Ketchikan area Artists and Creatives have been inspiring the communities of this area since the beginning. Whether it is beautifully engineered and created halibut hooks, or the magnificent totem poles of the area, to the stories, poetry and drawings for the inception of the Alaska Magazine, to the creation and evolution of Wearable Art in Alaska artists continue to make the world we live in meaningful and joyful.
Call to Artists - SHI Art Design Contest for Celebration 2026
Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) is calling on Northwest Coast Native artists to submit design proposals for Celebration 2026, a major dance-and-culture festival held biennially in Juneau since 1982.
The theme of Celebration 2026 is Enduring Strength. The winning artist will create a piece that best interprets or conceptualizes the idea of enduring strength, which will serve as the visual symbol for the event and appear on Celebration materials. The artist will receive $1,000.
Artists must submit a sketch and a written description of how their piece reflects the theme. The sketch does not need to be a finished product but must be clear enough for reviewers to interpret the concept. The final design must have no more than seven colors or inks to ensure it reproduces optimally as a graphic.
Submissions are due Jan. 12, 2026. Artists retain copyright to their work, while SHI will receive a full license to use the image in perpetuity. The winning artist will be credited in the Celebration program, which will include an article about the illustrator.
