connects Past and PresentYupik dance, mask making, and murals were just a few of the workshops offered at the first of what many hope will become an annual event.