Alaskan Native Fine Art

Phillip John "Aarnaquq" Charette, Alaskan Native Yup'ik artist, has been awarded the 2009 Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) Fellowship. SWAIA, a non-profit organization, is an advocate for Native American arts and cultures (particularly those in the Southwest). SWAIA creates economic and cultural opportunities for Native American artists in part by producing and promoting the Santa Fe Indian Market each August. The Fellowship program is a highly competitive application process with over a thousand applications received each year. Phillip is one of only five artists to receive the 2009 Fellowship.

The purpose of the SWAIA Fellowship Program is to help emerging and established American Indian artists reach the next level by providing funds to help advance their talents, assist with promotion, building a portfolio, further their professional development, and more. For over 20 years, SWAIA has awarded more than 130 fellowships to select Native American artists based on their achievement of excellence in the arts. The current fellowship award is $5,000. In 2008, SWAIA® awarded fellowships to six talented artists.
Phillip's expansion plans include the purchase of welding equipment that will allow him to begin producing large outdoor metal sculptures. "Winning this highly coveted Fellowship is one of the most exciting things to happen to me as an artist. To win this award is a statement of where I've come as a professional artist and I'm thankful to the SWAIA selection committee for giving me this recognition," said Phillip.

Phillip's artistic focus has been on mixed media sculptures and prints that are contemporary renditions of traditional Yup'ik ceremonial masks. He has participated in shows at the Smithsonian, the Eiteljorg, and the Heard Museums, and was a part of the Changing Hands 2: Art Without Reservation national museum tour. His work has been collected privately and by museums, including the Portland Art Museum and the Hallie Ford Museum. He makes his home in Eastern Oregon.

To learn more about this award, please visit the SWAIA website.

In case you're interested in interviews or articles about Phillip, this is the place to check. We'll be posting links to online interviews, information on radio interviews, and publication dates of print interviews, as well as upcoming events:

Upcoming events:

Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition: Indigenous Voices Reply
May 30 - November 29, 2009, Burke Museum, Seattle, WA The Poisoned piece, shown below, is a part of that exhibition. In addition, I will be lecturing on the piece and the topic of the impact of the white people on indigenous peoples, their culture, and their goods.

Upcoming articles / blogs:

Stay posted for info on three upcoming pieces:
Print: Harvard University Magazine, May-June Issue, 2009
Print: Sunset Magazine interview
Blog: ReconnectWithSimmons Blog by Lynette Benton

What's In the News now?

If you have something special coming up, bring in someone they'll remember, someone who doesn't sound like the other musicians you might be considering, someone whose music is so beautiful it will stay
with them long after they are gone. Bring in someone who can make magic on a flute... Someone like me. :-)

I love teaching and performing because both have the capacity to bring so much to the people listening. People who are interested in art and Native culture are fascinated and always enjoy themselves. More importantly for the lecture is that they walk away feeling like they know something they didn't know when they walked into the room. Shouldn't that be the outcome of any lecture?

As for the music,I've found that literally all ages - from the very young (infants) to the very old - and in all walks of life, enjoy my music. A performance should leave an indelible mark on a person that they will always remember. People share with me how listening to my music touched them. An artist can't ask for much more than that...

For more about my Alaskan Native Art, my education and research, and previous lectures, please visit my website at: YupikMask.com

Lectures:
I lecture on any number of topics around Alaskan Native Art and Culture, Art in Ceremony, Tradition as Art, Native American Instrument Making and Playing, and more. I will also customize my lectures for your specific needs.

Flute performance, singing & story telling:
Have a special event coming up? An opening, dedication, memorial, wedding, festival, celebration, concert, etc? I'll work with you to develop a performance that suits your needs and keeps a captive audience who will leave feeling great about having been there.

Hear my music at PhillipCharette

Fees:
Start at $250 an hour plus travel and expenses.

Please note: As much as I love to donate my time to great causes, at the price of fuel I cannot agree to perform or lecture for less than the cost of my travel and expenses. If you are having a special fundraising or awareness-raising event coming up, I'd love to help if I have the time, but please know that I cannot do so without a minimum charge to cover expenses and travel.

Please inquire via e-mail if you want more information and we'll get back to you immediately.