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University of Alaska Museum of the North

Coordinates: 64°51′31″N 147°50′31″W / 64.8585°N 147.8420°W / 64.8585; -147.8420
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University of Alaska Museum of the North
Current museum building
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Established1926 (1926)
LocationFairbanks, Alaska, United States
Coordinates64°51′31″N 147°50′31″W / 64.8585°N 147.8420°W / 64.8585; -147.8420
TypeNatural, cultural, and art history museum
Visitors93,000
DirectorDr. Patrick Druckenmiller
Public transit accessMACS Transit: Blue & Red Line
Websiteuaf.edu/museum
Cup'ik kayak stanchions in the museum collection, from Chevak. UA82-003-0057AB.
Current museum building

The University of Alaska Museum of the North (UAMN) is a multidisciplinary museum of natural, cultural, and art history located on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). It is the only research and teaching museum in Alaska accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The museum serves as a cultural and scientific hub for Alaska and the Circumpolar North.

Mission

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The museum's mission is to acquire, conserve, investigate, and interpret specimens and collections relating to the natural, artistic, and cultural heritage of Alaska and the Circumpolar North. Through education, research, and public exhibits, the museum serves local, national, and international science programs. It develops and utilizes botanical, geological, zoological, and cultural collections to understand past and present issues unique to the North, while addressing future challenges such as biodiversity loss and climate change.

Founding and history

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Signers' Hall at UAF. From the early 1960s to 1980 it was the home to the museum, before moving to the West Ridge of the campus.

The museum, formerly known as the University of Alaska Museum, was mandated as part of the original legislation establishing the university in 1917. In 1924, Charles E. Bunnell, then-president of the university, directed Otto Geist to collect items for display in the museum. Until 1936, the collection was scattered across several locations before being consolidated in what is now Signers' Hall.[1]

Over time, the collections outgrew the available space. A capital campaign begun in 1975 led to the construction of a new facility designed by Joan Soranno of HGA Architects, noted for its angular design inspired by Alaska’s landscapes and auroras. The new building opened to the public in late 2005, with additional galleries opening in 2006.[1]

In September 2020, the museum became the permanent home of Chris McCandless's final resting place, Bus 142, which had been removed from its location along the Stampede Trail in June of that year due to safety concerns.[2][3][4][5][6]

Collections

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Tlingit Chilkat robe in the collection, from Klukwan. UA69-061-0001

The museum holds over 2.5 million artifacts and specimens across disciplines, including:

  • Alaska Center for Documentary Film
  • Alaska Frozen Tissue Collection – genetic samples for biodiversity research
  • Archaeology Collection – over 1 million artifacts spanning 14,000 years
  • Earth Sciences Collection – minerals, rocks, and fossils
  • Entomology Collection – tens of thousands of Arctic insect species
  • Ethnology & History Collection – 16,000 objects from Native Alaskan and early settler cultures
  • Fine Arts Collection – Alaskan artists such as Sydney Laurence and Fred Machetanz
  • Herbarium – Arctic plant specimens
  • Mammal Collection – 40,000 specimens, one of the largest Arctic mammal collections worldwide
  • Marine Invertebrates Collection – Arctic marine biodiversity samples
  • Bird Collection – extensive ornithological specimens from across Alaska

Notable exhibits

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Mission and History". University of Alaska Museum of the North. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
  2. ^ "Bus 142 | Museum of The North". University of Alaska. September 24, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  3. ^ Osborne, Ryan. "Famous McCandless 'Bus 142' moved to UAF's Museum of the North". Alaska's News Source. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  4. ^ "Alaska National Guard airlifts "Into the Wild" bus from Stampede Trail". Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  5. ^ "Nearly 30 years after 'Into the Wild' hiker's death, infamous bus removed from Alaska wilderness". KTVA. June 18, 2020. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  6. ^ Holland, Eva (June 18, 2020). "Alaska Airlifts 'Into the Wild' Bus Out of the Wild". Outside Online. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  7. ^ Winker, Kevin; Kessel, Quentin Cattell; Gibson, Daniel D. (October 1, 2016). "Brina Cattell Kessel, 1925–2016". The Auk. 133 (4): 820–821. doi:10.1642/AUK-16-139.1.
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