SWAAG, the Southwest Alaska Arts Group, is a new arts group that was just lately shaped this thirty day period by merging two other regional arts groups: the Bethel Council on the Arts and the Kuskokwim Arts Guild.
The Bethel Council on the Arts may well be most effective recognized for hosting reside performances in Bethel, like Cama’i. The Kuskokwim Arts Guild sells nearby artists’ wares at the Bethel Cultural Centre. Both of those teams also offer scholarships and fiscal assistance to nearby artists and arts applications in the region.
Reyne Athanas, who has helped both teams for decades, mentioned that the companies had been having issues in the latest a long time discovering ample volunteers.
“And it just made perception for us to merge the two with each other so that we could share the resources, share the time, electrical power, and not double guide on dates,” Athanas claimed.
She claimed that the newly fashioned Southwest Alaska Arts Group, or SWAAG, will continue the mission to endorse, assist, and foster artists all over the area.
“This area, in specific, is so abundant in arts and crafts and effectiveness. It is significant that we maintain that, and we keep on to help not only the traditional, but the new,” Athanas stated.
Anne Kosacheff is aspect of the transition crew aiding sort the new group. When SWAAG is centered in Bethel, she stated that the group supports artists throughout the Y-K Delta. And a person working day, it’s possible even more. That is why they improved the title to the Southwest Alaska Arts Group.
“We didn’t want to say, ‘Yes we’re the Bethel arts team,’ because we’re not. We have 40 distinct artists from as far as Nightmute. And we have some art in the store from Toksook Bay. I signify, we include this entire delta. And if we desired to develop into a various village, like Kotzebue, or Nome, or Dillingham, like, who’s to say we couldn’t do that with this identify,” Kosacheff stated.
Kosacheff hopes that SWAAG advantages all people in the area, not just artists.
“Art is out there so that other individuals who may well not contemplate by themselves artists are encouraged by it at any degree. No matter whether they’re inspired to make some thing, whether they’re influenced to believe otherwise. I think it can be a truly crucial tool to sort of get out of your mind and into the world a lot more,” Kosacheff reported.
SWAAG lately elected its founding board of administrators, which is led by president Moses Tulim. Its subsequent board assembly will be on April 9. If you’re interested in encouraging out, you can call 907-953-8055 or electronic mail [email protected]
Updated: January 21, 2022 at 1:37 PM AKST
Moses Tulim is also a KYUK board member.