Arts and Entertainment

North x North is back, examining Alaska’s future through discussion, art, food and film

What started off as an event to celebrate a transfer of chairmanship in the Arctic Council has turned into a five-day event celebrating culture in the north.

The Anchorage Museum’s North x North Summit and Festival kicks off Wednesday, the third year the Museum has hosted the event.

Julie Decker, CEO of the Anchorage Museum, says the idea for the summit and festival came from the end of the United States chairmanship of the Arctic Council, a two-year seat which ended in May 2017. The ministerial meeting was held in Fairbanks, and Decker says the Museum worked with the Institute of the North to create an event highlighting Anchorage as the gateway to the Arctic. The event was so successful they decided it should be annual.

The summit (Wednesday-Thursday, May 1-2) is open to registered participants; the festival (Friday-Sunday, May 3-5) is open to the general public.

The first two years of North x North were more conference-focused. This year, Decker says the Museum will be doing what they do best: talking about people and culture.

“My work has always been about, ‘How do we create new narratives for this place that are not solely rooted in the past?’” said Decker. “We’ve created narratives that don’t feel always inclusive to everyone that lives here and lived here for thousands of years, so how do we create all of these — a more complex narrative — by sharing everyone's stories? It’s about building this narrative of place.”

Here are some highlights. For a full schedule see anchoragemuseum.org/nxn.

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Wednesday, May 1

One Million Cups — Alice Glen will talk about Coffee & Quaq, her podcast about contemporary Native life in Alaska. Inside Muse. Free. 9-10 a.m.

Resilience Summit — Alaskans exchange ideas about the state’s future relating to environmental, economic and social challenges. In atrium. Food provided. $50. 1-5 p.m.

Thursday, May 2

Transforming Research and Scholarship in the North — Anchorage researchers share their scholarship in the atrium and auditorium. $50. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Northern Food Courses and Cool Conversations — Chef Laura Cole, new lead for Muse, will prepare a meal featuring local, fresh ingredients. $100. 6-8 p.m.

Friday, May 3

Aftershocks, Innovation and the Wheel of Misfortune — Launch Alaska teaches entrepreneurs how to solve issues in the food, water, transportation and energy sectors. Lunch provided. In the atrium, Art Lab and CoLab. $50. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

North x North Festival Opening Night — New exhibits “Alaskans and Salmon,” “Arctic Portals” and “The Culture of Media: Representation from Nanook to Molly.” Free. 4:30-9 p.m.

Launch Alaska Demo Day — Hear from the newest startups in Launch Alaska’s accelerator program. In auditorium. Free. 4:30 p.m.

Loud Tables — Each table in the Museum atrium will have a host and facilitator from Launch Alaska, highlighting entrepreneurship and networking. Free. 6-8 p.m.

Norwegian Short Program — See through the eyes of Norwegian filmmakers. In auditorium. Free. 6:30 p.m.

Fireside Chats — Selected hosts will lead conversations about the North. Free. 6:30-7:30 p.m

Elevator Pitches — Listen to pitches or pitch your own to Launch Alaska. West Wing Elevator. Free. 6:15-7 p.m.

The Grandmothers of ‘Then a Cunning Voice and A Night We Spend Gazing at Stars’ — Emily Johnson will be performing her work. Art of the North galleries. Free. 7 p.m.

Arctic Dance Party — Music by Medium Build; special guests Harper’s Farce and Tanana Rafters at Williwaw. $10/advance, $12/door. 9 p.m.

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Saturday, May 4

Curating the North — The Arctic Culture Lab will lead a discussion in the SEED Lab on how the North unites artists, geopolitical experts and other specialists of the Arctic. Free. 10 a.m. - noon

“COMP/act/: Open House” — Five teams present their creative housing solutions for Anchorage residents in the Museum atrium. Free. 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Future: Arctic with Lateral North — Explore Anchorage’s future with three interactive scales showcasing the possibilities. In atrium. Free. 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Repair Workshop — Bring in your items that need some TLC to the SEED Lab and learn how to reuse, repair and upcycle your belongings. Free. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

(Mother) Tongue embroidery workshop — Decorate a shirt that represents your mother tongue(s). In atrium. Free. 1-3 p.m.

Salmon Panel — The Salmon Project discusses the sustainability of salmon in the Northern Narratives Gallery. Free. 1-3 p.m.

COMP/act/: Final Jury Presentation — Five teams present their creative housing solutions. Top-three teams will be awarded $9,000. In atrium. Free. 2-3 p.m.

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SEED Lab Pitch Event — Participants propose ideas that fix Anchorage’s civic challenges. Free. 3:30-5 p.m.

Arctic Food & Beer Festival — Celebrate north-inspired recipes and brews on the museum lawn. $20/adult, $10/child for food. $40 per adult for food plus beer. 3-6 p.m.

PechaKucha Night — Hear stories in a new format in the auditorium. Free. 6-7:30 p.m.

The Song My Mother Sings — Share a song that your mother — or any female figure — sang to you at one point or another in your life. In atrium. Free. 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 5

Circumpolar Film Fest — View a selection of short films and feature-length movies from indigenous artists. Auditorium and atrium. Cost included with admission. 11:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Samantha Davenport

Samantha Davenport is a former ADN reporter.

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