INVITATION

FREEZE

An Outdoor Exhibition of Art and Architecture

Opening January 3, 2009

Anchorage, Alaska

I would like to invite you to participate in a special installation  

in Anchorage.  This will be a winter event where architects and  

artists of international standing work in collaboration to create  

outdoor installations using snow and light - elements that  

characterize winter in the north.  The event and exhibition will  

feature the work of six “teams” each consisting of an architect and  

an artist.  Participants may select their own collaborator or,  

alternately, the curators of FREEZE will be able to match them with a  

partner firm or artist.  Please note that this is not a general, open  

call.  We are approaching you because we admire your work and because  

we think you might be willing to experiment within this forum.

FREEZE is organized and hosted by the Alaska Design Forum, the  

International Gallery of Contemporary Art, the Anchorage Museum and  

the celebration committee for the 50th anniversary of Alaska’s  

statehood.  The association with the statehood celebrations allows  

for the opportunity of thousands of international visitors to  

Anchorage viewing the exhibition.

Materials and supplies will be provided in Anchorage and an on-site  

team will be available to work with each team.  Participants will be  

given an honorarium.

Team members will be present for installation and at the opening  

ceremonies and will present a public lecture. The installations will  

open to the public on January 3, 2009 and will run through that  

month.  The project will coordinate and offer airline travel and  

hotel accommodations to participating artists/architects/designers.   

Opportunities for participation in a satellite project in Fairbanks  

and Juneau are also available. In addition, a catalogue will be  

published.

Polar regions are receiving increasing attention in these times of  

climate change and environmental awareness.  They have unique  

challenges with regard to weather, resources, design and the built  

environment.  This exhibition will help to bring renewed attention to  

life in the arctic.

The exhibition is being curated by Julie Decker, a board member of  

the Alaska Design Forum and director of the International Gallery of  

Contemporary Art,  and a frequent guest curator for the Anchorage  

Museum; and Brian Carter, Dean of Architecture and Planning for SUNY  

Buffalo, an architect and award winning author of numerous books on  

modern architecture.

If you are interested in participating in this exhibition, please  

email me at julied@alaskalife.net.  We can discuss partnerships,  

schedule, a working method, and answer any other questions you might  

have.  We’re hoping that a unique Alaskan experience might pique your  

interest in this project.

I eagerly await your reply.

Sincerely,

Julie Decker

julied@alaskalife.net

www.alaskadesignforum.org