2 murals by Alaska Native artists planned to appear in downtown Anchorage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Two murals are being added to downtown Anchorage by Alaska Native artists this fall.

The first mural will be located on G Street on the east side of the RIM Architecture building, while the second mural will be at The Kobuk coffee and gift shop on Fifth Avenue, according to the Anchorage Museum’s press release.

The existing G Street mural, which is a timeline of Anchorage’s history, is being painted over so the new mural can replace it.

Both art pieces will represent different Alaska Native tribes and Indigenous cultures, focusing on inclusivity and diversity.

“The heart of these projects is inclusivity,” muralist and Alaska Pacific University Project Manager James Temte said.

Tlingit, Athabaskan, Yup’ik, and Filipino artist Crystal Worl will be painting the G Street mural.

“There’s a great diversity of tribes that live and work and coexist in Anchorage today, and so I wanted to create a piece that feels significant to a lot of people in Anchorage,” Worl said.

The other mural will be painted by Yup’ik and Inupiaq artist Drew Michael.

“I wanted to bring a lot of color to downtown, and I think that influenced this particular piece,” Michael said.

Worl’s mural is partnered with the Anchorage Museum, Anchorage Downtown Partnership, Alaska Pacific University, Roadmap for a Vital and Safe Anchorage, building owners Barbara and Larry Cash, and SALT, LLC. Michael’s mural is also partnered with the Anchorage Museum and the Anchorage Downtown Partnership, as well as The Kobuk.

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