On March 24-28, 2025, Arctic Science Summit Week 2025, Boulder, USA, hosted the exhibition “Art of Indigenous Science/Science of Indigenous Art” curated by Tatiana Degai and Vera Kuklina. The exhibition was co-organized by Diana Khudaeva, Alexandr Pechen, Victoria Sharakhmatova, and Timur Zolotoev. The exposition presented the works of AIVAN participants (Arctic Indigenous Virtual Artist Network). The exhibition aroused great interest and was warmly welcomed by the audience of the summit.
One of the central places at the exhibition was occupied by a quilt – “Quilt Ojar – Circles on the Water” (authors: Anna Sakmarkina, Aleksandr Mokryi, Lyubov Evigyna, Tatiana Khelol, Tatiana Zhirkova, Tatiana Mavgun, Valentina Akimova, Lyubov Sychova, Svetlana Rodikova, Lyudmila Kozhevnikova, Olga Kostrova, Sarah Young Bear-Brown – Tki ka mi ge a (Fish Clan), Daniel Young Bear-Brown, Nina Young Bear – By tti ea (Bear Clan), LeAnn Morgan – Nikaniga (Wolf Clan), Yulia Vasilieva, Mary Young Bear, Elena Rybina, Natalia Izhenbina, Aksinia Efimova, Galina Koryakina). Each island reflects the values of the Indigenous people to which its author belongs.
Amber Webb of the Yupik people from Alaska gave a tour of her artwork, with many people joining in. In one of her pieces, a qaspeq (Yupik hooded overshirt) with portraits of missing and murdered Indigenous women, Amber raises the emotionally challenging and critical topic of violence against Indigenous women. Amber also featured a painting, a Yup’ik headdress and a women’s belt.
The exhibition featured the diorama “Tundra Landscapes” by the Even artist Galina Koryakina and photos by Oleg Zaporotsky, Itelmen from Kamchatka. The artworks by Khanty artists – reindeer sinew and Khanty ornament embroidery made by Elena Rybina, as well as Akanj dolls made by Varvara and Alexandra Rybina were also presented. Museum of the Koryak artist Nadezhda Kaizevna Khelol provided artworks of seal fur, reindeer, walrus skin, otter fur, mink and sheep’s wool made by Svetlana Nikiforova, Natalia Gutnikova, Svetlana Gutorova, Lyudmila Gilyova, Olga Shmagina, Nadezhda Milgichil.