Oct 1, 2013 | North Tide, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
The photos in this blog entry represent a few public art created since 1987 to present day. (No, they’re not in chronological order according to date completed). Some of these art installations are carved, painted, inlaid; some are beaded sculptures using 4mm and 6mm Czech fire-polished and Austrian crystal beads; and some are hand-sewn wool fabrics with buttons and seed beads.
“Dancing Northern Lights” – Anchorage Senior Living apartment complex atrium, Anchorage, Alaska Czech and Austrian Crystal beads, 4 to 5-foot lengths by 35 feet of beadwork
“Going to the Potlatch” – MV Kennicott cafeteria, Bellingham, Washington – carved, painted, airbrushed, beaded & button work – 4.5 feet high x 15 feet wide
“Salmon Return” – Mt. Roberts Tramway stairwell, Juneau, Alaska – Czech and Austrian crystal beads – 4.5 feet wide x 28 feet long
“Salmon Return” detail
“Shaman With Spirit Guides” – SEARHC (Southeast Alaska Regional Health Corporation) foyer, Sitka, Alaska – carved and painted central panel, hand-sewn applique and mother-of-pearl buttons on wool – 4.5 feet high x 15 feet wide
“Following Our Ancestors’ Trail” – Alaska Native Medical Center hospital 2nd floor entry, Anchorage, Alaska – carved, painted, airbrushed, copper in-lay, mother-of-pearl buttons, brass brads – 9 feet high x 11.5 feet wide
Sep 13, 2013 | Latest Art Projects, Ravens & Eagles, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Chilkat/Ravenstail headdress, double-sided Ravenstail vest, and Chilkat/Ravenstail handbag woven by Clarissa Rizal – 1989
My very first Chilkat piece was a small ghost face pouch woven in a week in 1983. A lousy weaver, I dare say that when I threw the thing against the window it just about cracked it! Nope I never show that one to nobody! Other than the one side of a pair of leggings that I wove with Jennie during our apprenticeship, and the Chilkat woven flap to a leather backpack, the three pieces above and the wall pouch below are my very first weavings before I wove my first Chilkat robe (Sea Grizzly 1999) and my first Ravenstail robe (Copper Woman’s robe woven in 1994).
“Father Cyril Bulashevich & St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church” Chilkat wall pocket woven by Clarissa Rizal – 1990 – private collection, Denver, Colorado
Though I have woven several small pieces not pictured here (or anywhere else for that matter), and I am a multi-tasker who has created other major pieces of art in a variety of mediums, the photos in this blog are all of my major weavings. This blog post is to honor my children and grand-children to whom I leave my legacy and especially today to my youngest child whose birthday is today; she is the one who created this website, who created and encouraged me to blog, and who still continues to be a level-headed side-kick.
“Sea Grizzly” Chilkat robe woven by Clarissa Rizal – 1999 – private collection, Vancouver, B.C.
“The Diamonds Robe” woven by Clarissa Rizal – 1997 – private collection, Juneau, Alaska
“Hauberg Raven” Chilkat robe woven by Clarissa Rizal – 2001 – private collection – Seattle, WA
“Copper Woman” 5-piece Ravenstail and Chilkat ensemble woven by Clarissa Rizal – 2001 – Collection of Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Anchorage, Alaska
“Copper Man” 6-piece Ravenstail and Chilkat ensemble woven by Clarissa Rizal – 2006 – private collection, Mercer Island, WA
“Copper Child” 4-piece Ravenstail ensemble woven by Lily Hope and Clarissa Rizal – 2009 – Collection of Sealaska Heritage Institute
“Jennie Weaves An Apprentice” Chilkat robe woven by Clarissa Rizal – 2011 – Private Collection, Los Angeles, CA
7-foot Ravenstail border for a button robe – 2013 – private collection, Vashon Island, WA
“Diving Whale Lovebirds” Chilkat robe woven by Clarissa Rizal – 2013 – private collection, New York, NY
Dancing of “Diving Whale Lovebirds” Chilkat robe by Clarissa Rizal – 2013
Pattern Board of “Resilience” Chilkat/Ravenstail robe designed by Clarissa Rizal – in the process of being woven; completion by June 2014 – commissioned by Portland Art Museum
Aug 23, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Class Act, North Tide, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
L to R: Clarissa Rizal, Teahonna James, Vanessa Morgan, Crystal Rogers, and local beginner weaver Stefanie Sidney from Whitehorse
Last Summer/Fall 2012, three apprentices learned a bit of weaving in my studio in Colorado: Vanessa Morgan from Kincolith, Nass River B.C., Crystal Rogers from Juneau, Alaska, and Teahonna James from Durango, Colorado, her family originally from Klawock, Alaska. We talked about meeting up again; this time we’d meet in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory beginning with the Adaka Festival mid-June 2013 – (click here to see blog entry on the Adaka Festival). During the festival, there is a Northwest Coast Native Art Exhibit that is shown only during the length of the one-week festival (click here to see parts of the exhibit). Included in the exhibit were two Ravenstail robes, a child-size 4-piece Ravenstail dance ensemble and one Chilkat robe. These woven ceremonial regalia were part of the “Weavers’ Dance” (click here to see this blog entry).
The purpose of our weaving tour: to recognize, acknowledge and support local weavers of the community, share our knowledge with local weavers of all experience levels within the community, inspire and secure the next generations of weavers, create a network of weavers wherever they live, educate the general public about Chilkat weaving, and to simply weave together!
Two maps and a calendar grace the walls above Clarissa’s loom in the Weavers’ apartment; one is a map of the Northwest Coast and the other a map of Yukon Territory – please take notice of the “money” chair; this particular sits on a her money! heeeeeheeeee!
We financed this tour out of our own individual pockets; no funding came from elsewhere. We did this tour because we were inspired to weave, travel and because we knew there were other weavers out there who wanted our support and wanted us to come visit. We started our weaving tour in Whitehorse, Yukon during the Adaka Festival weaving class taught by Ann and myself (click here to see photos and story); we rented a Yukon College campus two-bedroom, fully-furnished apartment for the four of us; each splitting the rent and each bringing a mound of food – though Crystal and Teahonna brought more pots and pans and spices and cooking utensils.
Table and floor looms, along with spinning warp supplies and a sewing machine to sew up spinning pads, define this particular space as a weaver’s nest!
We took turns cooking meals and keeping the place half-way decent; but we mostly wove on our projects. I gave instruction now and then when needed, and we each set our own hours. There was a drawback for most of us: no cell phone service (though my Verizon service was excellent), however, we were lucky that we had occasional internet service.
Crystal Rogers puts in the braids for her eyebrows of her child-size Chilkat robe
During our almost 4-week “residency” in Whitehorse, we invited any of the beginning students from the Chilkat and Ravenstail weaving class taught by Ann Smith and myself, held at the Adaka Festival to come on by and weave with us (you may check out the weaving class blog entry by clicking here.) Alas, only two local women showed up. The others were busy fishing, berry-picking, etc. – we cannot blame them; they were doing the important stuff like putting up food for winter!
Teahonna spins Chilkat warp
During our month in Whitehorse, we used this apartment as our home base as we took a weekend trip to the Atlin Music Festival in Atlin, B.C., just a 2-hour drive from Whitehorse. We were invited by Louise Gordon, a member of the Wolf Clan, to her hometown of Atlin, to demonstrate Chilkat and Ravenstail weaving during the Atlin Music Festival, July 12-14. Check out the blog entry on our weekend jaunt to Atlin by clicking here.
Teahonna splits cedar bark
At the end of our stay in our “luxury” on campus apartment in Whitehorse, we attended Teslin’s “Kus Te Yea – Celebration 2013” event held July 26-28. Again we were invited to demonstrate weaving during this wonderful 3-day event. Check out the blog entry of our own “weaving cabin” during Teslin’s Celebration by clicking here.
The washed warp is tightly-stretched around the back of a wooden chair to dry
Directly after Teslin’s Celebration, we drove down to Skagway and caught the ferry to Haines, Alaska where we were hosted by Lee Heinmiller at the Alaska Indian Arts and we demonstrated weaving at the Sheldon Museum July 30-August 1st. Check out the blog entry of our visit at the Sheldon Museum in Haines by clicking here.
Click here to read the poem Wayne Price wrote in honor of our mentor, the late Jennie Thlunaut and in honor of our dedication to the preservation and perpetuation of Chilkat weaving
Our weaving tour did not quite “end” in Haines; even now I cannot say that our tour has ended – it’s an on-going adventure. Vanessa was called home to help with her daughter’s birth of a child (and she will host Crystal who is intending to visit Vanessa and the Nass River for the first time); by ferry, Crystal headed to Prince Rupert, B.C. to meet up with weaver Megan O’Brien; Teahonna ferried to Klawock, Alaska to attend the Klawock Totem Raising, attend a family reunion and met up with weaver Suzi Williams; and I have done and am doing a number of things (i.e. a student during the Jineit Academy’s artist-in-the-schools teacher’s training Aug. 5-9, (click here to read the blog entry on the artists and teachers); picked lots of nagoon berries (click here to see those wonderful berries); hung out with grandchildren and my daughter; a part-time clerk at friend Jan Parrish’s Aurora Healing store located one door up North Franklin Street from Hearthside Books in downtown Juneau (click here for link to Jan’s Alaskana Botanicals); and, helped Juneau weaver Catrina Mitchell start her Ravenstail weavings (you may click here to read that blog entry.)
Vanessa weaves her eyelids
Next? We are then planning a tentative journey to the Toadlena Trading Post in the Chuska Mountains about 30 miles southwest of Shiprock, New Mexico. For over 10 years, Mark Winter, Navajo rug “expert” hosts the Navajo weavers’ “Spinning and Carding Day” the third weekend in September. This is the one day of the year where most if not all of the Navajo weavers in the Two Grey Hills area gather together and begin to prepare the wool for the following winter’s weaving projects. (Click here to find out more info on the Toadlena Trading Post.)
In previous visits on this day, when we have shared our cross-cultural weaving knowledge, we learned that the Navajo and Chilkat weavers had something in common: we use the same type tool to spin our weft yarns called the “drop spindle.” We do not use the small drop spindle, we use the longer one where the post of the drop spindle measures from our knee to the floor. So to enable us to eventually spin our own weft yarns of mountain goat, we want to learn from the Navajo weavers how to use this particular drop spindle. We are excited to learn this from another indigenous tribe, whose sense of humor is much like ours.
An outline on the white board enables each of us to help reach our goals – down below there is a drawing of how to weave the perfect circle…
Where will be weaving this Winter? Well, we will spend the Fall in Colorado because it is beautiful, and come Winter, well…that’s still yet to be determined. Maybe we “Alaska Girls” (as the Canadians call us), will go to Mexico and do a cross-cultural exchange there to learn about dyeing weft yarns, or meet up with the Maori weavers and share weaving techniques. The “book” is wide open. Who knows where we will really be in the next month!
Sometimes we shuffle from one “work station” to another – (i.e. weaving loom, to splitting warp or wool, to spinning warp, to baking bread to making dinner, to hanging out on the deck, etc.)
If you are interested in sponsoring us in your community, contact any one of us, and let’s go from there. Our tentative plans for next Summer are: directly after Celebration 2014 (June 11-13) in Juneau, Alaska, we will head up to Whitehorse for the annual “Adaka Festival – A celebration of Yukon’s diverse and distinctive First Nation’s arts and culture” where we hope to teach another Chilkat/Ravenstail weaving class during the week.
Vanessa, Clarissa and Ann
After Yukon, we will head to the coast of British Columbia to the towns of Terrace, Kincollith on the Nass, Prince Rupert, Alert Bay, Masset and Haida Gwaii. We want to network and work with weavers of these communities. We would like to spend at least 3 days up to a week at each community. Our intentions are the same as above: to recognize, acknowledge and support local weavers of the community, share our knowledge with local weavers of all experience levels within the community, secure the next generations of weavers, create a network of weavers, bring Chilkat weaving appreciation to the general public, and to simply weave together!
We noticed that sunsets in Whitehorse in the peak of Summer take about hours to set, but not really cuz the sun just swings itself back up into the sky, so what do weavers do on their breaks? They take photographs of lingering sunsets!
We will be looking for funding sources to assist with our travel expenses (gas, food, lodging, ferry fare). If you would like to assist in whatever way you know you can help, please contact either one of us (Stefanie, Crystal, Vanessa, Teahonna, Clarissa). We appreciate your assistance!
Ann instructs Teahonna on the next technique…
Weavers burn a lot of calories – thinking takes a lot of energy, so one of the things that is very important to us is that we eat well…here we see the sponge-method bread rising in a bowl and salad makings off to one side to go along with our salmon frying on the stove. oh yum, when we were done with our tour, did we gain weight or what!?
Having a sunny deck helps “get us out of the house” while we are still working – here Vanessa spins the warp for her child-size robe’s side braids….
Local Whitehorse beginner weaver, Stefanie receives help from both sides, Vanessa and Crystal
Securing our next generation of weavers: Crystal Rogers, Lily Hope, Stefanie Sidney
Aug 10, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Class Act, Ravens & Eagles, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
R to L: Darlene See (Hoonah), Alison Bremner (Yakutat) and Joe James (Angoon) review classroom kits designed to teach K-5 students to recognize the interpretation of Tlingit designs
For a week August 5 through the 9th at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center (JACC), Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Jineit Academy, the Juneau School District and JACC sponsored 9 school teachers and 9 Tlingit artists from Southeast Alaska to collaborate with one another to design classroom kits for school teachers to use to teach Tlingit form line art in grades K-12 to be used throughout Southeast Alaska. The intention of this week-long seminar is to educate and upgrade the standards of Tlingit form line art.
Artists and school teachers — L to R: Clarissa Rizal, Konrad Frank, Nicole Demmert, Pauline Johnson, Allie High, Arlene Wilson, Jay Watts, Glenda Lindley, Joe James, Darlene, See, Linda Churchill, Alison Bremner, Susan Nachtigal, Della Cheney, Justina Starzynski, Shgen George, Michelle Martin — James White is not pictured
School teachers received a crash course in learning how to draw Tlingit form line and the Native artists learned skills and strategies in teaching form line art in the schools. Invited artists came from Angoon, Kake, Wrangell, Yakutat, Hoonah, Juneau and as far away as Seattle. School teachers came from as far away as Anchorage. This week-long, intense training course is one of the first of its kind.
One of several example kits (used in the Juneau Public Schools), reviews the learning the ovoid
During our introductions on the first day, we realized that none of us knew what we were getting into. We were not clear of the intention of the course; we just filled out the one-page paperwork a month prior to the event questioning us if we had ever taught in the schools and where we learned our form line art, and figured okay, what the hey! So it’s just like artists to fly on a wing and show up, not knowing what the heck we’re getting into — it’s another adventure! And what an adventure this one was: an experience of a lifetime.
Konrad James explains to the class the kit his group reviewed – Instructor Heather Ridgeway stands in the far right listening to our observations
Enthusiastic Heather Ridgeway formed us into groups of two or three to review classroom kits that have been used in the school system for several years. These kits were examples that helped us learn how to design and implement our own kits that we would create to teach students form line art and refine their art each year so that by the time they reach high school, they are well-versed in thought and hand, how to create a successful Tlingit design.
Academy coordinators Shgen George and Shaadootlaa Hanlon provide guidelines on how the artists and the school teachers will begin to collaborate on the creation of new kits that will teach K-12 students the formline art of the Tlingit
There were so many things we artists learned during this week; and the great part about this seminar was that it was actually fun! We had so much fun thinking, thinking, thinking for 8 hours, that by the end of each day at 5pm we were exhausted. I, personally, can CREATE for 8 hours no problem, but to THINK for 8 hours non-stop, holy, that’s a lot of WORK! — no wonder why teachers cannot do anything else in their 9 months of work other than teach; their creative work is in teaching others how to learn! By the end of this seminar, my appreciation level for teachers in the schools sky-rocketed.
Former-school-teacher-now-Teacher-Trainer Lynn Williams explains one of the strategies used to keep children’s attention and to complete their projects
Teacher Coach, Lynn Mitchell reviews each artist group who begin creation of a new kit
Pauline Johnson (artist) and Glenda Lindley (teacher) collaborate on kit designed to teach a Kindergartener how to identify ovoids in form line art
Juneau school teacher and artist, Shgen George teaches the school teachers a step-by-step process of the basic fundamentals of Tlingit form line art – several of us artists wanted to sit in on the class!
James White (teacher), Nicole Demmert (artist), and Jay Watts (teacher) hash out the details of how the kit instructions will be explained to the school teacher who will use this kit to teach her students form line art – while James does a test piece on his proposed kit using clay
Ask Della Cheney what she thought of the whole concept of Tlingit artists and public school teachers coming together to assist one another in teaching Tlingit form line art to K-12 students: De-light-ful!
Click here to read the Juneau Empire article. Thank you for your interest.
And thank you to Shgen George, Shaadootlaa Hanlon, Davina Cole, and Annie Calkins who helped organize this event.
Thank you to our teaching instructors: Heather Ridgeway, Lynn Mitchell and Roblin Gray
Gunal’cheesh!
Apr 6, 2013 | Latest Art Projects, Ravens & Eagles, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, To Market To Market |
The proposed “Resilience” Chilkat robe design by Clarissa Rizal
I would like your support on a project that is happening this week until the April 12th Art Event at the Portland Art Museum in Portland. This year, out of 7 art works, PAM will be purchasing only 2 of the new art works for their permanent collection. There are 7 curators who have chosen 7 different artists. Each of PAM’s seven curators have selected a work of art that they hope will find a place in the Museum—whether an ancient work of Chinese art or the latest from a contemporary artist.
There is only one choice for a new Native American art work to be placed in the museum; the Chilkat robe is IT! — Remember, there will be only 2 artworks out of 7 that will be chosen for PAM’s permanent collection
My proposed Chilkat robe called “Reslience” is up for vote; as of today, the Chilkat robe is placed 4th in the running. That’s not quite good enough; I’ve got to be at least 2nd in the running – here’s your chance to play a role in influencing the Museum’s permanent collection AND here’s your chance to vote for a Chilkat robe to be added to their Native American art collection AND here’s your chance to help me support myself with this Chilkat robe commission for this next year!
Go to the Portland Art Museum’s website at the address below and click on:
7 Curators, 7 Choices <https://www.portlandartmuseum.org/curatorchoices>
Scroll down to the image of the Chilkat and click on “more” – you may view the video and/or read the description by Deana, the Curator of Native American art. Scroll down and click on the “vote” button – this will automatically place your vote for the Chilkat robe!
I truly appreciate your time and support in placing a new Chilkat robe in the Portland Art Museum!
Remember, you must vote asap by April 10th(?) – time is of the essence.
Gunalcheesh! (Tlingit for “thank you”)
Feb 11, 2013 | Latest Art Projects, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
“Resilience” Chilkat robe “pattern board” draft – copyright Clarissa Rizal 2013
I think it’s either brave of me to reveal to the world a Chilkat pattern board I recently designed, or I am plain stupid. Is it taboo to show a pattern board of a Chilkat robe I am planning on weaving this Summer? Will someone steal this idea before I get around to weaving it, or do a rendition of it? Am I “jumping the gun” and sabotaging the energy of actually weaving this robe by sharing the pattern board? Anyone want to share your thoughts on this?
I have wanted to weave the idea of this robe since 1985; I finally got around to drafting up the design – I actually have the full-size “pattern board” – just the design field (without the borders) measures 48″ w x 28″h. The following is the design meaning:
“Resilience” is a “document” depicting icons of Western influences that changed our Northwest Coast indigenous peoples during the past 300+ years, and Native logos reflecting cultural integration and strength.
The Icons and their meanings:
• ships – Russians, Spanish and English explorers/traders
• double doors flanked by columns – museums, collectors, anthropologists
• pair of hands holding the gold pan – mining, western monetary system
• cross – Christianity, missionaries, organized religions, boarding schools
The Logos and meanings:
• Eagle and Raven represents the clan system-the fundamental foundation of the culture; also represents the Tlingit and Haida Central Council (logo) established in 1935
• Within each wing, logos of the ANB (Alaska Native Brotherhood) established 101 years ago in 1912 and the ANS (Alaska Native Sisterhood) were first indigenous civil rights groups in the U.S. – these two organizations gave “flight” for indigenous rights
• Within the chest of the Eagle and Raven, the Sealaska Corporation logo, 1 of 13 Regional Native Corporations of Alaska spawned from the passing of the Alaska Native Land Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) in 1971 – these organizations reflect the “heart” of the present-day cultures’ integrating western ways of living and conducting western business while maintaining cultural values and ethics
• Tail – the new “rudders”; the new institutions created to assist in archiving, preserving and perpetuating the Native cultures of today; depicted is the Sealaska Heritage Institute (logo) established in 1980.
I plan on including Ravenstail weaving patterns in the “water” behind the ships and in the white “pillars.” I’ll also weave Ravenstail here and there in the robe. It’s fun to incorporate the Ravenstail weaving patterns into the Chilkat robes.
Jun 7, 2012 | Latest Art Projects, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, To Market To Market |
Although messy, charcoal is fun to work with. I enjoy the instant contrast from dark to light depending on pressure and the number of strokes in a given place.
You may visit the previous blog ent
Adding more charcoal to obtain higher contrast
I used a workable fixative; next time I’ll use a non-workable fixative for the final coat!
Clarissa sprays fixative on her "Argillite Totem" stapled to the studio wall outdoors
I started this charcoal back in March; you may visit the blog entry that posted the beginning of this charcoal at by clicking here.
The finished piece waits on a table for the body of the wood frame column
I waited for the frame to be built before I sprayed and applied the canvas to the column frame.
“Argillite Totem” with a mirror behind it to see a glimpse of the other side of this totemic column. – This won 2nd Place in the Contemporary arts category of the Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Juried Art Show 2012.
See a video of the awards ceremony:
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May 20, 2012 | Honoring Others, Latest Art Projects, Ravens & Eagles, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, To Market To Market |
Clarissa lays out buttons onto recent "Eagle Raven Lovebirds" button robe designed by Preston Singletary, robe fabric choice and fabrication by Clarissa Rizal
Preston and I have finally collaborated on an actual art piece. We have worked together for a few years creating the Northwest Coast Native Artist Gatherings, and we’ve been working for the past who knows how many years towards creating a large glass Chilkat robe – maybe this robe is the impetus for actually making the glass robe come into reality real soon!
Lily assists in laying out the buttons while son, Louis checks out his mother's carefulness
Lily and Louis Hope helped do the button layout; it’s nice to have a family affair especially with cool kids!
Lily begins to glue down hundreds of buttons
Another version of Lily working on the robe while Louis naps in the Ergo baby carrier
completed button robe
The completed robe waiting to be packed up for the Native Art Market at Celebration 2012 in Juneau sponsored by the Sealaska Heritage Institute
