A half-million dollar grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation has allowed Sealaska Heritage Institute to start a three-year project called the Jinéit Art Academy - Jinéit means handmade.
Under the grant, artists of all skill levels can develop their formline in the artists’ chosen medium, according to a Sealaska Heritage Institute press release. Formline is the complex ovoids and split Us that are the building blocks of Pacific Northwest art.
Sealaska plans to have Native artists work with K-12 teachers to incorporate Native art classes into public schools.
“Part of the project will be introducing Northwest Coast art to art teachers in the schools and then secondly to be teaching our Native artists how to teach in the schools,” Sealaska Heritage Institute president Rosita Worl said.
The grant funds instructor training to help teach accomplished artists how to teach formline. Artists of all levels can learn from these trained instructors during 10 workshops held in different Alaskan communities.
A final workshop is scheduled for Juneau to produce art kits for future formline classes.
Comments (4)
Add commenthmmm.......
I like that this is a private grant, not public funds, but has Sealaska checked with schools to see if they have time for this?
With cutbacks, there should be
With all the cutbacks that we've been reading about all over the country, I'm sure there's a lot of time that can be utilized for this grant. What's really neat about it is that it is for everyone not just one group. Instead of no art, there is this art that can be used to bring out one's creativity. Congratulations to Sealaska Heritage Institute for getting such a grant!
hmmmmmm
swimmergirl, you are right... why should we allocate time to teach art, culture and history... lets just keep our education system mediocre ;)
learnin' good
treyshawn dig it when all the chillin' get they learn on. lots of dat art is damn beautiful, so much respect.