I think one of the things that sticks with me most about working on this exhibition is really

thinking about indigenous artists in the show and the work that they have made that talks about relationships to land and thinking

about the landscape not only is a place where people live but as a sort of an animate

force that is in relationship with human life and that is a place with deep ancestral ties and that is a

cultural landscape even if you know we're so often trained through you know tourism media and

Hollywood to see it as a place

uh... untouched

that was Francesca de Brake

the chief curator at the Anchorage Museum.

Francesca recently finished putting the finishing touches on extra tough, women of the

north, an exhibit dedicated to exploring how women have shaped Alaska and the circumpolar north.

The exhibit was a massive undertaking.

It took over nine months to complete and now occupies the entire third floor of the museum,

which is about 7,500 feet. It's not intended to be a comprehensive

history of the subject, but rather a multitude of snapshots that help explain how integral

women are to the past, present, and future of the north.

Francesca says that a large part of unpacking all of this include subverting cultural myths,

like ones that depict the brave, masculine explorer conquering landscapes,

and instead portraying a cultural landscape where indigenous people have lived for thousands of

years. So here she is. Francesca Dubrock.

Welcome to Chattermarks, a podcast of the Anchorage Museum dedicated to exploring Alaska's identity

through the creative and critical thinking of ideas, past, present, and future. My name is Cody Liska and I'll be your host.

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