When painter David Rosenthal came to Alaska nearly 50 years ago, he was captivated by the expansive glory of the icy landscapes. Over his career he’s painted ice, snow and glaciers in Alaska, the North Pole, Greenland and even Antarctica, inadvertently capturing climate change in his brushstrokes.

The Cordova-based artist’s showcase, “Painting at the End of the Ice Age”, is a retrospective which places his paintings in the context of human-caused warming and glacial retreat, seamlessly blending science and art. It open[ed] Friday, Nov. 3 at the Alaska State Museum, followed by a lecture from Rosenthal.

Anna Canny, November 3, 2023. KTOO.org.

Alaska high school students are asking local school districts to refrain from following national trends in banning books, which they believe are occurring for political – rather than educational – reasons.

A resolution on book bans was one of three resolutions brought before the Sitka School Board on Wednesday (11-1-23) by local students who had recently returned from the annual meeting of the Alaska Association of Student Governments in Fairbanks.

Sitka High senior Kylie Orlando prefaced her introduction of the student resolution by asking school board members to put aside their personal political agendas. Book bans, she argued, have become weaponized by politics, to the point that advocates don’t really understand what they’re banning.

Robert Woolsey, November 3, 2023. KCAW.org.

30-Day Public Comment Period
November 9 - December 9, 2023

Your input is extremely important to ensure this plan reflects Alaskan’s interests and priorities for future broadband funding and initiatives in Alaska. 

• Submit comments
• Review Draft Digital Equity Plan 

If you can't review the whole plan, check out the following sections/strategy:

• Executive Summary (page 1-8)
• General Statewide Key Performance Indicators (page 12-16)
• Intended Beneficiary Population-Specific Key Performance Indicators (page 16-32)
• Search the plan using key terms for specific areas of interest

The Museum of the Aleutians is set to unveil its fall exhibition "Family Mosaics" Friday, Nov. 17. The new showcase will explore historical and cultural connections of Unangax̂ communities in America and Russia, and will be on display until March.

In this episode of “Island Interviews,” MOTA's Thomas McLenigan and Jenya Anichtchenko shared their thoughts on the fall exhibition and the impact they hope “Family Mosaics” will have on visitors.

Sofia Stuart-Rasi, November 16, 2023. KCUB.org.

Friday, Nov. 17, 5 pm
Online via Facebook Live

Join [the Anchorage Museum] for a series of virtual talks/Q&A sessions with artists featured in How to Survive as they consider their practice in relation to climate change and care. This month’s session features Martha Atienza and Ellie Schmidt. Atienza is an artist who primarily uses installations and videos to convey pressing issues in her direct environment. Schmidt is an interdisciplinary artist whose work is grounded in feminist theory and marine ecology. Both join Anchorage Museum Chief Curator Francesca Du Brock in conversation about climate hope and care. Free via Facebook Live; no account required.

The Alutiiq Museum Store [opened] to the public on Friday, November 10 in the Kodiak Marketplace. This new, downtown location will provide a temporary home for the store and its services during the museum’s building renovations. The rental includes a large space for retail displays and two staff offices. Here, the museum store will continue to offer unique products inspired by Alutiiq heritage, work with artists, and serve the public. The store will be open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Tuesdays through Saturdays.

“We are pleased to be able to rent space in the Marketplace during museum renovations,” said Executive Director April Laktonen Counceller. “This central location will help us support the many artists that sell through our store and depend on those sales for income. It will also provide a place where patrons can connect with us—meet up with a staff member, pick up an educational box, or ask a question. Although our building is closed for construction, we are very busy with educational projects. This temporary home base will support that work.” 

The Alutiiq Museum Store works with about 100 artists in Kodiak, area villages, Alaska, and beyond. In addition to providing a place to sell their work, the store supports the creative community with arts education, marketing, and professional development. This includes the Alutiiq Seal, an art authentication program that identifies works made by Alutiiq/Sugpiaq artists.  

November 10, 2023. Alaska Native News.

Borough officials shined a light on construction progress for Noel Wien Library’s 10 month-long renovation project during a Nov. 16 visit to the site.

A fan of biographies and historical fiction, the new Director of Libraries Jamia Alexander Ball helped lead the tour. She recently took over from the former director, Melissa Harter, who had been at the helm since 2017.

A longtime library professional, Alexander Ball also carries with her years of prior experience in management teams that were involved in renovations. She said that background has smoothed the process of sliding into her new spot midway through the multi-million dollar project.

Patrick Gilchrist, November 17, 2023. KTVF.

Iñupiaq author Lily Tuzroyluke's new book  “Sivulliq: Ancestor” will be featured in the 2023 National Book Festival as part of the Great Reads from Great Places program, a list of books representing the literary heritage of each state distributed by the Library of Congress. 

In “Sivulliq: Ancestor,” the story follows an Inupiaq woman on a desperate trek to rescue her daughter from the captain of a whaling ship who has kidnapped the child to take as his own. In her writing, Tuzroyluke addresses the loss Native Americans suffered from diseases, the United States not providing any form of aid, and an influx of whaling ships destroying primary food sources. 

Tuzroyluke is an Iñupiaq writer from Alaska and Canada. She is a graduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and previously served in Tribal government in her home Native Village of Point Hope, Alaska. She currently resides in Anchorage. Tuzroyluke spoke to Native News Online about being inspired by her elders, how her Indigenous identity informs her writing, and what she’s working on next. 

Kaili Berg, November 17, 2023. Native News Online.

When the woes of the world become too much, people often turn to books. They help us understand but also provide solace, distraction, or even humor in tough times. Books for children are no different. Their themes can seem simple, but they have layers of nuance and sophistication and offer multiple entry points for talking about tough topics. This fall’s coastal-themed crop of books for young readers is full of adventure—expeditions to the Arctic and a search for the world’s biggest eye, for instance—as well as journeys much closer to home, journeys of understanding and empathy, and those that navigate confusion and grief. Whether the young person in your life is looking for a seafaring tale, a scientific quest, or a splish-sploshing, puddle-jumping romp around the block, an adventure awaits in this selection of new books.

Adrienne Mason, November 17, 2023. Hakai Magazine.