Israel Shotridge: Totem Pole Carver
Photos & Story by John
Anchorage is fortunate to be home to the Alaska Native Heritage Center, where one can experience and appreciate Alaska's many native cultures all at one place. The Center proudly provides a culturally rich environment where visitors and local residents can come and check out workshops, demonstrations, and tours which give insight into the life and history of Alaska's people.
Soon to be on display at the Native Heritage Center are four ambitious works of art that are visually stunning and also serve as cultural symbols of four proud native peoples. Thanks to the vision and skill of a few artists from Southeast Alaska, what started out as simple blocks of red cedar will eventually be transformed into brilliant works of craftsmanship. The final product will be four different totem poles, serving as house posts, which will ultimately go on display in the Southeast Clan House.
One man in particular, Israel Shotridge, of Tlingit heritage, has played an intricate role in this production. Already an accomplished artist, Israel was chosen and commissioned to carve the totems specifically for the Eyak and Tlingit cultures. Israel also did the designs for the totems by hand, which is almost as impressive as the carvings themselves. Furthermore, the underlying theme for the project is respect, as the Eyak totem portrays respect for culture, and the Tlingit shows respect for self.
I had the privilege to catch up with Israel and his wife Sue to ask a few questions. This turned out to be quite a treat to watch the two skilled workers in action, as Israel deftly made the carvings, and Sue painted on the finishing touches. The carving process seems to be rather slow and requires great patience and meticulous attention to detail. One wrong move could result in a drastic mistake, of which Israel seems to make very little. Nevertheless, the passion that they had for this project and what it represents was very clear. I can only imagine what pride these two had to be a part of something so special.
You can also view a spectacular array of limited edition jewelry, prints, and other creations made by the Shotridge family, at the link below: