Stories Of Our Landscapes

Artist Call

Event Overview

• July 27th & 28th

• Mccarthy, Alaska

The Wrangell Mountains Center (WMC) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is connecting people with wildlands through art, science, and education in Alaska.

During this two day weekend event, participants will engage with the inspirational, cultural, and foundational relationships to place in the Wrangell Mountains through community, art and science.

Hosted by the Wrangell Mountains Center in collaboration with the National Park Service.

Day One:

Changes in the Land, Panel-led Community Discussion

Facilitated by geologist, Mike Loso

Join us in a panel-led community discussion (featuring long-time residents) about the observed changes in our landscapes. By opening up a space to allow McCarthy-Kennicott locals to tell their stories of the changes in our landscapes, we can create bridges across communities and experience a deeper connection grounded in our relationship to place. We seek to hold inclusive discussions, and honor the diverse voices of area residents who have observed our landscapes for generations. All attendee voices and observations are welcome during the discussion.

Day Two:

Stories of our Landscape- Scientific and Artistic Exploration

With Special Guest, Wilson Justin

We welcome guest speaker, Wilson Justin, to present scientific and cultural perspectives of the changes in our landscapes, specifically the effects of climate change in our area and surrounding areas through the lens of Indigenous populations. We hear about the personal impact these changes have on Alaska Native communities and culture and a proposed way forward.

The Call

We invite visual artists with intimate and long-standing relationships to Alaskan landscapes with a preference for the Copper River Basin, to contribute to our event. We seek artists whose work can speak to the theme “Stories of our Landscapes”. Host your artwork in a weekend-long exhibit in the historic Old Hardware Store (built in1911) on the campus of the Wrangell Mountains Center in remote McCarthy Alaska, within the incredible landscapes of the Wrangell Mountains. Along with the scientific and cultural presentation offered by Wilson Justin, you will have the opportunity to provide a one hour presentation of your work, on Sunday, July 28th to event attendees.

We are in search of an artist who would like to take advantage of the opportunity to show their work to our remote community, having less opportunity to access the arts and cultural programming. Our community consists of less than 100 year round residents and increases by around 300 seasonal workers and residents during the summer. The community is highly appreciative of the arts and the WMC has a long-standing tradition of offering arts and cultural summer programming including our Artist in Residency.

Artists from the global majority, who are underrepresented, marginalized, Alaska Natives, etc. are especially encouraged to apply.

Exchange

As we are a very small, grassroots organization only operating during 4 months out of the year, we will offer a humble artists fee of $200. Included in our exchange will also be 3 nights of private accommodation in one of our rustic dry cabins, 3 vegetarian meals a day for 3 days and transportation to and from the Glennallen area or Anchorage. Artists will be invited to exhibit their artwork for sale during the whole weekend event.

Our staff will do all we can to assist you in having a memorable experience in McCarthy. There are many outdoor activities to take part in, including hiking on the Root Glacier (only 4 miles away from our campus). We understand that 3 nights is a short amount of time to spend in McCarthy especially taking into consideration the long travel time, but if your schedule and funds allow- we are happy to help you plan a longer trip.

The Setting

The Old Hardware Store (OHS), located next to McCarthy Creek at the end of main street McCarthy, is the heart of the WMC where meals are prepared and shared among staff, volunteers, and program participants. The OHS was built in 1911 as a town general mercantile and was converted into a community hub for arts and sciences in the 1980s. This 100 year old building is currently on the National Register of Historic Places. Across the street from the OHS is Porphyry Place, a former homestead cabin, where artists, scientists, and locals give public lectures and weekly youth programs take place. Located behind Porphyry Place is one of three gardens at the WMC, including a small greenhouse, which supply the WMC kitchen with fresh greens throughout the summer months.

Artists will be provided with a private and furnished space. The is a cozy 12’ x 12’ standalone cabin with a small wood burning stove, desk, and twin size bed. There is an outhouse located just a few paces from the cabin. The cabin is not equipped with electricity, but the long Alaskan summer days provide ample natural light for many hours and small electronics can be charged on our solar power system at the OHS. The artist will have access to common areas on campus and simple, healthy meals (mostly vegetarian) will be provided and shared communally with WMC staff, students, and visitors.

Our campus, located in the center of McCarthy, a small mountain community, and within the boundaries of the nation’s largest unit of the national park system (over 13 million acres), provides a unique natural and cultural environment for the WMC. Positioned near ice-capped mountains, the roaring Kennicott River and McCarthy Creek, and the raw terminus of the Kennicott Glacier, the local landscape is a dynamic laboratory for ecology, glaciology, and geology. The town of McCarthy was established during the copper mining period in the early 20th century. After the local copper mines were abandoned in the 1930s, the once booming community virtually became a ghost town, but as the national park was established in the 1980s and with the growth of local tourism, McCarthy has been rediscovered by everyone from Alaskans to international travelers. Many historic sites and buildings in McCarthy and Kennecott combine to make the area a rich cultural environment, hosting vibrant communities full of character and dynamic narratives. It is an ideal place for contemplation and creative endeavor.

Application Deadline: April 10th

To apply, please submit the following in a single PDF document (besides work samples), and all materials in a single email to sabrina@wrangells.org:

• Artist statement (1000 characters)

• Please include your resume or CV (limit your resume to 1-2 pages).

• Why are our Alaskan landscapes important to you? How have you been impacted by the changes you have observed?

• Optional response: Artists from the global majority, who are underrepresented, marginalized, Alaska Natives, etc. are especially encouraged to apply. Do you identify with any of these groups of people? 

• Work samples: Please submit 6-10 images of your work.

Selection Process:

Artists will be selected by the following components:

• Importance of the Copper River Basin to their work

• Their work’s representation of the theme

• Need or benefit to artist

• Diversity of backgrounds and disciplines

We plan to make selections by April 24th

Please direct any questions or concerns to sabrina@wrangells.org