University of Alaska Museum
of the North Displays Traditional Alaska
Schedule at least half a
day for the University of Alaska Museum - you will need it.
Here you can learn about Alaska's natural history and
many cultures in a resource-rich environment. They celebrated their 70th
anniversary in 1999, and have just completed their new addition.
If you do not have much time, the museum offers a
PDF file you can download here that hits the
high spots.
From letters from the Museum:
University of Alaska Museum of the North
Summer 2009
Summer is in full swing here at the University of Alaska Museum of the
North, and the galleries are filled with summer visitors. In addition to our
long-term exhibits, keep these summer exhibits and programs in mind for your
visiting friends and family:
Special Exhibit
The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World
An arctic icon takes center stage in the museum's special exhibit gallery
this summer. With large-format color photographs by Steven Kazlowski, "The
Last Polar Bear" takes visitors on a journey across the Arctic, showing
polar bears in all seasons. Kazlowski dedicated eight years to photographing
the polar bears to document the effects of climate change on the polar
bear's habitat and behavior. Intimate photographic portraits portray the
bears' annual cycle of life from mothers with cubs to adolescents at play to
adults on the hunt.
The museum is the only Alaska venue for this extraordinary photographic
exhibit, which was organized by the Burke Museum of Natural History at the
University of Washington in partnership with Braided River, a branch of The
Mountaineers Books in Seattle. The Fairbanks presentation is supported by
the Ferguson Foundation, by the City of Fairbanks Hotel-Motel Tax Fund
(re-grant by the Fairbanks Arts Association) and by contributors to the
museum exhibition enhancement fund.
The exhibit's companion book is available in the Museum Store for $39.95
(hard cover); essays by Charles Wohlforth, Nick Jans, Richard Nelson,
Theodore Roosevelt IV and other noted authors complement more than 200 of
Kazlowski's color photographs.
Auditorium Shows
Dynamic Aurora and Winter
Dynamic Aurora captures the beauty of northern lights and explains this
high-latitude phenomena from scientific and cultural perspectives. Presented
in partnership with the UAF Geophysical Institute. 30 minutes. Presented
daily at 10 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM, 5PM and 7:30 PM
Winter gives visitors insight into our longest season. Learn about
adaptations to life in the cold and the activities that sustain Alaskans
through winter into spring. 30 minutes. Presented daily at 11 AM, 2 PM and 4
PM.
Purchase the $5 museum show pass for unlimited access to all shows that day.
Museum Café
The Museum Café is open from 9:30 AM to 4 PM this summer, offering
gourmet sandwiches, salads, pastries, light snacks and beverages.
Museum co-hosts national mammal conference
The museum and UAF's Institute of Arctic Biology are proud to co-host the
American Society of Mammalogists' annual meeting, June 24-28 in Fairbanks.
This is the first time in more than 20 years that the meetings have been
held in Fairbanks. More than 400 attendees from across the country are
expected to attend.
As part of the conference, community members are invited to attend the
June 28 presentation of "Darwin Remembers: A Recollection of Life's
Journeys", a one-man play performed by Floyd Sanford. The performance begins
at 7 PM in UAF's Davis Concert Hall. Admission is free.
For more information on the mammal meetings, visit the conference website
at
http://mercury.bio.uaf.edu/asm/index.html.
Membership: the gift that keeps giving
With benefits that include free admission to the museum, invitations to
members-only events and a discount at the Museum Store, museum memberships
are the gifts that keep giving all year. Gift memberships are available at
the individual, couple and family levels.
To purchase your gift memberships, visit the museum admission desk or
complete the attached gift membership form and return it to the museum
membership office. For more information, contact membership coordinator
Barbara Travis at 474-5484 or
b.travis@uaf.edu.
Unless otherwise specified, museum admission is charged: $10 for
adults, $9 for seniors and $5 for youth 7-17. Admission is free for museum
members, UA students (with valid ID) and children 6 and under.
Members receive free admission for one year, a 10% discount in the Museum
Store and invitations to exclusive, members-only events.
More detail on these events, is available online at
www.uaf.edu/museum/events.
MUSEUM SUMMER HOURS (at least through Sept. 15)
9 AM - 9 PM
24-HOUR INFORMATION
907.474.7505
www.uaf.edu/museum
Be a part of the Museum Family!
With the opening of our new galleries, there's never been a better time
to join the museum family. Museum members enjoy a variety of exclusive
benefits, including unlimited free admission. For more information, to
become a member or to renew your membership, please contact the Membership
Office at 907-474-6443, email museum.membership@uaf.edu or join online at
www.uaf.edu/museum/membership.
For a complete listing of museum events, visit us online at
www.uaf.edu/museum.
Hours and Fees
Holiday Hours
December 26-31 - Noon to 5 PM
Closed Christmas and New Year's Day
Winter/Spring Hours (through May 14)
Weekdays - 9 AM to 5 PM
Weekends - Noon to 5 PM
Summer Hours (May 15 - September 15)
Exhibit galleries & Museum Store:
9 AM - 9 PM Daily
Museum Café: 9 AM - 4 PM Daily
Admission Fees (including special exhibits):
Adults: $10
Seniors: $9
Youth (7-17), UA Faculty and Staff: $5
Children 6 & under and Free Museum members: Free
Museum members receive free admission for one year, a 10% discount in the
Museum Store and invitations to exclusive, members-only events.
The Following may or may not still be available:
Aurora Program and Cultural Presentations
The museum has joined forces with the World Eskimo Indian
Olympics to provide the dual productions--named "Northern Interpretations."
The program includes "Dynamic Aurora," a
50 minute presentation on the northern lights, and "Northern Inua," a cultural performance
based on traditional storytelling, dance and athletic presentations.
Daily performances will start on June 1 and continue through Aug. 31.
Featured Exhibit
Forced To Leave:
The Detention of Alaskan Japanese Americans and Aleuts
During World War II. "Forced To Leave" looks at the civilian impact of the
WW II military campaign in Alaska. Under the circumstances of war, two
groups of Alaskans experienced those years under particular duress: the
Alaskan Japanese Americans and the Aleuts. Located in the Southwest Gallery.
Keeper of the Seal
The Art of Henry Wood Elliott
Henry Wood Elliott (1846-1930) created watercolor sketches, paintings, maps,
and cartoons in his crusade to save the Pribilof Island fur seals from
probable extinction. His works document this rich and remote region of
Alaska during the late 19th Century.
Focus on Fairbanks
Celebrate Alaska's Golden Heart City — Past, Present and Future There’s
still gold in those hills! A hundred years after Felix Pedro struck gold in
the hills north of town, Fairbanks is a thriving city rich in culture and
resources. Explore the Museum’s galleries to learn about the gold rush days,
building the Alaska Highway, the aurora borealis and what we’re planning
for the future. In the Interior Gallery, UAF Museum. Opened 10/14/02, Goes
at least through November; may be extended.
Museum Gallery Exhibits
The main museum gallery is divided into five geographical
regions of the state with exhibits detailing everything from dinosaur bone discoveries to
intricate ivory carvings and a cross section of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline.
Their web
site gives more information.
Blue Babe, a 36,000-year-old steppe bison, is on permanent display at the
museum. The bison was preserved in permafrost near Fairbanks until recovered several years
ago. Its skin is blue from oxidized minerals in the ground, and it is so well preserved
that claw scratches from a predator are still visible in the skin.
The museum also offers visitors a look at why everybody rushed to Alaska in
the first place. It is home to one of the largest gold displays in the Interior.
The museum is recognized for its vast collection of
Native American ethnographic objects and archaeological artifacts. The Geophysical Institute is internationally renowned for its aurora
borealis research. Both are located on the West Ridge of the UAF campus.
Alaska Quaternary Center Lectures
The AQC invites visiting Quaternary scholars to present public lectures and
brown bag seminars throughout the semester. Call the AQC at 474-5033 for more
information.
Book Readings
7 - 9 p.m. UAF English Department invites contemporary authors to give both
craft talks and book readings at the Museum throughout the semester. Information: English
Department, 474-7197.
Explainer Talks, Offered throughout the day. Free with museum admission. Explore Alaska's
wildlife and culture in these 20-minute hands-on presentations.
