Eva Bryant excels in skin sewing, meticulously joining the leather and fur into practical clothing. Her skin work is notable for its simple, un-ostentatious beauty that, for all its museum-quality craftmanship, remains in touch with its utilitarian purpose.

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Master Native artist Eva Bryant of Eek now lives in Eagle River.

ALASKA MASTERS

EVA BRYANT

Born: Jan. 21, 1957

Hometown: Eek

Parents: Fritz and Edith Beebe

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"I've been sewing since I can remember," she said. "I guess whatever my mother did, I wanted to do."

A few years ago, she and a friend received a grant from the Alaska State Council on the Arts to learn Athabaskan-style beading. Her first pair of beaded slippers took a year, she said, in part because she had several other projects under way.

Bryant has been a Yup'ik bilingual tutor in her home town, an artist in the school with the Anchorage School District and one of the instructors in the Alaska Native Heritage Center's Master Artist program.

Much of her time is occupied with filling individual orders from connoisseurs who are familiar with her work. That can make Bryant originals hard to find on the shelves. Some can be found from time to time at the Alaska Native Arts Foundation gallery, 500 W. 6th Ave., the Anchorage Museum gift shop and at the gift shop at the Alaska Native Heritage Center, where Bryant is scheduled to be one of the demonstrating artists on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in June.

Otherwise, she can be contacted 688-4501 or at rebryant@gci.net.

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