Arts and Entertainment

Surviving '100Stone' statues go on sale

The cheerful campus of Alaska Pacific University became one of the spookier places in town on Halloween. Gray, life-size human forms in various poses of distress stood on the lawn and shrubbery in front of Grant Hall and the Carr Gottstein Building, some frozen as if lurching forward, others half-buried, as if rising from the ground or, maybe, sinking into it.

The statues were previously placed in the tideland as part of the 100Stone Project on the shore of Point Woronzof. The installation by Sarah Davies was intended to draw attention to mental health issues in Alaska. In fact it drew worldwide attention when high tides, storm winds and vandals took their toll. Some were salvaged and dragged further from the water, where they remained through last winter.

[See photos of the 100Stone Installation at Point Woronzof]

The 40-some statues at APU, the "100Stone Survivors," were put in place on Oct. 30. They appeared to have undergone some repair and been cleaned of graffiti in time for the First Friday "opening" on Nov. 4. They will remain on display through Jan. 2.

After that, well, one or more might wind up in your yard. The "survivors" are being offered for sale with proceeds going to a new fund, HUMAN:ties, established by the Alaska Humanities Forum. According to a press release, the fund "will sponsor other artists' storytelling (and) support place-based art projects that combat isolation and promote a deeper understanding of self and community by exploring the influence of human connection on our emotional, psychological, and social well-being."

In addition to sales and sponsorship of the statues, the fund will raise money through the sale of hoodies, amulets and prints related to the project. Information is available at 100stoneproject.com/thefund.

[Related: Loneliness of mental illness leads to "100Stone," a project by Sarah Davies to set statues on Anchorage mudflats]

Mike Dunham

Mike Dunham was a longtime ADN reporter, mainly writing about culture, arts and Alaska history. He worked in radio for 20 years before switching to print. He retired from the ADN in 2017.

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