$2.5 MILLION FEDERAL APPROPRIATION BOOSTS UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA MUSEUM EXPANSION EFFORTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 1998

Fairbanks, Alaska - The University of Alaska Museum is nearly half way to its goal of raising $20 million for construction of a new wing for the crowded facility, scheduled to open in the year 2002, the 100th anniversary of the founding of Fairbanks.

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens announced Tuesday evening, Nov. 10, that the museum will receive $2.5 million from the recently passed Veterans Administration HUD appropriations bill. The amount brings the total raised so far to $9.5 million, nearly half of the $20 million goal.

The UA Museum of the North is the state’s only research museum, and is the repository for Native artifacts and natural history specimens collected on federal lands in Alaska.

Stevens, at a reception at the museum honoring Alaska's military, said there is a precedent for federal support for museums and science centers in other parts of the country.

"It is important and appropriate that the museum receive federal assistance for housing our nation's precious artifacts," said Stevens. "The biological, geological, and paleontological specimens housed here are also important sources of information on Alaska."

Stevens is an honorary co-chair for the museum campaign. Major contributors to the new museum wing include Usibelli Coal Mine, the Usibelli family, and Chuck and Marguerite West, who each gave $1 million. The state of Alaska and Holland America Line Westours each provided $500,000. Other donors include Alaska Airlines, ARCO, Boeing Corp., KeyBank of Alaska, Northrim Bank, PTI, Craig Salsbury, Totem Ocean Trailer Express and newest museum expansion campaign donor MAPCO Alaska.

Jeff Cook, vice president for external affairs for MAPCO Alaska Petroleum, announced a $100,000 gift from the William’s Company at the Tuesday event. "This is the first major contribution MAPCO Alaska's parent company, The William's Companies, has invested in Alaska," said Cook. "It is above and beyond MAPCO's earlier $90,000 contribution to UAF for equipment. We encourage other businesses to step forward and support the museum's expansion."

-more-

UA Museum of the North Director Aldona Jonaitis said she was thrilled with the support from campaign donors which makes the expansion one step closer to reality.

"The museum holds over one million specimens and artifacts that represent millions of years of Alaska's natural and cultural history," she said. "These collections are like a library, telling the story of disease, global climate change, the history of our Native people, the historical use of our land. Now our library is running out of space, and we must expand if we are to continue doing our work," Jonaitis said.

The expansion will feature a 10,000 square foot Rose Berry Alaskan Art Gallery to be named in honor of Campaign Chair Joseph E. Usibelli’s mother. Currently much of the museum's fine art collection is in storage in the building's basement.

"We have more than 3000 wonderful works of art in our collection; our current exhibition space can accommodate barely 100 of them," said Barry McWayne, UA Museum of the North Curator of Fine Arts. Using an integrated approach, the gallery will feature objects from archaeology, ethnology and fine arts collections, showing visitors, students and scholars different perspectives on significant Alaskan artwork.

The new wing will also feature expanded laboratory and collections space for the museum's researchers, a 150 seat auditorium, a multi-purpose classroom, and an expanded Museum Store. The architectural team of HGA/GDM will design the new building.

More than 60 volunteers serve on the Museum Expansion Campaign, chaired by Joe Usibelli. Sen. Ted Stevens and his wife Catherine, Sen. Frank Murkowski and his wife Nancy, Congressman Don Young and his wife Lu, and Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles and his wife Susan, along with UA President Mark Hamilton and his wife Patty serve as honorary co-chairs.

Other members include Mike Burns, Augie Hiebert, Hugh Fate, Jim Lund, Paul Massey, Craig Salsbury, Jo Scott, Jinx Whitaker, Bill MacKay and Kirk Lanterman.

-30-

CONTACT: Office of Sen. Ted Stevens (202) 224-3004, or Cindy Schumaker, Campaign Manager, University of Alaska Museum (907) 474-6443, FAX (907) 474-5469, fncgs@uaf.edu

DPD/11-10-98-98/99-027