For most people, the term “visual arts” conjures up a museum full of paintings and sculpture or an avant garde gallery with conceptual art pieces. We often overlook the countless ways that artists create, define, and design our human environment, the media, and our cultural lifestyles. While we enjoy a beautiful poster, edgy graphics in the newspaper or a clever T-shirt design, we take for granted the talent and effort behind these everyday artworks. Fairbanks has many artists who work behind the scenes, only rarely showing their original artwork in a gallery or museum. Many of these artists may remain anonymous to the public yet they exert a large influence on our everyday living environment. On display are commercial works from a few of many local artists. These are considered applied artworks, or art that has a distinct function: to advertise, to promote, to plan or to educate. In this exhibition are gathered together a lively and representative sampling of local original art and their commercial products used in advertising, illustration, architecture, and education.

View a list of participants from Made in Fairbanks

Guest Curators - read their statements:
Steve Bouta, Developing Invention
James Brashear, Ceramics
Jean Carlo, Native Arts
Wanda Chin, Multimedia
Peggy Ferguson, Performing Arts
Jennifer Jolis, Food Products
Len Kamerling, Filmmaking
John Manthei, Wood
Barry McWayne, Commercial Photography
David Mollett, Visual Applied Arts
Connie Page, Wood
Todd Sherman, Visual Applied Arts
Glen Simpson, Metal
Frank Soos, Writing
Suzanne Summerville, Ph.D., Music
Penny Wakefield, Fiber Works

Return to the Made in Fairbanks introduction.

Exhibitions