Anchorage Museum facts for kids
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Main entrance to Anchorage Museum
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| Established | 1968 |
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| Location | Anchorage, Alaska |
| Architect | Mitchell/Giurgola Architects |
The Anchorage Museum is a cool place in Anchorage, Alaska. It's a big museum that explores the land, people, art, and history of Alaska. You can find art, history, science, and cultural exhibits here.
The museum shows off items from its own collection. It also brings in special exhibits from other places.
Contents
History of the Museum
The Anchorage Museum first opened its doors in 1968. It started in a building about 10,000 square feet big. Back then, it had 60 paintings and 2,500 historical objects. Only two people worked there!
The museum has grown a lot since then. It has expanded three times, with the latest big change in 2010. Now, it's about 170,000 square feet. Its collection has grown to 25,000 objects and 500,000 old photos.
Since 1992, the museum has been home to the Smithsonian Institution's Arctic Studies Center. This partnership helps the museum with research, education, and special exhibits.
What You Can See and Do
The Anchorage Museum is a very popular spot in Alaska. Over 180,000 people visit each year. These visitors come from Alaska and all over the world. It's a major cultural hub for the community.
The museum often ranks as one of Alaska's top visitor attractions. Every year, it puts on 16 to 20 new exhibits. These are supported by fun education programs and activities. Thousands of students and adults join these programs each year.
Permanent Exhibits
The museum has several exciting permanent exhibits.
- The Alaska history gallery shows how Alaska has changed over time.
- Alaska art galleries display beautiful artworks.
- The Imaginarium Discovery Center has hands-on science exhibits.
- The Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center features amazing Alaskan Native artifacts. These items are on loan from the Smithsonian Institution.
Sharing Knowledge
The museum has a large library and archives. Publishers, scholars, and researchers often use its information and images. You can even access many of their books online through interlibrary loan.
The Smithsonian Institution's Arctic Studies Center also does a lot of work here. They offer public programs and research projects. These help people learn more about northern cultures and environments. They also create exhibits and train museum staff from all over Alaska.
Reaching Across Alaska
The museum doesn't just stay in Anchorage. It shares its programs and exhibits with other towns across the state. For example, exhibits have traveled to places like Unalaska, Bethel, and Juneau.
The museum also gives advice to other museums and cultural centers in Alaska. They help with things like organizing collections and setting up new exhibits.
Amazing Collections
The Anchorage Museum has over 40,000 square feet dedicated to its permanent collection. This collection focuses on Alaska's history, art from the North, and different cultures.
Alaska Gallery
This gallery tells the story of Alaska's rich history. It starts with the native animals and the first people who came to Alaska. It goes all the way up to the present day.
The Alaska Gallery has more than 1,000 objects. It's one of the most complete displays of Alaskan history and cultures. You can see full-size and miniature scenes. These show how Alaska's Native peoples lived. They also cover Russian exploration, the gold rush, World War II, and when Alaska became a state in 1959.
Art of the North
The museum's art collection shows a wide range of art from Alaska and the northern parts of the world. Seven galleries on the ground floor are filled with this art.
You can see landscape paintings and drawings from early European trips to Alaska. There are also works by modern artists. One entire gallery is dedicated to paintings by Sydney Laurence. He is probably Alaska's most famous artist.
Special Exhibitions and Programs
The museum hosts many different kinds of exhibitions. These include shows where artists compete, exhibits that explain topics, and traveling shows from other museums.
The museum also brings in exhibits and programs about other cultures. For example, they have shown art from Ghana, Tibet, Norway, Korea, and Japan. They also make sure their Alaska-focused programs include the many different cultures living in Alaska today.
Public programs include talks, classes, workshops, and movies. You can also join public and school tours. The museum often holds special events too.
How the Museum is Run
The Anchorage Museum is managed by the Anchorage Museum Association. This is a private, non-profit group. They work under a long-term agreement with the city of Anchorage.
The city owns the museum building and its collections. The museum gets its money from ticket sales, fundraising, grants, and support from the city.
Who Works Here
About 50 full-time staff members work at the museum. They handle everything from managing the building to organizing exhibits. There are also experts like an archaeologist and an anthropologist from the Smithsonian's Arctic Studies Center.
The museum also has a great team of volunteers. Over 300 volunteers help out. They work as guides, help with education, and assist with collections and the library.
Museum Building and Spaces
The museum building is 170,000 square feet. It has many galleries for its permanent collection. There are also special galleries for changing exhibits.
A large open area called an atrium is used for events. There are two classrooms and a 230-seat auditorium. These spaces host many programs, classes, and special events. Behind the scenes, there are workshops for preparing exhibits. There are also storage areas for collections and a special lab for taking care of old items.
New Additions to the Museum
The museum has a new wing that's very exciting. It features the Smithsonian Institution's Arctic Studies Center. Thanks to this center, 600 Alaskan Native artifacts have returned to Alaska. These items are on long-term display. They came from the National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of the American Indian.
The new wing also has fresh galleries for changing exhibits. The library and archives are bigger now. There are also better services for visitors, including the Muse restaurant and a gift shop.
The new part of the museum was designed by David Chipperfield Architects. It gave the whole museum a new look and entrance. The outside of the building has a very unique design. It uses special glass that was made just for this project. This glass helps the building stand up to Alaska's extreme weather.
