Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference, 2009

The 2009 Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference just wrapped up (June 12-16). Before all the dust settles, I wanted to congratulate K-Bay Campus of UAA Director Carol Swartz, all the faculty, and the attendees for another successful year.

The summer is full of writers' conferences. You can head to NYC, Sewanee, New England, even Hawaii to hone your craft with writers of record. However, I have come to appreciate the K-Bay Conference for a number of reasons.

First, it is in a place of matchless beauty. Homer and the surrounding Kachemak Bay area is one of the most breathtaking locations to spend time. I hit Homer 4-6 times a year. I've spent the New Year there, spring, fishing season, and fall. It is always restorative -- yes, even in that temperate rainforest drizzle.

Second, the community itself is extraordinarily supportive of the conference, and the life of the arts, culture, and humanities in general. The Pratt Museum has won a national award and the Bunnell Street Art Gallery (er, Art Center) is one of the best in the state. It seems like half of the places in town host First Fridays. A number of well-known artists and writers with national reputations live or have lived in the area: Jewel, Tom Bodett, Ron Senungetuk, Daniel Coyle, Dana Stabenow.

Third, and this is not to be underestimated, Homer is a quirky place. It brings together crusty fishermen, eco-tourists, Spit rats, socialists, libertarians (the first elected to a state legislature), ocean kayakers, and some of the best bakeries I've ever been to (why can't we get this in Anchorage?). Oh, and one of best boutiques anywhere -- Home Jeans. Quirkiness is another word for interesting. Supposedly, Homer was a model for the TV show 'Northern Exposure.' I can believe it.

Finally, the K-Bay Writers' Conference itself. This is a signature Homer event, meaning that it is laid-back, with less attitude and more real interaction amongst attendees and faculty. This cannot be stressed enough. I've been to three of them, so far, and have observed an unheard of access to the keynote speakers, for example. This is a small thing, but it points to a larger 'friendliness' and supportive atmosphere that makes this conference stand out. It is truly enjoyable.

This rubs off on the keynoters, like Li-Young Lee this year. He is clearly a shy person (same with Annie Lamott, last year), but folks made him feel comfortable. His opening talk at Land's End was one of the most substantive talks on the philosophy behind writing that I've heard anywhere -- and what he said was largely off-the-cuff. Same thing with the public reading at Homer High on Saturday night. Li-Young buried his face in his books and notebooks, but read so well, and with such a mellifluous voice, that I heard people around me weeping.

I heard some grumblings when Li-Young Lee was announced. Clearly, he is not as well-known outside of writers' circles as some of the other K-Bay keynoters. Now that I've read all four of his poetry collections, I see why he is considered a writer's writer (a poet's poet?). It is clear that his best poems will be read for generations. I'm not sure that can be said of the more pop. writers who have been at the Conference....

New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music -- Alaska

The Smithsonian is coming to Alaska.

 

The Alaska Humanities Forum is pleased to announce that the Smithsonian Institution’s ‘Museum on Main Street’ program ­ is coming to Alaska for the first time ever. The exhibit, titled “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music”, features blues, gospel, bluegrass, folk, and, for the first time in MoMS history, traditional Alaska Native cultural music, as a locally-developed part of the program.

 

From www.museumonmainstreet.org

 

Listen to America's music and hear the story of freedom. It's the story of people in a New World places they have left behind, and ideas they have brought with them. It is the story of people who were already here, but whose world is remade. The distinct cultural identities of all of these people are carried in song -- both sacred and secular. Their music tracks the unique history of many peoples reshaping each other into one incredibly diverse and complex people -- Americans. Their music is the roots of American music.

 

Museum on Main Street is collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and Federation of State Humanities Councils. It is designed to bring the highest quality exhibitions to smaller museums that normally would not be able to access the international-class resources of the Smithsonian Institution. Small museums provide programming and content on the local perspective and that material becomes incorporated in the larger national travelling exhibition.

 

After a competitive national application, the Alaska Humanities Forum was awarded “New Harmonies” for 2009. Almost twenty small or rural Alaska museums applied to participate. After a highly competitive statewide process, four museums in disparate communities were selected: the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository, Kodiak; the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center, Haines; the Dorothy G. Page Museum and Historic Town Site, Wasilla; and the Pratt Museum, Homer.

 

“New Harmonies: Alaska” kicks off with the official opening reception 4-6 pm, Friday, May 1 at the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository, 215 Mission Road, in Kodiak. Opening performances include the choir of St. Herman’s Russian Orthodox Seminary and local Sugpiat drummers and dancers. Educational programming over the course of the exhibition in Kodiak include local folk music histories, historic instruments, Native drum making classes for children and adults, and Alutiiq singing classes. For more information, visit www.alutiiqmusuem.org.

 

“‘New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music’” is an opportunity for Alaskans to tell their history and their story through the music that moves us,” says Dr. G. W. Kimura, President and CEO of the Alaska Humanities Forum. “This is a tremendous honor for Alaska to be awarded this Smithsonian Exhibition.

It is a great chance for us to show the rest of the US our distinctive Alaskan culture – in all its diversity – through the wonderful music we all enjoy.”

 

The exhibition schedule is as follows. Visit the museum websites for more details of local activities and programs to accompany “New Harmonies.” Also visit www.akhf.org for more information and the “New Harmonies: Alaska” page on Facebook (www.facebook.org) for updates, or call the Alaska Humanities Forum at 907/272-5341.

 

·      Alutiiq Museum, Kodiak (www.alutiiqmuseum.org) -- 4.28 - 6.6

 

·      Sheldon Museum, Haines (www.sheldonmuseum.org) -- 6.26 ~ 8.8

 

·      Page Museum, Wasilla  (www.cityofwasilla.com/museum)-- 8.24 ~ 10.30

 

·      Homer (www.prattmuseum.org) -- 11.13 ~ 12.30

 

The Museum on Main Street “New Harmonies” exhibition in Alaska is made possible through generous support from the Alaska Humanities Forum, the Harper Arts Touring Fund of Rasmuson Foundation, Lynden, and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES).

Acting NEH Chair Carole Watson

Acting NEH Chair Carole Watson addressed a group of state humanities councils advocates in the Montpelier Room, Madison Building, Library of Congress at the annual 'Humanities on the Hill' reception, Monday, March 2.

Amongst those in attendance were Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin; David Ramseur, chief of staff for Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska; and Jeremy Bernard, NEH Director of White House and Congressional Affairs. Text is below:

Remarks by NEH Acting Chairman Carole Watson
March 2, 2009
Welcome to Washington.
I want to start with a thank you.
Thank you staff and members of the national network of state humanities councils for coming to Washington - as you do each and every year - to make the case for the humanities. I want you to know how much we appreciate your efforts.
I stand proudly before you as NEH's Acting Chairman. And my pride stems not just from the honor I feel to have been charged by President Obama to lead the agency in the coming weeks and months, but also because I absolutely know the Endowment and its achievements. And for years I also have closely followed the work that you do - in all its amazing variety.
I know - and you know - that this work is critically important for the health of our democratic society. The work that you do has value, certainly beyond the number of jobs that it can generate: the families, students, teachers that you reach, the programs that enable citizens to reflect on and to discuss the most pressing issues of the day, the programs that help us to understand our place in the world and in the flow of human history, the programs that help us understand our nation's culture and its history. I proclaim the value of this work as we embark on the adventure of a new presidential administration.
NEH is proud of programs you mount for the people of your state, but we are also proud of something else -- the amazing capacity state councils have developed over the years -- to make the humanities available literally to every corner of and community in this country. (And, to every Congressional district, I might add.) You do this - through a process of local decision-making about what is actually needed and where. The network that state councils individually and collectively represent, and that capacity to deliver on this public good, is part of the story you will be telling tomorrow.
In the Chairman's Office at NEH - 44 years later - is a framed photograph of President Lyndon Johnson, taken on the occasion when he signed our founding legislation into law. Surely, President Johnson was convinced then - as later Presidents have been - that the humanities are important not only in the American academy but also as an active force in the nation's civic life.
The words in the document that President Johnson signed are profound and still inspire today. You know them: The Congress finds and declares, "The arts and the humanities belong to all the people of the United States." And: "Democracy demands wisdom and vision in its citizens."
That means: people of all ages, people of all income levels, all people everywhere. That means, in good economic times and in the midst of dire economic crisis, such as we are living through today. The Endowment can and does do its part, but the statement about reaching all the people of the United States has special relevance when we at NEH think of our partnership with you.
While state councils have gone from strength to strength - intellectually, creatively, institutionally - as you define ways to best serve the people of your states, the stresses of recent years have made your lives quite difficult. I am fully aware of the severe financial strains you've endured in recent years. And tonight, I want to reassure you about the stability of your federal funding from NEH - and that the Endowment's commitment to the state humanities councils is firm. In addition, I am very hopeful about increased financial support of our work in the near future.
In light of that, I hope that you are aware - and fully appreciate - the role that the Federation has played consistently in bringing your case to all parties that matter, including at the NEH. I hope you know that that has not always been easy. I especially want to thank Willis Lott, Paul Hunter, Esther Mackintosh, and John Matthews for the advocacy role they have played both inside and outside the Endowment. And special thanks also to Joe Kelly for his leadership of the Federation's Legislative Committee.
Let me take the opportunity to introduce NEH's new Director of White House and Congressional Affairs, Jeremy Bernard. I have every confidence in him and hope you will take the opportunity to meet him this evening. Let me also acknowledge your other internal NEH advocates, Edie Manza, Kathleen Mitchell, and Dwan Reece.
So, I believe that you have a great case to present to your representatives tomorrow. Good luck with your visits. Thank you.

FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL, NEW YORK CITY

Dateline: NYC

On Tuesday, February 17, New Yorkers were treated to a sneak preview of FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL: ENDING JIM CROW IN ALASKA. The film, supported by a number of organizations including the Alaska Humanities Forum, previewed at the Cantor Film Center at New York University's famed film school. 

Produced and directed by long-time Alaskan Jeff Silverman, FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL recounts the history of Alaska's struggle for civil rights. Legislation passed by the Territorial Legislature and signed by Governor Ernest Gruening in 1946 was the first civil rights/anti-discrimination law in the United States -- beating the New York State Legislature by a mere two weeks and the U.S. Congress by nearly two decades.

Silverman's film tells the story in a combination of first-person narrative and historical reconstruction with Alaskan actors. I was able to attend and help introduce the film and, at several points in it, turned around in the theatre to see people weeping as the story progressed.

FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL is Silverman's first film for national release, and is scheduled to show on PBS in November in conjunction with American Indian/Alaska Native Month. I see the long-term value of the film in Alaska as a resource for students and citizens to reflect on how the Alaskan story of civil rights anticipated and prefigured the US story, and how, in this way, the Alaskan story speaks to the larger American story of struggling with race, identity, respect, and tolerance.

Perhaps the most stirring part of the evening, post-fim came during the q and a when Alaskan actor and Native Alan Hayton, who portrayed Roy Peratrovich spoke about the impact of the film and his pride in the accomplishments of people like Roy, Elizabeth Peratrovich, and others, who paved the way for all Alaskans today. Bravo!

Drivers of the Alaska Economy -- ISER report

Back in 2008 (December), I heard a presentation by Prof. Scott Goldsmith of the Institute of Social and Economic Research reviewing this new study.

This is the best nontechnical summary of the dynamics of the contemporary Alaskan economy, examining everything from the role of petroleum to congressional earmarks. It should be required reading for every Alaskan and for folks in the Lower 48 who are quick to criticise our state.


Back to basics: ISER study analyzes drivers of Alaska economy
By: Staff Dec 19, 2008
‘30,000-foot’ view shows feds, oil industry fuel 2/3rds of all economic activityANCHORAGE, AK – A new study of the Alaska economy by the UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research is unlike any previous study because it analyzes the underlying drivers of the economy to find out what makes it tick.According to an ISER summary (PDF) of the study, “Instead of looking just at jobs in a specific activity – seafood processing, for instance – we allocate all the jobs throughout the economy to the basic sectors that support them. The method gives a clearer picture of the structure of the economy, but it may produce different numbers than other methods.” Said Scott Goldsmith, an ISER economist who led the study and authored the 140-page report, “Structural Analysis of the Alaska Economy: What are the Drivers? (PDF)”:“To my knowledge, it’s the first study that’s looked from 30,000 feet at the whole economy and asked the questions, What are all the drivers of the economy, and how important is each one, and by implication, what might we expect in the future from each of these drivers – which ones are likely to stagnate, which ones are likely to grow, which ones can we foster growth in by some set of policies? Consequently, where are our opportunities? Where are our constraints?”Taking the broadest analytical view is to return to a fundamental economic question: What brings money into the state, and what economic (multiplier) effects does that money have? The study finds that 14 sectors and industries – private and public, large and small – drive Alaska’s economy. Often the number of Alaskans they employ directly is small compared with the number of jobs they support indirectly. Remove any one, and the economy would contract by a certain percentage. What makes the economy tick – what fuels 2/3rds of all economic activity in the state – are the United States government’s spending in Alaska through both defense and non-defense agencies (fueling 35 percent of the state’s economy), and the petroleum industry (31 percent), according to the study.If there were no oil industry in Alaska, there would be nearly 108,000 fewer jobs in the state, and Alaskans as a whole would be earning almost $7 billion less, according to the study. For the federal government, the numbers are larger still: Without Uncle Sam, nearly $10 billion in personal income and 131,000 jobs would disappear. (These are 2005 figures. Averaged over the years 2004-2006, the petroleum sector was responsible for 110,000 jobs, the feds 125,000.)Each of the two major sectors currently are contributing less to the Alaska economy than previously because of lower oil prices and shrinking federal spending in Alaska. But the state can still weather the current U.S. recession, providing the recession doesn’t last for too long, Goldsmith said.What cushions Alaska is “a lot of money in the bank,” he said.The study is part of a new ISER initiative, “Investing for Alaska’s Future,” funded by a grant from Northrim Bank and in partnership with the UA Foundation. It is the first of several reports on the Alaska economy to help Alaskans understand it and plan for the future. A podcast of Scott Goldsmith discussing the state economy is available on the UAA Web site.

US News and World Report article mentions 'Alaska's Statehood Experience' grant programme

The upcoming 'Year in Review' issue of US News and World Report includes an article on Alaska's 50th anniversary of statehood.

The article, titled '50 Ways to Improve Your Life in 2009: Visit Alaska', mentions 'Alaska's Statehood Experience' $1 million grant program, a partnership between AKHF and Rasmuson Foundation. The article also includes a quote from President/CEO Dr. Greg Kimura on the rich cultural diversity Alaska brings to the US context.

The US News and World Report 'Year in Review Edition' is available now in digital edition form, and will be available at newsstands Monday, December 22. The article may be found at:

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/50-ways-to-improve-your-life/2008/12/18/visit-alaska.html

Baranov's Castle

Check out this trailer for a video supported by funds from the Alaska Humanities Forum/NEH. 

Giinaquq -- Like a Face, Pt. II

'Giinaquq - Like a Face' is the historic exhibit on the return of Sugpiak/Alutiiq masks to Alaska from Chateau Musee in Bologne sur Mer, France. It is currently showing at the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, but will transfer to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center, Oct. 12-Jan. 4, 2009 (just in time for AFN, which will be held in Anchorage this year).

From the Exhibition brochure: 'In 1871 a young Frenchman traveled to Alaska to study Native cultures. Alphonse Pinart spent the winter on Kodiak Island, visiting Alutiiq villages by kayak. During his journeys, Pinart collected Alutiiq objects, including 70 ceremonial masks. Pinart recognized both the artistic and cultural value of these rare religious objects, recording the names and songs associated with many. He eventually deposited the collection in a small French Museum -- the Chateau Musee in Boulogne-sur-Mer -- where it miraculously survived two world wars. Pinart's collection contains the largest known set of Alutiiq masks, carved in the traditional style, by some of the last artists to learn their trade through apprenticeship. For Alutiiqs, these masks are an unmatched store of ancestral information and inspiration.'

The Alaska Humanities Forum recognizes the immense importance of the return of these masks -- and this historic exhibit. (I was honored to attend the opening of the exhibit in Kodiak, which was a truly moving experience.) Now even more Alaskans will be able to see these masks as they travel to Anchorage. 

AKHF sponsored a couple of media pieces in conjunction with 'Giinaquq'. One is an hour-long radio documentary, produced by two-time Peabody-winning producer  Dmae Roberts, which ran on public radio. The other is a short video by Earthsongs titled 'Coming Home: The Return of the Alutiiq Masks.'

Check out the video at: http://www.earthsongs.net/cominghome/index.html

More info about the masks and exhibits at: http://www.alutiiqmuseum.org 

and http://www.anchoragemuseum.org

Chairman Cole and 'Picturing America'

The Alaska Humanities Forum was also honored to host Dr. Bruce Cole, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Mrs. Doreen Cole, and Ms. Mindy Berry and Ms. Annie Hsiao from the NEH Washington, D.C. office.

Chairman Cole visited Alaska during the third week of August. It was his first visit to the state in his six years as head of the NEH. Alaska did not disappoint!

Amongst the highlights of the visit was a dinner train ride with other foundation leaders along the picturesque Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet (Alaska's version of the PCH -- see picture above off the caboose, with Annie, Mindy, and Doreen) and a whale- watching/glacier- viewing tour of Resurrection Bay on the Kenai Peninsula. Chairman and Mrs. Cole witnessed a rare superpod of over 30 orcas -- no doubt chasing the famous Seward coho salmon!

The Chairman visited numerous NEH partners, attended the University of Alaska, Anchorage College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Convocation where he announced a $500,000 challenge grant awarded to the 49th State Fellows program, and delivered a lecture on 'Informed Patriotism' at UAA. AKHF Board Director Dr. Doug North, President of Alaska Pacific University, graciously hosted a pre-lecture reception at his home. Many guests from across Alaska's cultural and humanities community were in attendance. They were treated to good company and stunning views of the Chugach Range.

Chairman Cole was visiting Alaska principally to promote his 'Picturing America' initiative. He held a media event with past AKHF Board Director Carol Comeau of the Anchorage School District at College Gate Elementary (above). All the Anchorage School District schools are participating in 'Picturing America', as is much of the rest of the state. With the next phase of 'Picturing America' awards taking place, it is quite possible that every public school and library in the state could take part.

'Picturing America' is an innovative and exciting program, featuring forty iconic images of US artworks, along with an instruction guide and website with suggestions for using these artworks to teach across grade levels and subjects. Every teacher I have spoken with is thrilled about these high-quality posters and resources and how they can be incorporated into classroom teaching.

to find out more visit www.picturingamerica.neh.gov

A True American Hero

The Alaska Humanities Forum was privileged to host Sen. Daniel K. Inouye and his wife Irene Hirano Inouye for a cultural tour of Anchorage on August 4.

Senator Inouye is the third most senior member of the U.S. Senate. He is renowned for his record as a legislative leader, including serving on the Watergate Committee and as Chairman of the Iran-Contra Committee.

In the Japanese American community, he is nothing less than a living legend and a true American hero. Senator Inouye was a member of the storied 'Go for Broke' 442 Regimental Combat Team during WWII. The 442nd, which was comprised of Japanese Americans, fought valiantly in the European theatre while their relatives were locked up behind the barbed wire of America internment camps in their own country. The 442nd is probably best remembered for rescuing the 'Lost Battalion' from Texas, which was surrounded by German forces in the Vosges Mountains of France, in one of the bloodiest battles of the War. The 442nd suffered over 400 casualties -- nearly half its roster -- rescuing the 230 members of the Lost Battalion. The 442nd became the most decorated unit in US military history. Senator Inouye lost his right arm in 1945 fighting near San Terenzo, Italy. His Congressional Medal of Honor Citation states: 'With complete disregard for his personal safety, Second Lieutenant Inouye crawled up the treacherous slope to within five yards of the nearest machine gun and hurled two grenades, destroying the emplacement. Before the enemy could retaliate, he stood up and neutralized a second machine gun nest. Although wounded by a sniper's bullet, he continued to engage other hostile positions at close range until an exploding grenade shattered his right arm. Despite intense pain, he refused evacuation and continued to direct his platoon until enemy resistance was broken and his men were again deployed in defensive positions.'

Senator Inouye's story was featured in the Ken Burns PBS series 'The War.'

Mrs. Inouye recently retired after twenty years as head of the Japanese American National Museum, in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. During her tenure, the Museum went through two expansions, and built a gorgeous new modernist Pavilion. She serves as vice chair of the National Association of American Museums and is a board director of the Ford Foundation and Kresge Foundation.

During their cultural tour of Anchorage, Sen. and Mrs. Inouye were given a back-of-house tour of the new Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center (see picture above). They were also treated to a private showing of the First Friday exhibition of Sonya Kelliher-Combs recent work at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art. That showing was led by Sonya herself and gallery director Julie Decker. Later that evening, they were treated to a private tour of the Alaska Native Heritage Center, with performances by several Alaskan traditional dancers. A reception to celebrate the Inouye's visit was also held (see picture with Sen. Inouye, Mrs. Inouye, and Catherine Stevens).