Ancestral Inspirations, Modern Visions

December 1, 2023

On Friday, December 1st, the Friends of Sheldon Jackson Museum will host a Winter Series presentation by mask carver Jen Angaiak Wood (Yup’ik) on zoom.
In her presentation, “Ancestral Inspirations, Modern Visions,” Wood will share images of her carvings and talk about her artwork, her creative process, and her cultural heritage.
Jennifer Angaiak Wood’s artwork is inspired by her upbringing and heritage but melds the contemporary and the traditional. Wood was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska but has familial Yup’ik roots in Tununuk, Alaska, a place she spent her summers while growing up. The experiences she had in the village of Tununuk on the northwest side of Nelson Island in the Bering Sea greatly informed her artistic expression and the masks she carves are stylistically reminiscent of masks found in that region. Although her designs are inspired by ancestral carvings, Wood “incorporates modern materials and concepts to emphasize that the Yupiit, and all indigenous peoples, have a contemporary culture, not just a historic one.”

Zoom Information:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2294857244
Meeting ID: 229 485 7244
Passcode: Wood