The annual Arctic Circle Assembly, this year in Reykjavík, Iceland, has brought several familiar big-name Alaskans from over the pole, including Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and his wife Mara Kimmel, who is attending as a representative of the Anchorage Museum.
They were on a panel today about creating welcoming cities: “Stronger Together: Inclusive, Resilient and Connected Northern Cities.”
Also on the panel was Anchorage Museum Indigenous Curator of History and Culture Aaron Leggett.
Mara Kimmel, Anchorage’s First Lady, is the deputy director of strategy, research, and scholarship at the city-owned museum.
Also attending the conference, which ends Oct. 12, is former Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, (pictured above) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, both of whom were speakers on the Thursday programs.
Former owner of the Anchorage Daily News/Alaska Dispatch Alice Rogoff appeared on a panel concerning the media. She was joined by Elizabeth Arnold, a professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage Department of Journalism, Mark Trahant, and former Atwood Fellow at UAA and editor of Indian Country Today. Rogoff also chaired the panel on “Paving the Polar Silk Road, China, Russia, Japan, Korea.”
On Friday, Mayor Berkowitz will speak on the topic of “Setting the Arctic Agenda from a U.S. City Perspective.” Treadwell will chair a panel of governors to include Gov. Janet Mills of Maine, H.E. Roman Kopin, governor of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia and Maria Derunova, deputy governor of Murmansk Oblast, Russia.
Sen. Murkowski met with representatives from different Arctic nations.
The Anchorage Museum also sent curator Bodil Kjelstrup to take part in a break-out session: “What are we Learning about Art as an Instrument of Circumpolar Change and Innovation? The Accumulating Experience of the SEED Lab Experiment.”
I hope nobody noticed they were there. Mead Treadwell, what are you doing with that group? Oh, I know. They needed you as goodwill.
We can’t beat up Mead. I’m sure he didn’t pick the guest list. Be kind to others, right? Look at poor Ellen Degeneres. She can’t even sit and talk to George Bush at a football game and her socialist Hollywood crew is eating her alive. She didn’t pick the guest list. We sure don’t have to agree with them, but we can be in the same room with them.
I guess the Anchorage Museum is awash in cash. Surprised Director Julie did not make the trip. I have never figured out who actually owns the holdings of the Museum, let alone who manages them. I suspect that the actual relationships are a magnificent example of obfuscation.
Maybe the Rasmusons covered it. When you have your name on the museum…..
Cannot image how the “ museum” is awash in cash. Many of us gave up paying membership fees years ago. No one recommends going there anymore. They’ve got that hideous bear up on a wall in a huge empty room. ( that might be something to see….hideous) All that building has in it of worth is the native exhibit. What is amazing is that the native exhibit still exists. All the fascinating exhibits of Alaskan history got wiped out years ago.
Lisa is running scared. She’s on the ropes. Appearing everywhere she can, be it where a dead fish washed up on shore, or the opening of a new car wash. Don’t fall for it folks. She’s a RINO!!
There is obviously money for Berkowitz to galavant all over the globe. Cut our property taxes, if the city has that much money.
Good thing the many has money to send Burky and spouse on trips. remember that the next time he shows croc tears about needing money for services.
Nothing but ad hominem attacks here. Whidbey Thedog knows jealousy when he sees it…
The folks in Anchorage have a right to be jealous, or concerned. Berkowitz is spending their money on something that will be unlikely to bring any return on investment.
So glad that our great Governor Dunleavy, is not a member of the One World Order, like the attendees of the Artic Assembly.
The museum is operated by the Anchorage Museum Association, a private non-profit organization under a long term contract with the Municipality of Anchorage. Its annual budget comes from earned income, fundraising and grants, and from the municipality [how exactly?*]. The municipality owns the museum facility and collections. Chapter 25.80 – ANCHORAGE MUSEUM AT RASMUSON CENTER
*25.80.050 – Reports and recommendations.
A.Annual report. The Museum shall submit an annual report of its activities to the executive director of the department of economic and community development. The annual report shall include an annual audit, including income, expenditures, investment and inventory.B.Recommendations. In addition, the annual report may include recommendations for legislation or other municipal action necessary to carry out the Museum’s mission and public purposes.C.Upon request, the Museum shall present its annual report of activity to the Assembly at a scheduled work session. (AO No. 2007-2, § 2, 1-1-07)
25.80.060 – Annual budget.
The Museum shall prepare and submit an annual budget to the executive director of the Economic and Community Development Department, showing both the total operational cost for operating the Museum and the municipality’s CONTRIBUTION to operation of the Museum. (AO No. 2007-2, § 2, 1-1-07)
Good luck finding out what the municipality’s (our property tax money, utility payments & associated “fees”) contribution is during the last five or ten years.
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