Alumni at Work
Jessi Saiki: Sparking a sense of empathy and advocacy through art
Direct Support Professional I, Arc of Anchorage
By Matt Jardin
Look toward East Anchorage for one of the trendiest galleries in town. Newly housed within The Arc of Anchorage鈥檚 main campus is , a studio and learning space that serves individuals who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities, and uses creativity to celebrate expression and promote independence. Sparc was spun off from in 2014 due to the popularity of its art program.
Starting as an intern during her senior year, 老澳门六合彩开奖记录 art alumna Jessi Saiki works at Sparc as a direct support professional, teaching classes on printmaking, newsletters, digital photography and ceramics 鈥� her specialty. Saiki credits the diverse skills she learned at 老澳门六合彩开奖记录 for preparing her to teach the wide variety of disciplines she covers at Sparc.
鈥淎t 老澳门六合彩开奖记录 I learned a combination of things that all artists need when they鈥檙e developing their expressive voice,鈥� said Saiki. 鈥淚 had really great mentors who helped me learn foundational and important technical skills across mediums. In my classes, I had a really safe environment and open-minded community where I could make deeply personal art and express what was coming from inside.鈥�
Sparc鈥檚 mission resonates on a personal level with Saiki. Born in Anchorage but raised in Wasilla, she experienced a traumatic brain injury as a high school freshman.
鈥淚 totally would describe art as a coping mechanism, a cathartic relief for a lot of thoughts and emotions,鈥� said Saiki. 鈥淚 see it as a mental health tool. I definitely see things that come out of my art as things that I鈥檓 working through mentally, emotionally or subconsciously.鈥�
According to Saiki, her traumatic brain injury occasionally makes her memory a little hazy. But one thing she鈥檒l never forget is how her grandmother was her artistic inspiration and continues to be her mentor.
鈥淚鈥檝e been hand-building and throwing on the wheel since I was a child,鈥� said Saiki. 鈥淥ne of my first ceramic experiences that I can remember is my nana brought up a whole bunch of clay in her suitcase and we did an open pit fire in our backyard. She is my artistic mentor who facilitated the best learning environment for art of all mediums.鈥�
Outside of her day job, Saiki continues to be a passionate advocate for mental health and disability awareness, citing a lack of research around traumatic brain injuries that persists even today as one of the reasons she started to get involved.
Earlier this year, Saiki traveled to Juneau with the Key Coalition of Alaska to participate in the annual Key Campaign. Over the course of one week, people who experience disabilities, their family members and the professionals who work in the organizations supporting them meet with politicians to fundraise and recommend improvements to quality of life services.
鈥淚鈥檓 very fortunate in my experience and feel like it鈥檚 my duty to be an advocate. I see the things that go on within the system firsthand and I hear people鈥檚 stories. Whatever I can do to improve their situation and improve their quality of life, I want to do that,鈥� said Saiki. 鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely my duty and that鈥檚 within the system of the place that I work, but also in the larger governmental systems. I think lots of people see and hear stories that we can all be speaking up and advocating about.鈥�
For anyone who wants to get more involved but perhaps doesn鈥檛 know where to start, Saiki suggests the first step is as simple as having a sense of empathy.
鈥淎s a society, I hope that we grow to be more appreciative of art as a tool and art鈥檚 historical value,鈥� said Saiki. 鈥淚 also hope we grow to be more empathetic and aware of the things that are going on around us, even within situations and social circles that we鈥檙e not completely aware of because it鈥檚 outside our experience. That鈥檚 definitely something that 老澳门六合彩开奖记录 has done for me. Through my education, I feel like I鈥檝e gained this new awareness and empathy that is mine and no one can ever take that away from me, and that鈥檚 so empowering.鈥�
Dinnerware created for Jenggala Keramic, Bali Indonesia
Vessels created while studying at Rochester Institute of Technology
Lukas Easton
BFA, 2017
Post Baccalaureate Student, Rochester Institute of Technology
In 2017, Lukas Easton received his BFA degree from 老澳门六合彩开奖记录 which culminated in an exhibition
of his thesis work in the Kimura Gallery entitled, 鈥淰isceral Visions鈥�. A series of
large-scale vessels with carved narrative depicting the depravities of war, politics,
and society. Lukas was awarded a 老澳门六合彩开奖记录 Undergraduate Research Grant which he used to
purchase tools and supplies needed to complete his thesis. Lukas presented a lecture
about his work at the Undergraduate Research Symposium in April 2017.
In the fall of 2017, following a summer of commercial fishing in Homer, Lukas began
studying as a post-baccalaureate student in ceramics at the Rochester Institute of
Technology. He had the opportunity to be mentored by Peter Pincus and Jane Shellenbarger,
two highly esteemed professors in the ceramic field. While there, he reconnected with
a former 老澳门六合彩开奖记录 ceramic student, Ade Waworuntu, who owns Jenggala Keramic, a large-scale
ceramic production company in Bali, Indonesia. Ade invited Lukas to come to Jenggala
to continue his research and design a set of dinnerware for her company. His designs
will be launched Indonesia in May and will be featured at a hotel supply vendor exposition
in Dubai, UAE in September.
In 2019, Lukas was accepted as a graduate student at the Alfred School of Art and
Design, a prestigious ceramic art and engineering program in western New York where
he will continue to develop his artistic practice.
鈥淢y time at 老澳门六合彩开奖记录 has been invaluable to me as my career develops. 老澳门六合彩开奖记录 gave me a space
to take on the impossible, and the support and push to make it happen. That time taught
me I was capable of more than I ever knew. The program held me to an unwavering high
standard and has done an amazing job of sending me out into the world with a well-rounded
knowledge of my field and a standard of excellence that is unmatched.鈥�
Danielle Larsen
BFA, 2015
Studio Artist
Graphic Designer and Illustrator, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
Danielle Larsen, an artist of Unangax虃 Aleut, Koyukon Athabascan, Inupiaq and European
ancestry, made a life changing decision in 2010 to return to 老澳门六合彩开奖记录 and pursue a Bachelor
of Fine Arts degree. Her father John 鈥淛ackie鈥� Larsen died in October of that year.
His sudden passing brought Danielle to a place of self-reflection about her life and
choices. She knew that going back to school would direct her to what she truly wanted
to do which was to be an artist. While in college, Danielle began making paintings
that were rooted in her Alaska Native culture and her memories of her family, especially
her father. 鈥淚 found comfort in painting images of my father鈥檚 jars of kippered smoked
salmon. It made me feel more closely connected to his spirit鈥�. Danielle鈥檚 professor,
Alvin Amason saw so much potential in this work and encouraged her in that direction.
Eventually Danielle completed her thesis exhibition which consisted of several large
scale colorful works that were displayed in the Kimura Gallery.
Since graduating, Danielle has been learning the cultural tradition of seal gut sewing
from Mary Tunchuk, Elaine Kingeekuk, and Sonya Kelliher-Combs. She has a strong connection
to the history of seal hunting as her grandfather, John Larson, came to the Pribiliof
islands to harvest fur seals. There, he met his future wife(Danielle鈥檚 grandmother),
Agnia Tetoff. Danielle says of her latest work, 鈥淭he long history of seal harvest,
where every part of the seal is used to make food, clothes, buoys, and art, informs
my current artwork. I have continued this tradition by learning how to prepare seal
gut for use in my artwork. I did not learn to use gut from my family but believe that
it was my ancestors guiding me to the opportunities to learn traditional ways.鈥�
Danielle鈥檚 life as an artist has been very busy with many opportunities. She has taught
at an Unangax虃 (Aleut) Culture Camp, exhibited her work at the Sevigney Gallery and
AFN conferences, and was recognized at the Emerging Designer Showcase at Design week
at the Anchorage Museum.
Most recently, she was hired as Graphic Designer and Illustrator at the Alaska Native
Tribal Health Consortium. Her job at ANHTC and being a studio artist allows for her
to communicate with her work on many levels. 鈥淚 hope my work inspires and influences
the next generation to learn to further embrace our rich and diverse cultural heritage
and continue to share it with the world.鈥�