"Communities, Disaster & Change" is a traveling exhibition coordinated by the Valdez Museum and Historical Archive, in Valdez, Alaska. It provides a twist on the fiftieth anniversary of the Good Friday Earthquake commemoration through its connection with other communities and other disasters. The exhibit will travel around the state as well as to Oregon, and Hawaii. The full travel schedule and complete online gallery of the exhibit can be seen here.

This blog serves as a place to host a global conversation about the indomitable nature of the human spirit and communities' reactions to change, how they survive disaster and how they rebuild for the future. We hope this can be a tool for people like you, all across the world, to reach out and share your stories on survival and the will to carry on.

If you have seen the exhibit whether online or in person we want to know your reaction to the work of these twenty-eight Alaskan artists. Please join us in an ongoing conversation, and chime in with your thoughts, views and your personal stories of your community, disaster, and change.

19 September 2014

A New Temporary Exhibit: Shana Anderson Gets "Wild & Wooly"



 
Shana Anderson is our new temporary exhibiting artist. She uses the technique of felting to create her work.
“For me, the ancient craft of wool felting has become my addiction. While felted animal wool has been used for hundreds of years to make warm clothing, tent walls, rugs, blankets and more, I first discovered felting a little over two years ago.
 I combine the wool fibers with silk, bamboo and other natural and manmade fibers to create a wool material, using both wet felting techniques and needle felting techniques. I am hoping that this exhibit will demonstrate some of the results that can come about by using these techniques.
 In the past I have painted with acrylics and soft pastels. I realized I could use the brightly colored wool in much the same way, creating wool paintings that could be taken to another level. I find the beauty, feel and smell of the wool to add to that other dimension. There are endless creations that could be made using wool from sheep, goats, alpacas, rabbits and even your pet dog! Because one idea leads to other ideas, this has become for me a never ending journey of learning and experimenting with only my imagination to limit the results!”

"Twister" is another example of art created by an experience Shana with natural disaster.
 
Twister
 Wet-felted wool piece with silk inlay. This wall
 hanging reminded me of the tornados that as a
child would send my family down to our
basement to hide until they passed over.

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