Representation and marginalization: a case study from contemporary Alaska Native art

Abstract

In Alaska, contemporary Native artists are creating compelling works of art, yet, in the literature and exhibitions about Native North American contemporary art, Alaska Native art receives little if any attention. In this study, I assess how contemporary Alaska Native art is presented to the public to evaluate whether these representations marginalize this artwork. I examine the creation, exhibition and reception of contemporary Alaska Native art based on the perspectives of the artists, exhibit evaluations and viewer responses. My goal in this study is to substantiate the need to address the way Alaska Native art is presented and to analyze current practices. In particular, I seek to emphasize the importance of creating contextualized presentations of contemporary Alaska Native art using multiple perspectives and interpretive media based on collaboration between the exhibitors of public art and Native artists and communities. By creating more inclusive, informative representations of Alaska Native art, presentations can begin to address the differing requirements of a variety of audiences, utilize the critical attention given to Native American and Euro-American art elsewhere and provoke a re-thinking of preconceptions that continue to diminish the accomplishments of Alaska Native artists.