Alaska State Museum

Due to illness, there will be no organ performance during the lunch hour at the State Office Building today (4/24).

We anticipate performances to resume next Friday and hope to see folks there.

DOROTHY GRANT RETROSPECT: RAVEN COMES FULL CIRCLE
𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 40 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦

𝗘𝗫𝗛𝗜𝗕𝗜𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚
Friday, May 1, 5:00 pm
Introduction by Rosita K̲aaháni Worl
Followed by the Yées K̲u.oo Dance Group

𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗗𝗢𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗬 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗧
Saturday, May 2, 1:00 pm in the APK Lecture Hall

𝘙𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘍𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘊𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘦 showcases Dorothy Grant’s 40-years career in haute couture, from traditional regalia to contemporary fashion and her critical role in bringing Indigenous fashion to a world stage.

Skil Da ‘Yuuwans Dorothy Grant belongs to the Yahgw Janáas clan of the Haida Nation. An internationally renowned fashion designer, she is celebrated for her unique design and critical role in bringing Indigenous fashion to a world stage. Grant’s artistic journey began with ceremonial works in the early 1980s, when she began making button robes and learned spruce root weaving from master Haida weaver Florence Edenshaw Davidson. In the mid-1980s, rising to a challenge by celebrated Haida artist Bill Reid, Grant set her sights on bridging the world of Haida art and regalia with that of western fashion and haute couture. Pursuing a formal fashion education at the Helen Lefeaux School of Fashion Design, she debuted her first label, Feastwear, in 1989 with a fashion show in Vancouver that featured 55 pieces, garnering great excitement. This event marked the beginning of Dorothy Grant’s multi-decade career in fashion.

Grant's garments, imbued with the Haida philosophy of yahguudang (respect), are worn by many walks of life in a variety of settings, from Potlatches to the Oscars. She continues to be celebrated for her lasting legacy in art, fashion, and business, and for her role in opening the door for future Indigenous fashion designers.

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘩𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘢 𝘎𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘪 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮, 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘛𝘢𝘢.𝘶𝘶 ‘𝘠𝘶𝘶𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘕𝘪𝘬𝘢 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯.

Image: Raven Cape with One-Shoulder Dress by Dorothy Grant, photo by Farah Nosh