FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 16, 1999

Fairbanks, Alaska - RAHI usually stands for Rural Alaska Honors Institute, but on June 21, it will mean the "Right-brain Always Heightens Intelligence!"

An opening reception celebrating the first-ever RAHI juried art show at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will take place at Wood Center next Monday. Artwork will be judged by UAF Associate Professor of Art Alvin Amason, who will award first, second, third and honorable mention prizes among works submitted by the students. A public reception for the artists featuring a performance by the RAHI Alaska Native dance class, under the direction of instructor Ossie Kairaiuak, will take place from 5 - 6:30 p.m. at Wood Center. Amason will also be on hand to meet the artists and comment on his choices. The show will be available for public viewing at Wood Center through June 25.

During RAHI's popular six-week intensive college preparatory program at UAF, students take academic courses in writing, study skills, mathematics, chemistry, business and Alaska Native Studies. But this year, under the guidance of anthropologist and artist Phyllis Fast, students have also been creating artwork, both during class and in their off hours.

Most of the pieces reflect some aspect of the Alaska Native heritage of the majority of students. However, Fast, who directs UAF's Alaska Native Studies Department, encouraged students to be as creative as possible. Works range from Tlingit rattles, beaded and painted masks, puppets, and illustrations. A few of the projects are collaborative pen and ink portraits of each other. The one common feature of the art work is that they were limited to materials which are easy to use in a few hours.

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DPD/6-16-99/99-080