News Release

Striking “Constellation” Opens Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center

Anchorage, Alaska – Sept. 12, 2008 – “Constellation,” a 65-foot, shimmering cascade depicting indigenous Alaska mammals and sea creatures, was installed today in the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center lobby atrium.

The magnificent $350,000 centerpiece includes 300 glowing resin birds, wildlife and sea life suspended from the ceiling of the west lobby. The illuminated art piece cascades down through the full 100-foot height of the lobby creating interaction with all levels of the building, as well as being a shimmering beacon to anyone outside. The stunning and interpretative sculpture, inspired by Dena’ina fish traps, culminates 15-feet above the main entry, where a floor of forest fall leaves are engraved in bronze tile. It is just one of several pieces of art selected for the Dena’ina Center that depicts the land, people and animals of the Dena’ina Athabascan people and Cook Inlet Region.

“People visiting the Dena’ina Center will truly get a sense of the depth and rich history represented by the Dena’ina Athabascan people, as well as their respect and reverence for the land,” said Artist and Sculptor Roger Helmick.

Constellation was shipped to Alaska in 26 boxes and took about two days to install. Each of the bird, mammal and sea creatures featured in the glowing cascade was individually sculpted in wax, then transferred to a cast where it was produced in translucent cast resin. The figures capture light and resemble sandblasted glass.

Helmick collaborated with Stuart Schechter, an MIT-trained engineer, former rocket scientist and sculptor to create Constellation. The duo has designed other public art projects including those in Sea-Tac and Philadelphia Airports, the North Carolina Museum of Art and public libraries in Salt Lake City, Utah and Evanston, Ill. Helmick’s next installation is an exterior steel and layered tube sculpture that will be installed at Rutgers University this fall.

Constellation was chosen by a seven-member Art Selection Jury and is made possible through the 1% for Art Program, a state law that requires 1 percent of the construction costs of new public buildings be spent on permanent art. Constellation is the second art piece to be installed in the Dena’ina Center. A traditional Athabascan fish trap, built by Artist Alan Dick of Lime Village, is already in place.

A stained glass mural, by Artist James Grant, will be installed Sept. 14, 2008, on the south wall of the Dena’ina Center pre-function area outside the ballroom. The area’s expansive windows provide abundant natural light that transforms the colorful art depending on the time of day and the season. Grant’s mural is a 26-foot-by-12-foot aluminum frame, filled with stained glass window spaces. The mural depicts the subsistence lifestyle of the Dena’ina people and shows everyday activities along Cook Inlet. Much of Grant’s art, including this piece, looks at the impact of a changing world on Native culture, while furthering the preservation of his Native heritage. Grant is an Athabascan Native who was born in Tanana and now resides in Fairbanks.

Additional artwork for the Executive Board Room, by Artists Sonya Kelliher-Combs and Kathleen Carlo, will be installed later this month.

“The art selection committee did a fantastic job in choosing pieces that show how Anchorage is a thriving metropolis, yet place of history and culture that goes back for thousands of years,” said Jocelyn Young, curator for the 1% for Art program. “This artwork uniquely depicts how this building is tied to the land and its people.

The Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (ACVB) mission is to attract and serve visitors to the Municipality of Anchorage as a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO). ACVB’s marketing functions are funded by one-third of the bed tax collected by lodging associations. One-third goes to the Municipality’s general fund, a contribution established in 1978, and one-third goes to the construction and annual maintenance costs of the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center and the William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center. ACVB receives no state or federal funds. Explore www.Anchorage.net for more information.

Media Contacts:

Jeanette Anderson Moores
Public Relations
Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau
jmoores@anchorage.net
(907) 276-4118
Explore www.Anchorage.net

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