Photo Credit: Blue Hollomon GalleryAnchorage, AK
The Alaska Arts & Cultural Foundation (AACF) is just one of two organizations here in Alaska that provide funding for individual artists. Founded on the importance of the arts for the well-being of every individual in our state, they hold funds at ACF to distribute awards to artists in four categories: visual arts, performing arts, Alaska Native languages and culture, and the literary arts.
The Alaska Community Foundation is honored to help make possible the vision of AACF by providing resources to create a permanent endowment for the future support of Alaska’s artists.
The most recent AACF fund was created in 2014 and is called the Alaska Literary Fund. This supports writers of various genres. It awarded its first fellowships last year. Erin Hollowell, an inaugural Alaskan Literary awardee, notes that this award provides much more than monetary support.
To be in the company of the other four incredible writers felt like such tremendous validation of all of the hard work I’ve chosen to devote to my writing. The [award] provided me a way to create the time to buckle in and finish my second manuscript. But it also bolstered my courage that even when it was difficult to write, it was necessary and important.
AACF recommends grants from three other ACF funds: The Connie Boochever Fund, in whose memory AACF was first started, provides awards to emerging visual artists. The Helen Walker Fund provides support to performing artists. The Margaret Nick Cooke Fund honors and recognizes individuals and organizations whose work furthers traditional Alaska Native languages and cultures.
Pictured is a piece of art by Annie Duffy, a 2007 recipient of the Connie Boochever Fellowship.