The Access to Alaska Native Collections grant program is currently open and accepting applications until September 8. The application can be found on the Museums Alaska website. The program responds to the needs of Alaska Native artists and culture bearers for access to collections in museums by supporting research visits to museum collections storage in Alaska.
Alaska Native artists and culture bearers are invited to propose a visit to a participating museum with a collection that has a clear benefit to the development of their work. Eligibility is limited to Alaska Native artists. The grant will cover travel costs for the collections visits, including flights, ferries, mileage, per diem, lodging, parking, taxis, and family care needs. Funds may cover travel between mid-October of 2023 and June 30, 2024.
The grant program is made possible with funding from The CIRI Foundation’s “A Journey to What Matters: Increased Alaska Native Art & Culture (JWM)” and the Henry Luce Foundation, and is administered by Museums Alaska.
Participating museums include the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, the Alaska State Museum in Juneau, the Anchorage Museum, the Cordova Museum, the Haines Sheldon Museum, the Ketchikan Museum, the Museum of the Aleutians in Unalaska, Sealaska Heritage Institute in Juneau, and the University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks.
Support is available for artists who need assistance writing or completing their application due to English being their second language, lack of access to computers, or lack of internet access. Questions and inquiries about assistance can be emailed to [email protected] or artists may reach out via phone at 907-371-4348. For more information or to apply go to https://museumsalaska.org/aanc.
