ALASKAN COMMUNITIES INVITED TO
24TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF NATIVE ARTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 20, 1997
Fairbanks, Alaska -The 1997 Festival of Native Arts will be held at the Charles W. Davis Concert Hall at the University of Alaska Fairbanks March 6, 7, and 8. Twenty-five Native Dance Groups and 40 Native artisans are expected to participate, making this the largest festival to date. Last year's festival brought about 3,500 visitors to the UAF campus in Fairbanks.
Now in its 24th year, the festival celebrates the artistic accomplishments of Alaska Native people from around the state and the Circumpolar North. Festivities will begin at 6 p.m. nightly and continue until midnight. Seating in the Davis Concert Hall is limited. Audience members are encouraged to arrive early. The event is free and open to the public.
Native students at UAF and Student Orientation Services, now Rural Student Services, organized the first Festival of Native Arts in 1974 to preserve Native cultural expression. The first festival, held six nights in April, highlighted a different Alaska Native culture each night. Only local dance groups participated.
Today the festival has grown in depth and focus, featuring participants from all parts of the state, Canada and Russia. The Russian dance group "Naara Suokhtar" is expected to perform this year. The Native artisans who participate and exhibit their work specialize in a variety of Native arts and crafts styles, from Athabaskan Indian to Inupiaq and Yup'ik. Many items are for sale to the public.
According to student organizer Dena Ivey, a senior in the UAF Alaska Native Studies program, the 24th Festival of Native Arts is the result of months of effort and dedication by student and community volunteers, in cooperation with local, federal and state organizations.
"Most Native participants are able to attend exclusively by virtue of the efforts volunteers have made to acquire funds to support themselves while away from their hometowns. The opportunity to present a portion of their respective cultures is the reward for their endless labors," Ivey said. "The privilege to witness the presentations is the reward for each Alaska community."
Ivey said contributions for the Festival of Native Arts are welcome and continue to be needed. Raffle tickets for prizes ranging from beaded slippers to airline tickets are available by calling the festival office. People interested in volunteering to help with a variety of activities during the festival are also encouraged to contact the office.
Information is available at (907) 474-6889, or by writing to: Festival of Native Arts, c/o Alaska Native Studies, P.O. Box 756300, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99775-6300.
The festival homepage is located at: http://www@mosquitonet.com/~fna/_
CONTACT: Festival of Native Arts Coordinator Dena
Ivey (907) 474-6889 or by e-mail: fsdri@aurora.alaska.edu
UAF News releases available electronically at:
http://www.uaf.edu/univrel/media/index.html
DPD/2-20-97/97-058