Some people are natural born curators, such as Peter Corey, a life-long supporter of Alaska Native art and culture. Born in Brooklyn in 1939, Peter went on to study anthropology at Colorado State College. Following graduation in 1963, he joined the Peace Corps and was stationed in the Dominican Republic. After returning stateside, Peter pursued a master’s degree in historical museum procedures from the esteemed Cooperstown Graduate Program. Upon graduating, Peter was hired by the Alaska State Museum in 1969 to be curator. According to current curator Steve Henrikson, Peter was likely one of the first, if not the first, museum professional in the state with graduate-level training. In 1972, Peter came to Ketchikan to work as curator during the formation of the Totem Heritage Center, assisting with the initial installation of original totem poles for preservation and display. In 1977, he moved to Sitka to serve as director and later as curator of the Sheldon Jackson Museum, a post he held until his

retirement in 2002.

According to Irene Shuler, one of Peter’s close friends from Sitka, Peter became interested in Native American culture at age 12 thanks to a book from his grandfather. Peter had a true passion for Native cultures, and over the

span of four decades he assembled a formidable collection of Northwest Coast art, Native American basketry and silver, books, and masks from Bali. By all accounts, Peter’s collection was substantial, perhaps numbering in the thousands and covering every usable inch of space in his Sitka home. And as only a true curator would, Peter kept detailed and thorough records of his personal collection, documenting how he acquired pieces and any known information about them. Knowing an artifact’s history or provenance is invaluable information for a museum’s records, as it helps tell a meaningful story about an object and the people associated with it.

On September 20, 2015, Peter Corey passed away in Sitka. Peter’s will stipulates that a majority of his collection will remain in the state of Alaska. His bequest to the Ketchikan Museums includes six items made by his long-time friend and master weaver Selina Peratrovich between 1971 and 1974, most of which were given to him as Christmas presents. The collection includes a spruce root basket with a painted frog design by Nathan Jackson; a small open spruce root basket with Peter’s initials “PC” woven on it; a small bottle covered with open weave twined spruce roots; and a small spruce root basket purchased on Ebay. The star of the collection is a spruce root hat painted with a frog design by Nathan Jackson accompanied by a cedar bark cover hat. As the Totem Heritage Center prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2016, Peter’s generous gift to the Museums is a welcome addition to our Northwest Coast art collection.

- Hayley Chambers, Senior Curator of Collections

KetchiKanMuseuMsnews froM the tongass historical MuseuM and the toteM heritage center

January, february, March 2016

The Curator’s Collection

Peter Corey at the Sheldon Jackson Museum, where he served as both director and curator for nearly 25 years. Photo courtesy of Victoria Moran O’Connell.

Peter Corey’s bequest to the Ketchikan Museums includes three baskets, one covered bottle, and two hats all made by Selina Peratrovich.

The original catalog card for the spruce root hat woven by Selina Peratrovich and painted by Nathan Jackson and the companion cedar bark cover hat.

Native Arts Studies Program ClassesDuring the holiday season, we celebrate the students and instructors who made this an incredible fall of Northwest Coast art, and look ahead to the coming spring classes. Join us for Native Arts Studies program courses featuring world-renowned guest and local instructors teaching a wide array of traditional Native arts. Enjoy new teachers and classes, student-requested courses, and two opportunities for youth to experience weaving and design.

Holly Churchill begins the season on January 23rd with Introduction to Cedar Bark Weaving, a foundational weaving class that was previously offered only in the fall. This class gives weavers the opportunity to learn fundamentals that will enable them to further practice and refine their skills in the Intermediate and Advanced Cedar Bark Weaving class starting February 8th.

Tommy Joseph returns to Ketchikan January 23rd to teach Intermediate and Advanced Northwest Coast Carving: Masks. Students will create their own original mask, a central part of any celebration dance that is used to transform the wearer and tell stories and clan histories with power and expression.

Right: Introduction to Power Tools class

The Totem Heritage Center hosts a weekly evening session to work on Northwest Coast weaving, carving and regalia projects in the company of others.Based on student requests, Open Craft Night is moving to Thursday nights, 6-9 p.m. starting January 14th. Want updates on Open Craft Night and the Native Arts Studies Program? Get on our e-mail list! Call 225-5900 or e-mail StaceyW@city.ketchikan.ak.us for more information and to register for classes.

The Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA), in partnership wtih the CIRI Foundation, recently updated their Alaska Native Artist Resource Workbook. ASCA staff will lead workshops for Native artists around the state who are interested in developing marketing skills.

The workbook and class session will guide artists through the process of creating a portfolio to market themselves and their work. In addition to providing templates and resources for other professional opportunities, the workbook addresses issues facing Alaska Native artists, such as fraud and state and federal laws associated with using natural and animal materials in art.

ASCA will be hosting a free Native artist marketing workshop at the Totem Heritage Center, January 14th and 15th. To register, call the Totem Heritage Center at 225-5900.

Native Artist Marketing WorkshopOPEN CRAFT NIGHT MOVES TO THURSDAYS

We also welcome back renowned artist Reg Davidson of Haida Gwaii to teach Intermediate and Advanced Northwest Coast Design beginning February 24th. Students will develop their own unique design as they gain understanding of foundational formline design elements and how to combine them to create complex and intricate images.

Local blacksmith Jake Beimler will teach students to forge blades, shape handles and assemble their own customized adze and knife in Tool Making for Carvers starting March 25th. Then learn how to properly sharpen and maintain carving tools, an essential for masterful carving, in Tool Sharpening with Woody Anderson beginning April 15th.

Spring Break Youth ClassesStudents age 10 - 18 can register to take Cedar Bark Weaving with Holly Churchill during morning sessions, and/or sign up for Northwest Coast Design with Kelly White in afternoon sessions. Both project-based classes get youth hands-on with the Northwest Coast Arts.

Sign up! 225-5900 or StaceyW@city.ketchikan.ak.us

Above: Justin Christobal in Intro to Northwest Coast Carving

Right: Fred Trout instructs

Tyann Taylor in Intro to

Northwest Coast Design

Left: Intro to Northwest Coast Design drawing by Michelle Charles

Above: Mixed Level Cedar Bark Weaving class

Above: Christina Weber in Mixed Level Cedar Bark Weaving

Ketchikan’s history is full of influential, enduring, colorful and even infamous characters. These catalysts helped shape Ketchikan in numerous ways still seen today. The Tongass Historical Museum’s new summer exhibit will feature a few of these intriguing men and women (like Harriet Elizabeth Hunt, pictured at left) from Ketchikan’s formative years — the 1910s. Some helped the community realize many firsts while others provide a snapshot of what life was like in Ketchikan in its early years. From Alaska’s incorporation as a territory in 1912 to World War I, these folks made Ketchikan a community during a pivotal time. SAVE THE DATE: New Exhibit Opening Reception, Friday, April 1st, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Photo: Harriet Elizabeth Hunt, circa 1910. Photographer unknown. THS 63.9.10.200.

While recently visiting Honolulu, Hawaii, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn more about Falls of Clyde, a notable vessel and fixture along the Ketchikan waterfront from 1922 to 1959, now moored in Honolulu. I was fortunate to meet Bruce McEwan, board President for the nonprofit group The Friends of Falls of Clyde, who generously spent his time giving me a tour of Falls of Clyde and sharing her history with me.

Falls of Clyde was built at Port Glasgow, Scotland in 1878 as a wrought iron hulled, four-masted, fully rigged sailing ship. From 1878 to 1907, she carried general cargo around the world and later transported passengers and cargo between Hawaii and California. In 1907 she was converted to a sailing oil tanker to carry oil to Hawaii, and on the return trip she transported molasses from Hawaii to the States. Bruce reported the oil and molasses tanks were one and the same!

By 1922 her topmasts and rigging were removed, and she was towed to Ketchikan to become a floating fuel depot at the General Petroleum facility next to the New England Fish Co., where she remained until 1959. William Mitchell of Ketchikan purchased and offered Falls of Clyde for sale in Seattle. After several years with no sale, the ship was scheduled to be sunk as a breakwater in Vancouver, B.C. Fortunately the people of Hawaii raised funds and were able to purchase the ship and she was towed to Honolulu. From 1968 to 2008 the Bernice P. Bishop Museum and later the Hawaii Maritime Center assumed ownership and care of Falls of Clyde until the costs were no longer sustainable.

In 2008 the Bishop Museum prepared Falls of Clyde to be scuttled, but luckily she was saved once again when ownership was turned over to the non-profit group The Friends of Falls of Clyde, which is actively fundraising for long overdue restoration work. Falls of Clyde turned 137 on December 12, 2015.

-Erika Brown, Registrar Learn more at www.friendsoffallsofclyde.org.

Patty Jo Morse joined Ketchikan Museums in November as the Museum Attendant at the Tongass Historical Museum. Patty Jo recently retired from a long career with the Alaska Division of Public Assistance and has returned to Ketchikan after her work took her to many communities throughout the state.

Patty Jo holds a degree in Anthropology and Archaeology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Michigan State University. She is eager to apply her education and interests with Ketchikan Museums and to share her love of history and culture with our community and summer visitors.

You can take the Ketchikanite out of Ketchikan but…

Portraits from a Decade: 1910s

Welcome Patty Jo Morse

Above: Anne Comyn (left) and Falls of Clyde (right) in Ketchikan. THS 81.9.5.222.

Left: Falls of Clyde moored in a Honolulu harbor, awaiting restoration efforts. Photo: Erika Brown, 2015.

Patty Jo Morse in the Then & Now exhibit.

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDKetchikan, Alaska

Permit No. 95

Ketchikan MuseumsTongass Historical MuseumTotem Heritage Center629 Dock StreetKetchikan, Alaska 99901

Intermediate/Adv. Northwest Coast Design Reg Davidson, February 24 - March 5

Tool Making for Carvers Jake Beimler, March 25 - April 9

Tool Sharpening Woody Anderson, April 15 - 16

Open Craft NightThursdays, 6 – 9 p.m.,

Totem Heritage Center

Totem Heritage CenterTongass Historical Museum

Native Arts Studies Program

Spring Classes

Introduction to Cedar Bark Weaving Holly Churchill, January 23 - 30

Intermediate/Adv. Carving: Masks Tommy Joseph, January 23 - February 3

Intermediate/Adv. Cedar Bark Weaving Holly Churchill, February 8 - 20

On display through February 28, 2016

Ketchikan Museums Calendar

Then& Now

A community photography exhibit connecting Ketchikan’s past to the

present through the recreation of historic photos.

Tongass Historical Museum629 Dock Street

Ketchikan, Alaska 99901(907) 225-5600

Totem Heritage Center601 Deermount Avenue

Mailing Address: 629 Dock StreetKetchikan, Alaska 99901

(907) 225-5900

Winter HoursOctober–April

1:00 P.M.–5:00 P.M. Monday–Friday

Winter HoursOctober–April

1:00 P.M.–5:00 P.M. Tuesday–Friday Noon – 5:00 P.M. Saturday

u u u

City of KetchikanMuseum Department Staff

www.KetchikanMuseums.org

Ketchikan Museums collect, preserve, interpret and creatively share the history and culture of our region to serve, educate, engage and enrich our community.

Museum Director . . . . . . . . . . . Lacey SimpsonSr. Curator of Collections . . . . . Hayley ChambersSr. Curator of Programs . . . . . . . . Anita Maxwell Registrar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erika Brown Administrative Secretary . . . . . . . . Tara HofmannProgram Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . Ann FroeschleProgram Assistant. . . . . . . . . . Stacey Williams Museum Attendant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Patty Jo Morse

If you’re receiving this newsletter by mail, would you consider signing up for our electronic newsletter?

Ketchikan Museums will be transitioning to a monthly email newsletter over the course of 2016 to better serve you and our budget!

While we are happy to continue to send the newsletter to you by mail, switching to an electronic version saves printing and mailing costs.

To sign up for our electronic newsletter, email staceyw@city.ketchikan.ak.us or “Subscribe to the Museum Mailing List” on www.KetchikanMuseums.org.

Going Digital!