Spoken Word Artist, 2017 Korean born and Alaskan grown, Christy's favorite language is poetry. She has shared stages with Patricia Smith, Beau Sia, G Yamazawa, Bao Phi, and a host of other gorgeous slam champions and writers she's still reeling about. Her work has appeared in such places as The Loft Literary Center's Equilibrium series in Minneapolis, The Roundhouse in London, Angry Asian Man, … Read More

Alaska Literary Arts, 2017 Fiction Don Rearden is a screenwriter, poet, and the author of the critically acclaimed novel, The Raven's Gift, which made The Washington Post Notable List for Fiction. He teaches writing as a Professor at the University of Alaska. Recent honors include a Contributions to Literacy in Alaska Award from the Alaska Center for the Book and a Rasmuson Individual Artist … Read More

Dance, 2017 Stephanie Wonchala is an Anchorage choreographer and dance educator. She is the artistic director of Pulse Dance Company, founded in 2010, and owner/operator of Studio Pulse Center for Dance, opened in 2013. Wonchala served as artistic director of the 2014 Arctic Winter Games and has held the position of adjunct faculty with UAA's department of Theatre & Dance. She was … Read More

Composer and Musician, 2017 Christel Veraart is a composer, musician and singer. Through her music she explores emotional connections with the natural world and how that shapes moods, dreams and interactions. She has recorded a number of albums and her music has been featured, in film, dance and stage productions, both in the USA as well as abroad. Christel is a recipient of the Connie … Read More

Visual Art, 2015 Austin Parkhill is a professional artist living and working in Homer, Alaska. Often described as a “hyperrealist” painter, Parkhill has exhibited his artwork from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (Washington D.C.) to New York City, and maintains gallery representation in Denver, CO. His massive portrait work intrigues with its sincere expression and formidable presence, … Read More

Multimedia, 2015 Marrari’s artwork takes inspiration from the human condition. Rooted in figure drawing and sculpture, Marrari’s work began as a study of the human form and continues to explore the figure. Marrari addresses themes of the social, personal, and political elements of the human experience. She pushes the boundaries of personal vs. social space by exploring norms and behaviors that … Read More

  Photography, 2015 John Hagen is a photographer and digital artist and calls Haines, Alaska his home. Hagen earned a BFA in New Media Arts from the Institute of American Indian Arts and studied photojournalism at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Hagen was awarded a Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Award for his photography in 2015. Hagen’s work has most recently been exhibited at … Read More

Film, 2015 Ellen Frankenstein is an independent filmmaker and media artist. She directs the non-profit, Artchange, Inc. Her current project, an attempt to chronicle our our lives and choices in the time of a digital shift, with a mix of social media, interaction and eventually a film, is called, Frankentweet.  Frankenstein's documentaries include Tracing Roots, Eating Alaska, No Loitering … Read More

Literary Arts, 2013 Juneau Lance A. Twitchell carries the Tlingit names X̱'unei & Du Aaní Kawdinook, and the Haida name Ḵ'eijáakw.  He is from the Tlingit, Haida, and Yup'ik native nations, and speaks & studies the Tlingit language. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in American Indian Studies from the … Read More