They produced a quartet of totemic art pieces that rank among the best I've ever seen, each with special imaginative touches that push the traditional form in sometimes non-traditional directions.
Boxley's Tsimshian post, for example, included a drumstick held apart from the main figure's drum, an unusual strong third-dimensional aspect for a type of sculpture that's typically as compact as a bas relief frieze. The Young brothers incorporated delightful hummingbird images in their Haida-style post. But the pieces by Shotridge, whose work is all over Ketchikan but not well known in Anchorage, had me doing a double take. His two posts representing Tlingit and Eyak people exude the kind of personality and liveliness associated with the masters of yore.
The giver of these posts also caught my attention: Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, or rather the Paul Allen Family Foundation. It's estimated that Allen has already donated $1 billion to various nonprofit groups and causes. About half of that has been directed through the foundation, which was started in 1990.
"Since the beginning, our philanthropy has been focused in the Pacific Northwest, where I live and work," said Allen in a press release in which he announced his intention to donate a majority of his lifetime wealth to charity.
But it wasn't until 1997 that Alaska received its first contribution from the foundation.
"At the end of 1999 we formalized a lot of our grant making and defined our geographic area," said Sue Coliton, vice president of the foundation.
"Alaska was a natural fit," she added, sharing much of the ecology and history of the other states in the region, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.
Also, Coliton noted, Allen had traveled in Alaska and developed an interest in the place.
"Since then the foundation staff has been up there once or twice a year," she said. About $7.7 million has been given to Alaska nonprofit efforts ranging from performing arts in cities to a women's shelter in Bethel.
"As a private foundation, the recipients very much reflect the interests of (Allen)," said Coliton. The computer whiz turned philanthropist is a musician and an art collector. His father was the head librarian at the University of Washington, "so he's committed to libraries. And education, mainly after-school programs," she continued. "His experience is that he learned the most outside the classroom."
Jim McDonald, the foundation's senior program officer for arts and culture, said that when it comes to art, they look for "high quality programs that engage professional artists and address contemporary issues. We like innovation and areas in the arts that other funders might not be comfortable with."
"Art of our time," said Coliton. "Art that helps us understand ourselves."
Like the recent production of a very adult version of "Hansel and Gretel" at Juneau's Perseverance Theatre.
"I didn't know what to expect," said McDonald, who traveled to Alaska to see the production. "But I walked out just amazed. The set was surreal but contemporary. The acting was superb. The way they worked out a dark issue was a highlight."
"It just shattered the concept of children's theater," said Coliton. "It's theater like none other that we can find."
The foundation's first grant in Alaska was to Perseverance, in fact, for a production of Kim Rich's growing-up-in-underworld-Anchorage memoir, "Johnny's Girl." The company has been a regular recipient of Allen donations ever since.
"They've been great," said Perseverance's artistic director Art Rotch. "supportive and focused on regionally relevant work, and developing audiences. They support large and small theaters and they see Alaska as part of the Northwest."
He stressed that final part with the subtle urgency that can perhaps only be understood by those who have endured too many "not available in Alaska" disclaimers.
The foundation is currently helping to underwrite the company's upcoming debut of "The Blue Bear," based on author Lynn Schooler's recollections of his friend, wildlife photographer Michio Hoshino. Previously, it has contributed to productions of work in Juneau by Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel and original, local Native-themed plays like "Battles of Fire and Water" (2008) and "The Raven Odyssey."
Perseverance's ties to Native artists have attracted the foundation's interest, said McDonald. About half of the organization's donations to Alaska have been to Native-run groups -- including Koahnic Broadcasting, the Aleutian-Pribilof Heritage Group and the Alaska Native Heritage Center where the new house posts now adorn the Southeast village site.
"We were right there when they started building the place, around 1999," said McDonald. "This latest grant came last year when they stressed how much they wanted to complete the clan house, and we're thrilled that we were able to be part of that."
Right now, the thrill of getting an Allen Family Foundation grant is by invitation only -- which is to say, the foundation contacts potential recipients. "We have several organizations with which we develop long-term relationships," said McDonald. "We want to keep them in the fold, right now, especially given the economy."
But it's not impossible to get on the list. "If there's an organization that's not currently in our grant cycle, they can contact us at the website," said Coliton.
That would be www.pgafamily foundation.org.
Vann drives into town
Award-winning author David Vann, whose "Legend of a Suicide" is rapidly being considered a new Alaska classic, is passing through on his way to a writing workshop in Tutka Bay.
While in Anchorage, he will present a reading at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Metro Music and Books on Benson Boulevard.
The Tutka Bay event, sponsored by 49writers, will take place Sept. 3-5.
In addition to Vann discussing "Flash Fiction," other writing topics to be addressed will include "Promoting Your Book in Your Pajamas" with Dana Stabenow. For more information go online, www.49writingcenter.org.
Art under Denali
Talkeetna Community Radio's 15th Annual Art Auction will take place next Sunday, Sept. 5, at the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar in Talkeetna.
Station KTNA supplies public radio for the Upper Susitna Valley. This year's featured artist is David Totten, who is best known for realistic pastel wildlife portraits, but this show will also feature his depictions of human subjects.
The silent auction, beginning at 3 p.m., will include some 50 pieces produced by Susitna Valley artists. The Outcry Auction, which will include 30 works of art, will begin at 5 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the door.
For more about the event, and to view some of the art that will be auctioned, go to www.ktna.org.
Find Mike Dunham online at adn.com/contact/mdunham or call 257-4332.
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.