Anchorage, Alaska, March 2, 2022— The Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) board and staff are pleased to announce the hire of Angela Demma as Curator of Collections and Exhibits.
In her role, Demma will lead the Collections Department to physically care for the objects in the organization’s collection, interpret, organize, and provide access to the collections. She’ll also develop opportunities to share the collections on our campus and digitally and develop future leadership in the department that will foster ANHC’s mission.
Demma is a curator and arts advocate who lives and works on Dena’ina homelands in and around Anchorage, Alaska. Prior to joining ANHC, she has also held curatorial positions at the Anchorage Museum, Alaska Native Arts Foundation, the Municipality of Anchorage, and she taught Alaska Native Art History at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She’s worked in cultural non-profits in Alaska for more than 20 years. Her arts advocacy work is currently focused on administering programs for Alaska Native PLACE (providing living artists creative environments), a grassroots group of Alaska Native artists creating opportunities and community in Anchorage.
“We are excited to welcome Angela to the Alaska Native Heritage Center as Curator of Collections and Exhibits,” said ANHC President & CEO Emily Edenshaw. “Her wealth of experience in curation and the arts will allow us take our work to the next level.”
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to further the incredible mission of the Center and work with a team that is innovative, passionate, and dedicated,” said Demma.
ANHC’s collection consists of Alaska Native public art, traditional watercraft, regalia, and cultural objects from all five regions of the state. The more than 3,000 objects in ANHC’s collection range from hundreds of years old to contemporary examples showcasing the continuity and innovations represented in Alaska Native cultures. The collection is largely donated but was also bequeathed and purchased over our 20 years history.
The artwork and objects are exhibited in display cases throughout the Welcome House and as part of exhibits at the six village site houses situated around Lake Tiulana representing Alaska Native homes at the time of contact with Europeans. The Hall of Cultures features a shared theme laid out in five sections, currently, “Changing Lives, Living Values: Understanding and Adapting to What Life Brings”. Themes are conceived of by ANHC’s Cultural Advisory Committees. The objects on exhibit give more context to the themes discussed on exhibit panels. For more information about ANHC’s collection, contact Angie Demma at 907-330-8800.
