Be sure to check our Happenings Page to see upcoming events, movies, and exhibitions at the museum!

 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Courses
(for adults 50+)

Spring 2018

The Science of Museum Collections
Session II: March 19-April 20, 2018 (5 weeks)
Tuesdays 1-2:30pm

Enjoy a museum sampler! Discover collections and the science behind them. Explore a new subject each week. Curators and collections managers will share interesting facts about specimens they are charged with collecting, cataloging, conserving, and researching. Featured this session will be the herbarium, insects, fine arts, earth sciences (fossils and dinosaurs), and archaeology. Included will be tours of the UA Museum of the North collections and laboratory spaces plus hands-on activities presented by museum education.

Instructors: Stefanie Ickert-Bond; Derek Sikes; Mareca Guthrie; Pat Druckenmiller; Sam Coffman; Fawn Carter; Jennifer Arseneau
Registration required. Register via OLLI. 

DNA Exploration
Session II: March 19-April 20, 2018
Wednesdays 3:45 – 5pm (5 weeks)

What exactly is DNA and what does it do? Are GMOs and cloning something I should be concerned about? When they tell me I’m 6% Neanderthal, how did they know that? These questions and more will be answered in this crash course centered on all things DNA. We will delve into DNA structure and function, hereditability of genetic material, genetic research, genetics in the media, and ethics of genetic research. This class will be a mix of discussion and hands-on activities. Enrollment limited to 16.

Instructor Kyndall Hildebrandt is the collection manager for the museum's Genomic Resources Department. She has been enthusiastically exploring DNA for over 15 years.
Registration required. Register via OLLI.  

Museum Graduate Student Sampler
Session II: March 19-April 20, 2018 (5 weeks)
Thursdays 10:15-11:45am

Graduate students at the University of Alaska Museum of the North study are extremely diverse topics. Every week, a museum graduate student will present their research in an informal setting. Katherine Anderson will take you back in time to the world of dinosaurs and ichthyosaurs (marine reptiles). Head to Madagascar with Kathryn Everson to explore the evolution and species limits in tenrecs (small mammal). Investigate the past, present, and future of Alaska's museums with Angela Linn. Learn about hibernation timing in marmots with Catherine Rubin. Explore the diversity of Alaskan butterflies with Kathryn Daly.

Registration required. Register via OLLI. 

ART WORKSHOPS at UAMN
Explore the theme of your choice and experiment with color, texture and materials. Enjoy dessert and hot drinks, and create your own works of art with professional instruction. No previous experience necessary!    

Check back soon for information on upcoming workshops!

 Past Workshops

Mixed-Media Panels
(April 2018)

Instructor: Madara Mason, local artist 

No experience is needed for this hands-on workshop. Learn to layer paint, paper, wood, found objects, and a careful selection of colors to create dynamic mixed media pieces. Instructions and materials will be provided.

Images courtesy of Madara Mason.

 Fused Glass
(December 2016)

No experience is needed for this hands-on glass fusing workshop. You will learn the basics of creating glass objects in a kiln, and create a fused glass plate and a small pendant or ornament.

Instructor: Margaret Donat, local artist and art educator
Includes art instruction, high quality art materials, and light refreshments.
For a better experience, group size is limited to 10 participants.

Images courtesy of Margaret Donat.

Encaustic Painting
(September 2016)

This hands-on encaustics workshop will examine approaches to using photographs, drawings, papers, and other objects that can be embedded into wax. We will address heating, fusing, and manipulating wax, as well as discuss colors, brushes, and where to find materials. Be inspired by museum objects as you experiment and create.

Instructor: Katlian Stark, Artist and Gallery Assistant at Well Street 
Includes art instruction, high quality art materials, and light refreshments.
For a better experience, group size is limited to 10 participants.