Event Details

Turtle Soup - Alaskan Ivory Art

October 25, 2019  12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Feed your mind and your belly with Turtle Soup, featuring a presentation on historic Black Hills figures or events and a bowl of soup provided by Angel’s Catering.

This week, Conor McMahon presents, "Alaskan Ivory Art" to introduce the public to our new exhibit "Song of the Sea: Carvings of St. Lawrence Island," opening Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. DETAILS


Woman Dancer
Edwin Noongwook, St. Lawrence Island Yupik
Walrus Ivory
© 2019 Edwin Noongwook

The exhibit features Native Alaskan artists Edwin Noongwook, Ike Kulowiyi and Ben Pungowiyi. The grand opening is Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. and will include speeches and appetizers. No admission will be charged after 5 p.m. that day.

St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, has been home to Yupik people and their tradition of ivory and bone carving for thousands of years. Prehistoric carvings served both utilitarian and ceremonial purposes. With the arrival of Euro-American sailors and traders in the nineteenth century, Yupik carvers created decorative pieces for sale and trade. These traditions have continued and evolved to the present day.

The goal of this exhibition is also to enlighten the public about the tremendous cultural and economic importance of Alaska Native walrus ivory and bone carving. 

McMahon is the chief curator of the IACB. His focus is on the artwork of contemporary American Indian and Alaskan Native artists, working to preserve and display the rich collections of Native American arts and crafts.

He supervises the operations of three IACB museums:

• The Sioux Indian Museum, located in The Journey Museum and Learning Center
  
• The Southern Plains Indian Museum in Anadarko, Oklahoma
  
• The Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning, Montana

McMahon has held previous positions at the International Museum of the Horse in Lexington, Kentucky and the Museum of New Mexico Systems in Santa Fe.

Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, half-off for members. Call 605-394-6923 to reserve tickets.

For more Turtle Soups, click here.

Theater map below. Seats marked ADA indicate wheelchair accessibility. Blue seats indicate space for foldout chairs, but those with ADA requirements take first priority.