PRATT MUSEUM

established in 1968

Protection: Adaptation & Resistance

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The exhibit is open from June 11 to September 24, 2022

“In times of pandemic, climate crisis, and ongoing assaults on human rights, how are Indigenous Alaska artists today strengthening self and community, and guiding the next generation from surviving to thriving?  Protection: Adaptation and Resistance centers Indigenous ways of knowing. Working within intergenerational learning groups and as collaborators in vibrant community networks, Alaska’s Indigenous artists are invigorating traditional stories and proposing resilient new futures through design, tattoo, regalia, and graphic arts. Thirty artist projects presented in this exhibition elevate collaboration, allyship, and community as tools of resistance, adaptation, and cultural affirmation.”   Asia Freeman, Curator

Ron Senungetuk: A Retrospective

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The exhibit, Ron Senungetuk: A Retrospective is coming to the Pratt Museum & Park in October and will be open through December 18th.
The opening reception will be held from 4 – 6 PM on October 22nd, please join us!

“All world art regardless of age is based on a will to express. You “portray” art because you are a member of society and you interpret what is around you. While doing this, others may try to limit you, but you have no limits.” Ron Senungetuk, 2006

Iñupiaq artist Ronald Senungetuk was a world-renowned sculptor, silversmith, and woodcarver. As an artist, educator, and mentor, he had a profound impact on the visual arts in Alaska. He founded the Native Art Center in 1965 and was one of the first Alaska Native professors to receive tenure from UAF.

Senungetuk was a recipient of both the Rasmuson Foundation Distinguished Artist Award and the Alaska State Council on the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015, he was presented with an honorary doctorate from the University of Alaska for his work in advocating for art in Alaska.

Photo Art Credit: Aurora Borealis I II III by Ron Senungetuk. Purchase of this artwork for the Pratt Museum permanent collection has been made possible through the generous support of the Rasmuson Foundation
Photo of Ron Senungetuk by Michael Armstrong/Geo France

Greetings from the Past: History in Postcards

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An exhibit at the Pratt Museum exploring the history of Postcards and the stories they hold

What is your hope when you send off a postcard? For over 150 years, this seemingly ephemeral form of communication has run the gamut of uses, and has proved itself to be an indispensable form of community recordkeeping across the globe, giving us bite size glimpses into the past. As we live through the current COVID-19 crisis, we have an opportunity to save our stories of this unusual and trying time. Just as stories from events of the past have created snapshots of different eras for us, we are able to pass our stories through time for future generations. What might someone learn about your life if they read a collection of postcards you’ve written? As you explore this exhibit of postcards from the Pratt Museum permanent archives, think about how stories from the past inform us about lives lived. How might you explain this current time we’re living in with just a few short lines and a picture? End your exploration of the past by dropping a note for future generations in the Postcards from Unprecedented Times mailbox, and answer a question for years to come: What’s in a postcard?

Greetings from the Past: History in Postcards will be on display in the Pratt Museum Community Gallery through March 31, 2021.

Postcards from Unprecedented Times: Ongoing Project

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What stories will we tell about our present moment?

At the Pratt Museum, we are committed to collecting and sharing the stories of Kachemak Bay, from both the past and present. This year, we have faced dramatic changes to our way of life, and undoubtedly our world will continue to shift. We want to document this present moment with your voices. Postcards from Unprecedented Times is our way of helping our community preserve those stories and voices.

We started off this project with a First Friday craft night on August 7, but this is an ongoing opportunity to participate. We will be developing an online display of these postcards and letters in the coming weeks, so check back soon to see how others have experienced these unprecedented times!

How it works:

1: Write a letter You can use one of our postcard templates (available at the Museum!) or make something new. Fill it with words, stories, drawings — whatever you want to say about your experience in this moment.

2: Deliver it to the Pratt You can drop it off at the special mailbox in our Community Gallery  (look for the bright blue board in the Greetings from the Past: History in Postcards exhibit) or mail it to 3779 Bartlett St, Homer, AK 99603.

3: Become part of the archives! When we receive your letter, we’ll scan it into our digital archives — it will become part of the historical collection reflecting this moment. Check our website for updates as we develop an online catalog of these letters.