Permanent Art Installations

Juneau is the Northwest Coast arts capital of the world, and SHI’s goal is to make Northwest Coast art a national treasure. To that end, the institute has installed a number of permanent art installations in downtown Juneau made by some of the best Northwest Coast artists of our time.

  1. Kootéeyaa Deiyí (Totem Pole Trail)

    One of the most widely known art forms in Northwest Coast art is the totem pole (kootéeyaa in Lingít, gyáa’aang in X̱aad Kíl and p’tsaan in Sm’algya̱x). The figures and crests on totem poles reflect the rich clan histories, migrations, and oral traditions of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian people. Since 2022, SHI has installed 14 totems along the Juneau waterfront as part of Kootéeyaa Deiyí (Totem Pole Trail), a major public art and education project aimed at revitalizing the practice of monumental carving and increasing the number of trained Alaska Native artists.

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    Two artists carving and painting a monumental cedar Kootéeyaa

  2. Faces of Alaska

    The Sealaska Heritage Arts Campus plaza is home to a spectacular monumental art installation, Faces of Alaska, which features bronze masks that represent Alaska’s five major Native groups, including the Iñupiat, Yup’ik, Alutiiq, and Athabascan. The fifth group is a combination of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian, who share very similar cultures. The masks were made by master artists from across the state.

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    Northwest Coast transformation mask on display

  3. Building Art

    Explore the monumental Northwest Coast art and cultural design woven through Sealaska Heritage’s buildings.

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    Aerial view of Sealaska Heritage buildings and the plaza in downtown Juneau

  4. House Front

    Explore David A. Boxley’s monumental carved-and-painted Tsimshian clan house front in the Walter Soboleff Building.

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    Carved and painted Tsimshian clan house front by David A. Boxley

  5. House Screen

    Explore Preston Singletary’s monumental glass house screen and hear from the apprentices who helped create it.

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    Illuminated amber-and-black glass house screen and warrior posts inside Shuká Hít

  6. Bronze House Posts

    Explore three bronze house posts by Tsimshian artist David R. Boxley, Tlingit artist Jackson Polys, and Haida artist TJ Young.

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    Three bronze house posts outside the Walter Soboleff Building in downtown Juneau