SHI LECTURE TO EXPLORE THE INTERSECTION OF TLINGIT CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY GLASS ART
Artist Preston Singletary to share his journey in merging Indigenous traditions with modern materials
Sept. 12, 2024
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will sponsor a lecture next week as part of its ongoing fall series, featuring prominent voices in Indigenous knowledge, science and art.
The event will feature renowned Tlingit artist Preston Singletary, who will discuss his artistic journey and the fusion of traditional Tlingit art with the medium of glass.
In his lecture, “Eagle’s Journey with Raven,” Singletary will explore how his career evolved from glass blowing to incorporating Tlingit designs into his sculptural work. He will share how his collaborations with Elders and teachers such as Walter Porter and Joe David expanded his knowledge of Tlingit mythologies and Native spiritual practices.
Singletary will also delve into his role as an ambassador of change in the Indigenous art world, focusing on how contemporary materials such as glass can be used to tell traditional stories in new ways. He will trace his career from gallery exhibitions to large-scale public art installations, including his recent work for the Pacific Northwest Ballet.
The artist will also discuss the immersive exhibit “Raven and the Box of Daylight,” a multimedia experience that has been traveling across the country since 2018. This project, which Singletary developed with guidance from Porter and curator Miranda Belarde-Lewis, is now the longest-running solo show by an Alaska Native artist.
The lecture is scheduled at noon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, in Shuká Hít within the Walter Soboleff Building, 105 Heritage Way, in Juneau. The event will be livestreamed and posted on SHI’s YouTube channel.
Sealaska Heritage Institute is a private nonprofit founded in 1980 to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska. Its goal is to promote cultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding through public services and events. SHI also conducts scientific and public policy research that promotes Alaska Native arts, cultures, history and education statewide. The institute is governed by a Board of Trustees and guided by a Council of Traditional Scholars, a Native Artist Committee and a Southeast Regional Language Committee.
CONTACT: Kathy Dye, SHI Media and Publications Deputy Director, 907.321.4636, kathy.dye@sealaska.com.
Caption: Glass clan house screen and house posts made by Tlingit artist Preston Singletary at the Walter Soboleff Center in Juneau, Alaska. The screen shows a Northwest Coast design in sandblasted glass. On the left stands an Eagle warrior; while on the right stands a Raven created in a dark charcoal color. This screen measures approximately 11.5 feet high by 16 feet wide and weighs over 1000 lbs. It was created with 28 glass panels, 28 plexiglass panels and over 200 custom made mounting bolts. Note: Media outlets are permitted to use this image for coverage of this story. For a higher-res image, contact kathy.dye@sealaska.com.