NAASA Conference 2009

Oklahoma City, OK

More information coming soon!

Most Recent Conferences

NAASA 2007: 15th Biennial Conference
September 26-29, 2007
Fairbanks, Alaska

The 15th biennial NAASA conference was held in Fairbanks, Alaska in September 2007, hosted by the University of Alaska and the Museum of the North. One of the great benefits of holding the NAASA conference in a new location for each meeting is the chance to learn about the art of the region, and the meeting in Fairbanks was no exception. Congratulations to Aldona Jonaitis and other members of the local organizing committee for putting together a gathering that the 130 members who attended will long remember. (Side note: The Northern Lights display was deemed sub-prime by locals, but was still pretty awesome to the rest of us.)

The conference opened with a welcoming song by Poldine Carlo, followed by a keynote address by distinguished anthropologist Rosita Worl (Tlingit), President of Sealaska Heritage Institute. The morning plenary session brought together six Native Alaskan artists to speak about their work, their influences, and their concerns for the future. Working in a range of media and drawing from the diverse cultural heritage of the state, presenters were Jack Abraham, Erica Lord, Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Da-ka-xeen Mehner, Tanis S’eiltin, and Ron Senungetuk.

A packed program offered more than sixty papers in fifteen sessions over the course of the three day conference. Evening tours allowed participants to see much regional art and meet many local artists. One evening was a visit to the Alaska Native Arts Center at the University of Alaska, where students displayed works in progress, discussed their training, and shared hospitality and moose meat stew. Another evening took us to the Alaska House Art Gallery and the Well Street Art Company, where works from some of the plenary speakers were on display. Those who still hadn't gotten enough (and who had adjusted to the Alaska Time Zone) took advantage of informal late night sessions to share images and information in a casual setting.

The conference concluded with a trip to the beautiful new Museum of the North on the University of Alaska campus for exhibit viewing, a collection tour, a special showing of the film The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, and the traditional Saturday night banquet. We enjoyed a performance by the Pavva Inupiaq Dancers and were treated to a sample of games from the World Eskimo Indian Olympics, demonstrated by Lee Meckel and Erica Meckel. During the banquet Naomi Pascal was honored with the NAASA Lifetime Achievement Award. Spontaneous honoring songs and dances by Native Alaskan conference participants enriched the evening, evoking a strong sense of place as well as reminding us how much the visual arts are embedded in a deeper complex of expressive culture.

Pre- and post-conference tours gave participants a chance to see more of the state and its people. A pre-conference tour to Chena Hot Springs provided an opportunity to enjoy the Alaskan outdoors. The post-conference tour was a dramatic flight along the Yukon River Brooks Mountain Range to visit two Native villages, Beaver and Anaktuvuk Pass.

NAASA 2005: 14th Biennial Conference
October 26-29, 2005
Scottsdale, Arizona

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