Alaskan Alutiiq artist wins award for traditional carvings

Jerry Laktonen, an Alaskan Alutiiq artist, has won the Distinguished Artist Award for his traditional Alutiiq carvings. The award, which is part of the Rasmuson Foundation’s Individual Artist awards program, includes a $50,000 grant.

Laktonen has been carving since the 1940s, and his work has been featured at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, according to reporting by ICT.

“Jerry Laktonen brings intention and integrity to every piece he creates,” Gretchen Guess, president and Chief Executive Officer of Rasmuson Foundation, was quoted as saying. “He has worked tirelessly to ensure Alaska Native artists are recognized and respected. His commitment to authenticity has left a lasting mark on both his community and the field. Artists like Jerry Laktonen remind us that culture is not only preserved. It is lived, shared, and continually reimagined.”