40 years ago, a tradition was transformed in order to preserve Northwest Coast heritage and strengthen the traditional arts for the future.

On September 15th, Ketchikan Museums hosted an Open House celebration to honor the Totem Heritage Center’s distinguished 40 year history. The Center opened in 1976 with the mission of preserving and strengthening Northwest Coast art, and today we celebrate carrying this knowledge for the future with the next season of Native Arts Studies Program classes.

Thank you to everyone who attended this wonderful evening of instructor demonstrations, exploration of exhibits and classrooms, information on classes and opportunities for students, conversation

and festivities! We took a look back at the very start of the Totem Heritage Center with a slideshow of photographs of the totem pole retrieval and installation, and early classes and workshops that helped foster and strengthen knowledge of traditional Northwest Coast art. Our community has many to thank for this world treasure; Native elders, Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood,

U.S. Forest Service, State of Alaska, Smithsonian Institution and the City of Ketchikan who partnered to preserve these remaining original poles for generations to come; and the many instructors and students who have carried the torch of knowledge of traditional Northwest Coast art that continues to thrive today.

Totem Heritage Center Celebrates 40th Anniversary

Right: Tommy Joseph’s Intermediate and Advanced Northwest Coast Carving: Masks class, 2016. Totem Heritage Center photo.

Above: Mortuary pole from Village Island being lowered into place through the Totem Heritage Center skylight, 1976. Totem Heritage Center photo.Lower right: Selina Peratrovich teaching Karen Pitcher spruce root weaving in a Totem Heritage Center class, 1981. Totem Heritage Center photo, 81.30.21.

Fall 2016 Newsletter

Open House and Celebration! Demonstrations, slideshow, class information, door prizes, exploration of exhibits and classrooms...and cake!

Welcome Curator of Exhibits Steven Villano

Native Arts Studies Program2016 - 2017 Class Season

We invite you to explore Northwest Coast Native art and culture with the Totem Heritage Center! The

Native Arts Studies Program offers an annual series of classes led by experienced local and guest instructors who share their knowledge to perpetuate and strengthen

traditional arts. Students of all levels and backgrounds are encouraged to take classes, whether you are learning a new practice or refining your skills. We welcome everyone to experience traditional Northwest Coast art!

The season begins on October 10th with Introduction to Power Tools with Jebidiah Knutsen. Renowned Haida

July 5th marked the much-anticipated first day for the new Curator of Exhibits of Ketchikan Museums, Steven Villano. We are excited to welcome him to the museum team as we move forward with renovations to the Tongass Historical Museum with plans to nearly double space for exhibits. We are thankful to have this vital position reinstated, and to have the perfect person to take on all of its challenges. Steven not only brings a tremendous amount of experience designing and creating museum exhibits, he has grown deeply connected to the Ketchikan community and is very passionate to share the history of the First City.

With a foundation in art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, his interest in museums led to a focus in scenic art and a position in the exhibits department of the Field Museum. Bringing in his background as a musician as well as sound recording and engineering, Steven broke

new ground by integrating sound into the collection and exhibits, transforming the museum experience. From there he was hired by the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco as a media consultant for a brand new building and exhibits. Continuing as an independent designer, Steven worked to develop several exhibits including the Money Museum in Mexico City, Brooker Creek Reserve in Florida and the Maritime Museum in San Francisco. Steven then took a post as the lead of exhibition preparation at the San Francisco International Airport Museum, creating fifty-two exhibits annually in twenty-five exhibit halls.

Please join us in welcoming Steven to Ketchikan Museums, and in celebrating how fortunate we are to have him help tell the story of Ketchikan. We look forward to sharing his creative vision with the community.

OPEN CRAFT NIGHT RESUMES OCTOBER 13th

Thursdays, 6 - 9 P.M. at the Totem Heritage Center.

Sign up for e-mail updates on classes and craft nights!Call 225-5900 or e-mail StaceyW@ktn-ak.us for more

information and to register for classes.

weaver Holly Churchill will teach Introduction to Cedar Bark Weaving beginning October 25th. This fall we also welcome two new guest instructors to teach classes: Haida-Tsimshian carver Everett Athorp returns to Ketchikan from Klawock to teach Introduction to Northwest Coast Carving starting October 22nd, and Tsimshian artist David Robert Boxley from Metlakatla will teach Introduction to Northwest Coast Design beginning November 11th. Register today to learn more about Northwest Coast art and to be part of an invaluable living tradition.

Class registration is open and ongoing. Sign up more than two weeks before your class starts to receive a discount!

Above: Whale Rider Drum, David R. Boxley

Right: Linda Schrack weaving a cedar bark hat in Intermediate and Advanced Cedar Bark Weaving, 2016

Creating a New Museum:ARTIFACTS OUT, DAWSON IN!

The Tongass Historical Museum closed its doors to public view on September 6th to prepare for renovations that started October 1st. Dawson Construction is contracted to complete the project, which includes expanded permanent and temporary exhibit space, larger accessible public restrooms and new main floor office space. In four short weeks the entire main floor was emptied of equipment and artifacts alike, including exhibit preparation/construction tools and supplies, exhibit support storage, meeting space and all exhibits. In addition, work on plumbing for the expansion of main floor public restrooms meant that collections storage on the lower floor below had to be emptied, as well as portions of large object storage, to ensure the safety of artifacts.

The collection was carefully tracked and transported, and in many cases specialized supports were constructed for fragile pieces. Museum staff then had to find a secure temporary home for each unique piece. Most large objects had to be moved (weather permitting!) to the vacated fire station on Main Street, including the Ketchikan Queen, the Davis boat and Sandy the coin-operated horse from Ben Franklin. This could never have been done without the help of the City of Ketchikan Streets Department, who carefully lifted many massive objects in and out of buildings and vehicles with superhuman strength.

All safe and viable space within the Centennial Building had to be utilized to house objects, including the newly vacated offices in

the lower floor, and almost half of the remaining office and research library space that was previously the childrens’ library.

Over 6,000 objects that the Museum safeguards to preserve Ketchikan’s history and tell our story have been carefully transported and have found secure temporary locations. They now await returning to permanent homes in Collections or display in new exhibits!

MOVE IT! Artifacts taken to the old Fire Station were carefully packed and secured for a short ride! Above: Streets crew loads up historic signs and heavy metal mining equipment. Left: Hayley Chambers rides along to keep an eye on packed artifacts.

STORE IT! Large artifacts that could not be kept at the Centennial building found temporary homes at the vacated Fire Station. Left: Steven Villano finds safe spaces for objects and moves them into place.

PACK IT! Delicate objects needed custom supports to be safely transported. Right: Ann Froeschle builds a storage tray to house baskets and other objects from the drawers in Collections.

SECURE IT! Artifacts fill every corner of secure space in the Centennial Building. Right: The former Director’s office filled to capacity with shelves and rolling racks full of objects.

REMOVE IT! The hundreds of artifacts on display in the permanent exhibit were each carefully deinstalled. Left: Steven Villano and Ann Froeschle carefully lower a historic camera out of its exhibit case.

Left: Tara Hofmann and Erika Brown carefully cover artifacts and secure a visqueen barrier for added protection in artifact storage outside of Archives.

The first floor stands empty, ready for construction to begin, and new plans for the next phase of Ketchikan Museums take shape!

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDKetchikan, Alaska

Permit No. 95

Totem Heritage Center Tongass Historical Museum

Ketchikan Museums Calendar

Tongass Historical Museum629 Dock Street

Ketchikan, Alaska 99901(907) 225-5600

Totem Heritage Center601 Deermount Avenue

Mailing Address: 629 Dock StreetKetchikan, Alaska 99901

(907) 225-5900

Winter HoursOctober – April

1:00 – 5:00 P.M. Monday – Friday

u u u

City of KetchikanMuseum Department Staff

www.KetchikanMuseums.org

Ketchikan Museums collect, preserve, interpret and creatively share the history and culture of our region to serve, educate, engage and enrich our community.

Museum Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . VacantAdministrative Secretary . . . . . . Tara HofmannSr. Curator of Collections . . . . .Hayley ChambersRegistrar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erika Brown Sr. Curator of Programs . . . . . . Anita Maxwell Program Coordinator . . . . . . . . . Ann FroeschleCurator of Exhibits . . . . . . . . . Steven VillanoProgram Assistant. . . . . . . . . . Stacey Williams Museum Attendant . . . . . . . . . . . . Lance Bifoss

Admission is FREE for locals and their visitors!

Native Arts Studies ProgramFall Classes

Introduction to Power Tools Jebidiah Knutsen, October 10–12

Introduction to Northwest Coast Carving Everett Athorp, October 22–29

Introduction to Cedar Bark Weaving Holly Churchill, October 25–November 5

Introduction to Northwest Coast Design David R. Boxley, November 11–20

Open Craft NightThursdays, 6–9 P.M.,Starting October 13

th

Catherine Heggarty in Introduction to Northwest Coast Carving, 2015

Full racks and boxes! Artifacts have been safely moved and stored for the first floor renovation starting in October.

While the main entrance and exhibits are now closed, staff is available on the lower floor. Call 225-5600 to visit by appointment.

New logos for Ketchikan Museums!

629 Dock StreetKetchikan, Alaska 99901

Closed for renovations through April 2017.

Staff is available by appointment.