ANTHC announces call for artists for new Skilled Nursing Facility 

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium is excited to invite Alaska Native and American Indian artists to submit artwork proposals for a new facility that will play a vital role in the Alaska Tribal Health System.

The ANTHC Short-Term Skilled Nursing Facility, located on Ambassador Drive in Anchorage, will help people continue healing after a hospital stay, providing nursing care, rehabilitation, and physical recovery support before they safely return home. This addresses a significant gap in the system of care.

Artwork is more than decoration. It helps make our spaces feel welcoming, familiar, and connected to the diverse people and communities we serve. In places where people receive care and visit loved ones moving through the healing process, artwork reflects identity, culture, memory, and home.

Our intention with this new space is to reflect the cultures of the Alaska Native and American Indian people our organization serves.

In 2024, ANTHC collaborated with members of the Alaska Native Elder Health Advisory Committee to guide the facility’s artwork and design. The committee includes elders from urban, large rural, and remote communities from every region in Alaska, and shared guidance on the images, cultural elements, traditional ways of life, family amenities, and design features that would help residents feel comfortable and connected to home.

Based on that feedback, the facility will feature six residential hallways, each with a theme that connects to Alaska Native cultures, landscapes, traditions, and ways of life.

1. Traditional Dance
2. Fishing
3. Traditional Harvesting
4. Regalia and Artwork
5. Berries
6. Migratory Birds

These themes may be depicted through photographs, artwork, objects, graphic references, colors, patterns, and other design features throughout the facility. Artists are invited to submit proposals for original artwork or existing pieces to be considered for inclusion.

Submission Deadline: July 31, 2026

Notification of Selection: September 30, 2026

Project Completion: In conjunction with the facility’s opening in 2027

Artists can review the complete submission checklist and upload their materials at anthc.org/art.

Required application materials include an artist resume, artwork concept, proposed concept narrative, and eligibility documentation to demonstrate Tribal enrollment, either Silver Hand Permit, a Tribal Enrollment ID, or a Certificate of Indian Blood.

Questions can be directed to art@anthc.org.