Artifact of the Month: August 2017

The Art of Collecting: "Laser Forest"

Ketchikan Museums rely on the generosity of the public to help us collect, preserve, and share our cultural heritage. One of the ways new artifacts are added to the collection is through individual donors or families. This month, we are excited to highlight a new painting for the collection-"Laser Forest" by Mary Ida Henrikson generously donated by Dr. Wynelle Snow. The painting originally hung in Dr. Snow's office and was enjoyed by her clients. Now the painting will be accessible to the public and preserved for generations to come.

Mary Ida Henrikson is a well-known and respected Alaskan artist. Born and raised in Ketchikan, Mary draws from the local history, tradition, and environment for her striking works. When collecting artwork from an established artist like Mary, it is important to gather pieces that not only represent the artist's unique style, but also pieces that show the range of their career. Ketchikan Museums is fortunate to care for original drawings, paintings, and posters from early in Mary's career. Up until this donation, the most recent work of hers in the collection was from the late 1990s. Created in 2010, this mixed media painting is a more contemporary example and helps us tell a fuller story of Mary's extensive career.

"Laser Forest" is the final painting in her "Fire Trees" series, where Mary explores how humans interact with the environment, particularly how Native peoples kept fires burning inside tree trunks. The painting was developed over two years with symbolism enriched by new discoveries. As the artist described, the illuminated windows in the trees are both vent holes for the fire trees and escape hatches for young women isolated in huts during their coming of age ceremony. Direct natural light spills from the upper right, through the vents or passageways in the trees. Red laser light also beams through the painting, representing the use of fire trees as light houses and signals giving direction and aiding survival. Other symbols, like the salmon, represent the cycle of life.

Ketchikan Museums, KM 2017.2.20.1