Yes, it's another catchup...
It's definitely different being with somebody else — it makes one quite a bit more focussed and organized!
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In the morning we had a bit of a pow-wow. Fran was happy that the hostel offered coffee! I'd been collecting literature and ideas on places that I wanted to go; Fran also had some suggestions. The plan for the day was to first go to the Visitor Center in downtown Fairbanks, then see how things were going.
We had about a 20-minute walk to the downtown. I always like to walk around to get to know a town — for me it's the best way to get oriented.
Fairbanks Visitor Center
The Visitor Center was well worth the stop. Not only did they have more literature so that we didn't have to share the nice big yellow map I had, but it also really fine exhibits. On hand were helpful rangers for questions about Denali, native Americans demonstrating of beading and dance, displays of Alaskan history and artwork, and a gift shop. [pictures coming]I loved the "cabin" exhibit that showed what it might be like in mid-winter (except, no aurora!) and some of the native examples of basketry and clothing. Fran was captivated by displays on Margaret Murie, since she had just seen a documentary on her.
Margaret "Mardy" Murie, along with her husband Olaus, was a champion of American wilderness. She was instrumental in getting the Gates of the Arctic established as a National Wildlife Refuge (in 1956), and she campaigned for the passage of the Wilderness Act (passed in 1964). From the tidbits Fran told me, and from reading a bit about her, she must have been a remarkable woman.I also particularly liked the mosaics outside that depicted traditional Athabascan beading patterns.
We even stayed to watch the show on native songs and dances. I did enjoy the musicians (two fiddlers and a drummer). The dances were performed by about 8-10 teenagers, both boys and girls. They were not all enthusiastic; some looked like they were just putting in their time. I was picked to be a participant in one of the "broom dances," and unfortunately I have to say that it brought back somewhat painful memories of junior high school dances... I kept dropping the broom, but not getting a partner to dance with. I think the musicians finally had pity on me and stopped the music! |
| Fran intent on getting every last lick! |
We were having such a good time that we sort of forgot about eating, so we high-tailed it back to the hostel for lunch.
Warren (more on him later) recommended "Hot Licks" Alaskan blueberry ice cream, and even though it was rainy and cool, we thought that sounded great as a dessert.
Besides, it was near the University of Alaska's Museum of the North, where we determined we would go for the afternoon because of the weather.
Museum of the North
The museum was an excellent choice, and we didn't even really have enough time!There are sections on Alaskan art from both earlier and modern periods, and Alaskan history. EVERYTHING is presented well and is very interesting. I probably could have spent an entire day there instead of just an afternoon.
There were traditional oil paintings from the turn of the century, mid-century pastels and watercolors, and all sorts of art in different media, including sculpture, from the present. I especially liked the clothing and beading; some of the art I liked and some was just "meh."
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| Beaded mukluks and a skin bag |
There were exhibits on history from little-known (at least to me) eras of Alaska life such as the Japanese in Alaska during WWII.
There were dolls, hats, mukluks, mammoth and walrus tusks, tools made from stone and bone,
There were collections of labrets and jewelry, soapstone and ivory carvings, baskets and harpoons and spears. It continues to fascinate me the number of ways that the native peoples adapted to a fierce and inhospitable climate.
I even learned there was a seal called a "ribbon seal" that has a striking tuxedo black-and-white coat, something like the penguin of the pinniped world.
We somehow missed dinner (the ice cream probably helped with that,
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| Part of a sketch from an eskimo artist, 1916 Incidentally, the members of the village of Shishmaref, which is depicted in this art piece, has just voted to pull up stakes and relocate because they are being flooded by global warming. The past meets the present... |
"Discover Alaska" Speaker Series
We finished up the evening with a lecture on "Northern Landscapes" by Richard Murphy, who was awarded the "Snedden Chair" TWICE (once in 2013-2014, and again 2015-2016) from the UAF Dept of Journalism. Not only is Mr. Murphy a writer, he is also an award-winning photographer and a winning speaker, only recently retired from his post as chief photo editor of the Anchorage News. He has amazing photographs and several important messages: be aware of your surroundings, see with your eyes, look closely, and don't be afraid to experiment and break the "rules."I can only agree. He also had some nice things to say about iPhone photography, and echoed my own sentiments: you get shots that you might not otherwise get because your phone is pretty much always with you (well, me, not so much, I keep forgetting to put the darn thing in my pocket). But, that said, it's only a tool — it still takes a good eye to take good images.
You can see some of his photos from the 2014 Snedden Chair Exhibit; there are more of his photos here.
It was an inspiring evening!
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