Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center facts for kids

The Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center (YPCC) is a special place in Bethel, Alaska. It's a non-profit center that celebrates the Yup'ik culture. Sometimes, it also includes the Alaskan Athabaskan culture of the area. The center is located near the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Kuskokwim Campus.

YPCC is unique because it combines three important things: a museum, a library, and a space for cultural activities. People use it for gatherings, feasts, celebrations, meetings, and classes. The name Yupiit Piciryarait means "Yup'iks' customs" in the Yup'ik language. It comes from the word piciryaraq, which means "manner; custom; habit; tradition; way of life".

The center was finished in 1995. It was built with money from the State of Alaska. The Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) helped create it. Today, the UAF's Kuskokwim Campus, AVCP, and the City of Bethel run the center. Its main goal is to promote, protect, and grow Yup'ik traditions. This includes Alaska Native art forms like crafts, performances, education, and the Yup'ik language. The center also helps local artists and business owners.

Building Design and Yup'ik Culture

The Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center was built between 1994 and 1995. It was designed to be a valuable place for the community and the region. Livingston Slone Architects from Anchorage created the building's design. They made sure it honored the Yup'ik culture.

You can see Yup'ik themes throughout the building. For example, the double circle or circle-and-dot design is used. This design, called ellanguaq in Yup'ik, is like those found on Yup'ik masks. It represents the cosmos and the earth. You can spot these designs in the ceiling patterns and light fixtures. The performing arts area has a stage for Yup'ik dancing. Its raised ceiling looks like a traditional Yup'ik qasgiq, which was a large community house for men. The museum part of the center has special spaces for Alaska Native arts and crafts. It also has storage areas that control the environment to keep artifacts and artwork safe.

Who Manages the Center?

The UAF's Kuskokwim Campus owns and manages the entire YPCC building. They handle how the building runs, its upkeep, and security. The university also rents out the center's conference spaces.

The Yup'ik Museum and its gift shop are managed by the Association of Village Council Presidents, Inc. (AVCP). The Consortium Library is a team effort. It is run by the City of Bethel and the UAF together.

Fun Events in the Auditorium

The center has a large multi-purpose room, also called an auditorium. The UAF's Kuskokwim Campus manages this space. It's used for many things like training, classes, conferences, concerts, and meetings. This auditorium is the biggest of its kind in the area and is very popular. It has a stage perfect for dance performances and community meetings.

Other exciting events happen here too! These include weekly Saturday Markets, Cultural Nights, and a Summer Arts Camp for local young people. There are also art classes during the school year. You can even enjoy Yup'ik dance nights, where local dance groups perform. Sometimes, there are Athabaskan fiddle dances as well. The university tries to schedule activities that focus on arts and culture.

Saturday Market: A Place to Find Treasures

The YPCC is a central meeting spot for Yup'ik people. It helps them share ideas, grow their traditional knowledge, and improve their lives. The center also hosts a "Saturday Market" twice a month during the summer. At this market, artists and crafters from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta come to sell their handmade items.

You can find many different crafts at the market. Some popular items include traditional Yup'ik parka covers, called kuspuk (or qaspeq). You might also see story knives (yaaruin), woven baskets (mingqaaq), and the ulu (a special semilunar knife used by women). The center also helps new businesses in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region with competitions and funding.

The Yup'ik Museum

The Yup'ik Museum is a special place that keeps cultural items and art from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region. It's the only museum of its kind in this part of Alaska. The museum is owned and run by local tribes and is located inside the YPCC in Bethel. The Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) guides the museum and its gift shop.

The museum is part of the 18,000-square-foot cultural center. It holds about 5,000 pieces of art, pictures, and artifacts. The museum's area, including storage, a gift shop, and offices, covers about 3,800 square feet.

The museum has three galleries. Two galleries show permanent exhibits. These exhibits feature the Yup'ik (and Cup'ik) and Alaskan Athabaskans from ancient times to today. The third gallery has temporary exhibits that change every three months. These often include other Native collections. The museum is free to visit and is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 12 pm to 4 pm.

Museum History: From Log Cabin to Cultural Center

The Yup'ik Museum started as the Bethel Museum in 1965. It received a grant to celebrate 100 years since Alaska was purchased from Russia. The first museum was in a log house. By 1968, the Bethel Council on the Arts managed it.

Later, the City of Bethel took over again, and the items moved to a new log cabin. On July 4, 1970, it reopened and was called the Yugtarvik Regional Museum. Sadly, the log cabin was damaged by fire in 1980, harming both the building and its collection. In 1995, when the new YPCC opened, the museum moved there. It was then renamed the Yupiit Piciryarait Museum.

Museum Gift Shop: Local Art and Crafts

The Yup'ik Museum Gift Shop sells Alaska Native art work from the region. The Association of Village Council Presidents, Inc. (AVCP) operates both the museum and the gift shop. AVCP is a tribal organization and a non-profit Alaska native corporation. They are interested in making stronger connections between the cultural center and the nearby villages.

Consortium Library: Books and Culture

The Consortium Library is a special library consortium. It's managed by a partnership between the City of Bethel, UAF, and statewide library services. This library combines the UAF's Kuskokwim Campus library and the City of Bethel community library.

It has a reading room that looks out over a small pond. There's also a children's reading room, which is great for younger visitors. A unique "Yup'ik room" holds special collections of books and materials related to the Yup'ik culture.

See also

• Alaska Native Heritage Center
• Alutiiq Museum
• List of museums in Alaska
• Yup'ik clothing