#22 • Beautiful Handmade Alutiiq Earrings - Alutiiq Artist Diana Velez

Part of Junior Achievement of Alaska 2024 Fundraising Auction (timed auction by Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals)

High bid $60.00

Status: Sold

These one of a kind ivory and beaded earrings are handmade by Diana Velez, an Alutiiq artist from Kodiak, Alaska.   About Midnight Bearing: Alutiiq artist Diana Velez, started out beading with LaRita Laktonen-Ward for fun. She created earrings and necklaces for her close friends and family. Learning more about her culture and art, she explored skin sewing with her coworkers at Southcentral Foundation. Once people saw what she created, she would get special requests and orders until one day she realized this hobby could be turned into a business, and that’s how Midnight Beading was created. About the Artist: Diana is a part-time Alutiiq artist living in Anchorage, Alaska. Her mother is Nora Jager-Velez, from Old Harbor, Alaska, and her father is Raphael Velez, from Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Diana is Alutiiq, Puerto Rican, and German. LaRita Laktonen-Ward mentored Diana on how to make jewelry in 2010. Ever since then, Diana has continued exploring different styles, materials, and modern looks. She uses a combination of colorful beads, dentalium, abalone, mother-of-pearl, seal skin, sea otter, Swarovski beads, and porcupine quills. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @MidnightBeading to see her latest creations. Who are the Sugpiaq/Alutiiq people? “The Alutiiq / Sugpiaq people are one of eight Alaska Native peoples. They have inhabited the coastal environments of south central Alaska for over 7,500 years. Their traditional homelands include Prince William Sound, the outer Kenai Peninsula, the Kodiak Archipelago, and the Alaska Peninsula. Here, people lived in coastal communities and hunted sea mammals from skin covered boats.” (THE ALUTIIQ / SUGPIAQ PEOPLE, Alutiiq Museum, 2022). Donated by: Flora Teo Value: $50.00