Anchorage Museum

The Anchorage Museum will honor the late Alfred Hanisch for his generous planned gift by having a free general admission day along with a community reception on Jan. 31. According to the Anchorage museum, Hanisch had a lifelong passion for history and for museums that bring history to life. Hanisch served in the 651 st Field Artillery Battalion in Germany during World War II and was among the first to drive the Alaska Highway when he moved to the state in 1946. He later worked for the Alaska Railroad and Standard Oil of California and retired from Chevron USA in 1986.

by Channel 2 News staff Thursday, July 22, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Anchorage Museum has been awarded a $60,000 grant to conduct a conservation survey of the Alaska Gallery collection. Museum officials say the survey is the first step in improving their care and planning for a future Alaska Gallery renovation. They say many of its artifacts -- which span 10,000 years of Alaska history -- are considered the museum's prize ethnographic and historic objects. A team led by the museum's conservator will identify objects in need of care and prioritize future conservation treatment.

Alaska's rich aviation history comes to life in a new exhibit at the Anchorage Museum. "Arctic Flight: a Century of Alaska Aviation" celebrates that history that has allowed Alaskans to live as they do today. It's the 100th anniversary of the powered flight in the state, and at the exhibit has about 80 artifacts. Some of the artifacts were loaned out by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. “Our central aircraft artifact, the Steerman, was flown by many of the famous bush pilots of the '20s and '30s,” Dr. Jeremy Kinney with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum said.

The Anchorage Museum will display a rare complete set of 50 stone lithographs created from 1946 to 1980 by Alaskan artist Fred Machetanz. There are only three public institutions that are known to have complete sets of the Machetanz lithographs, since only 100 copies of each piece in the set were released. The works depict Alaska Native life, sled dogs, wildlife and traditional Alaska scenes like grizzled gold panners working. The show will be on display until Feb. 26. Contact Rebecca Palsha at rpalsha@ktuu.com

An annual tradition is continuing at the Anchorage Museum this weekend. The 22nd annual Crafts Weekend is open at the museum through Sunday. This year, the event features handmade art from nearly 50 local artists on-site. The artists say they look forward to the weekend all year. “It's part of my living, it's the best of the best at this fair, and it’s always a pleasure to be here and meet the people and see old friends -- it's just a very enjoyable time,” said local artist Lucinda Durham.

by Channel 2 News staff Saturday, May 22, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Saturday was opening day at the Anchorage Museum for three new exhibits. Museum officials unveiled the Imaginarium Discovery Center, the Thomas Planetarium and the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center to the public. The Imaginarium features the world's largest indoor tsunami tank, while the Arctic Studies Center houses hundreds of Alaska Native artifacts. The grand opening celebration marks the completion of the museum's expansion projects.

by Channel 2 News staff Sunday, February 7, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Anchorage Museum held a celebration Sunday, recognizing Black History Month with art, dance, and music. Bartlett High School steppers and the African-American Club Praise Dance Team performed for the occasion. Also on display were African dolls from the museum's permanent collection and art created by students. "Also, the Links Inc., a women's organization here in town, helped sponsor an juried art exhibit in which we were able to have high school students enter art pieces," said the group's Shelia Hall.

The newest exhibit at the Anchorage Museum is ready for visitors and features the ancient cousins of elephants.   "Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age," took the Field Museum in Chicago nearly three years to develop and almost a month to travel to Alaska. More than a dozen hands-on exhibits give visitors a better understanding of the animals’ lives, relationships and behavior.  Professor Daniel Fisher, the exhibit's guest curator and faculty at the University of Michigan, says he hopes to inform people about the new discoveries involving mammoths and mastodons and about how climate change affects them.

A grass parka on display at the Anchorage Museum shows both the skill and tradition of Yup'ik culture. The Rasmuson Foundation donated the grass parka to commemorate the museum's expansion project. The parka is unique because it's one of only three known to exist, and its creator is still alive. Ninety-year-old Lena Atti lives in Kwigillingok and is widely recognized for her grass-weaving skills. “You know, you would go out and pay a lot of money for a garment today that would shed water and keep you warm when you were out in your kayak, or taking a hike or something like that,” said Marilyn Knapp, the museum's chief curator.

by Channel 2 News staff Friday, March 12, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Educators from NASA's Houston Space Center were on hand at the Anchorage Museum Friday -- in spirit, at least -- to explain how astronauts' space suits compare to the Imperial stormtrooper suit in "Star Wars. " The interactive video conference gave audience members at the museum's "Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination" exhibit the chance to ask questions about space suits. NASA educators in Texas explained how the suits work, why they're necessary and how they're similar to the fictional plastoid armor worn by soldiers of the evil Galactic Empire.

A new exhibit from one of Alaska's most well-known photographers finally made its debut at the Anchorage Museum on Saturday, April 20. “Portrait Alaska is a culmination of about 20 years of work,” photographer Clark Mishler said. “There are some images in the show that go back 20 years, there [are] some that go back 10 years and the majority were shot in the last five years.” On Friday, museum workers were putting the finishing touches on the exhibit.

Almost 500 pieces of student artwork are on display at three locations for the 41st Annual Anchorage School District Student Art Exhibition. The pieces, spread out among the Anchorage Museum, the Chugiak-Eagle River Library branch, and the Mall at Sears, were created by students in grades ranging from Kindergarten to 12th grade. The artwork is a wide variety of paintings, sculptures, metalwork, and more. The Director of Music and Fine Arts for the Anchorage School District, Frank Hauser, says studies have shown that a high involvement in the arts can be beneficial for students with a low socio-economic status.

Alaska's rich aviation history comes to life in a new exhibit at the Anchorage Museum. "Arctic Flight: a Century of Alaska Aviation" celebrates that history that has allowed Alaskans to live as they do today. It's the 100th anniversary of the powered flight in the state, and at the exhibit has about 80 artifacts. Some of the artifacts were loaned out by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. “Our central aircraft artifact, the Steerman, was flown by many of the famous bush pilots of the '20s and '30s,” Dr. Jeremy Kinney with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum said.

It's a way to share the past so we better understand each other and appreciate where we are today. That's been the common thread throughout our years of coverage for Black History Month. We have heard from organizers that there are lessons to be learned along with the sharing of this rich culture and the many struggles along the way.   Throughout February Ch. 2 will share the music and other African American culture through annual local events including the Anchorage Museum's annual celebration February 10th from 2pm to 4pm. We will also introduce you to some of the quiet warriors who work behind the scenes to make Alaska a better place for those of all colors.

Rare historic portraits of the parents of an early Russian Alaska governor, Baron Ferdinand von Wrangel, are on display at the Anchorage Museum. In 1829, the Russian government appointed Baron Ferdinand von Wrangel to chief manager of Russian-America, now known as Alaska, making him one of the state's first governors after Alexander Andreyevich Baranov, who died in 1819. Von Wrangel is best known for his contribution to developing natural resources in Alaska. The portraits of his parents, Peter and Dorthea Wrangel, were said to be painted in 1807.

They're real human bodies frozen in time through a process called plastination. The Body Worlds Vital exhibition makes its Alaska debut next month at the Anchorage Museum. "We want to show to the public, the wonder of the human body, the intricacies of the human body, and how the human body can inspire better health,” said museum director James Pepper Henry. Henry says museum members were surveyed on what on the kind of exhibitions they would want to see and an overwhelming majority wanted Body Worlds, but that doesn't mean everyone is happy about it. "I find the exhibit morally problematic at a minimum, and I would not encourage parents with young children to take them there," said Father Tom Lilly, the Vicar-General in the Anchorage Catholic Diocese.

A new exhibit at the Anchorage Museum features artifacts and memorabilia of Alaska's past and present Olympic athletes. The exhibit, "Inspiring Generations: The Olympic Legacy of the Last Frontier," will be at the museum through Sept. 3. Email Abby Hancock

The late Steve Jobs was famous for his ability to combine beauty and function in devices like Apple's iPhone, but this isn't unique to the computer age.   All you have to do is take a look at the Aleut bentwood visor, which is the focus of a weeklong workshop at the Anchorage Museum.    Hundreds of years ago, hunters ventured out into the ocean in the Aleutian islands in qayaks, wearing wooden hats, called the “chagudux.” ...

Tlingit glass artist Preston Singletary says his artwork, now on display at the Anchorage Museum, is heavily influenced by his heritage. His pieces are filled with bright colors and precise etchings, with a nod to both ancient stories and modern art. Singletary points to a "fourth dimension" in his work when he talks about how the light reacts on his art. Small pieces took up to 50 hours to create while larger ones took hundreds of hours....

The Anchorage Museum will honor the late Alfred Hanisch for his generous planned gift by having a free general admission day along with a community reception on Jan. 31. According to the Anchorage museum, Hanisch had a lifelong passion for history and for museums that bring history to life. Hanisch served in the 651 st Field Artillery Battalion in Germany during World War II and was among the first to drive the Alaska Highway when he moved to the state in 1946. He later worked for the Alaska Railroad and Standard Oil of California and retired from Chevron USA in 1986.