Sealaska Heritage Institute is thankful to have received the ArtPlace America grant, and we are excitedly looking forward to making our hometown a stronger art place through collaboration with other art organizations and artists. Juneau’s art community is primed for a growth spurt: Our town was recently selected for the Kennedy Center’s Any Given Child program; breaking ground for the new State Library, Museums and Archives; the launch of the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council facility expansion; and now the selection of a contractor to construct the Walter Soboleff Center--- thanks to the support of ArtPlace America!

The ArtPlace America grant will also support a traditional master/apprentice instructional approach as we integrate art into the building.  We will bring master artists and apprentices to work together on major art pieces for the Center. The Center will provide a significant opportunity to greater represent the indigenous history of the area. The Walter Soboleff Center will also be a symbolic monument for cultural diversity in downtown Juneau, and will raise the profile of Northwest Coast Native American art in Southeast Alaska and internationally.