Subhankar Banerjee's collection of large-format, color photographs marks the reopening of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture's newly expanded temporary exhibits gallery.
The exhibit, which runs through Dec. 31, features the first complete Northwest display of Banerjee's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land, which documents four seasons of ecological diversity and Native cultures in Alaska's 19.5 million-acre refuge.
Banerjee, who makes his home in both Seattle and New York City, worked as a scientist for six years before switching careers to become an artist. Beginning in March 2001, he traveled for about 4,000 miles on foot, raft, kayak, snowmobile and bush plane, capturing images for two years. He survived blizzards with negative-40-degree temperatures to photograph and document the annual cycles of the arctic animals, plants, birds, water and the indigenous Inupiat Eskimos and Gwich'in Athabascan Indians. Banerjee's photography exhibit consists of 49 images.
"We wanted to reopen with a high-profile exhibit," said Erin Younger, acting associate director at the Burke Museum, adding that Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the type of exhibit that the museum would like to do more of.
"This was a dream come true," Younger said. "Everything lined up so we were able to open this show."
Complementing exhibits
Banerjee's photography exhibit will show alongside a collection of Arctic art in the Life Abounds: Arctic Native Wildlife Art exhibit.
"It was a perfect complement to this show," Younger said.
The Life Abounds exhibit features traditional and contemporary wildlife art from the Burke Museum's Native American art collection and augmented by pieces from John and Joyce Price's private collection.
The exhibit includes traditional masks and fetishes, carvings in stone, ivory, wood and bone and contemporary prints. More than 90 pieces of art depicting Arctic animals will be on display through Sept. 5.
"It's a nice broad array of artwork," Younger said.
The two exhibits divide the new space. Another exhibit, Fusing traditions: Contemporary Native American Glass Art, will replace Life Abounds in October.
Next February, the Burke Museum will present The Eternal Thread, an exhibition of contemporary Maori weaving from New Zealand and the first single exhibition to use the full space of the newly expanded gallery.
"We are able to show larger temporary exhibitions," Younger said of the expanded gallery space. "Most of those we couldn't even consider [before]."
A more 'flexible, professional space'
The gallery, reopened on June 25, nearly doubled in size from 1,750 to 3,800 square feet, with some financial support from Washington state, 4Culture, The Pigott Family Foundation and the Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation.
"We had a number of significant donations," Younger said.
The museum's last major renovation project was in 1997, when the Burke's permanent galleries were remodeled.
The most recent expansion included new lights, walls and exhibit cases for the gallery.
"It's just a wonderfully flexible and professional exhibit space," Younger said. "We're thrilled with the whole project."
The gift shop and admission desk also were reconfigured, and the director's office has moved downstairs near the café to make room for the larger gallery. However, the museum expects to expand them both in the next phase of renovation.
The new expansion represents the first of four phases in the museum's Strategic Plan for Growth. The second phase involves an addition to the south side of the building, where the visitor services are located, to open up more exhibit space and provide more meeting and presentation space for public programs.
The third and fourth phases address storage and office needs on the north side of the building, and include an enlargement and redesign of the permanent exhibition halls.
"Basically we're out of room here," Younger said. "We are absolutely bursting at the seams, but we felt it was a trade off we were willing to make."
Younger expects to see many of the phases in progress over the next few years.
The Burke Museum is located on the University of Washington campus at the corner of Northeast 45th Street and 17th Avenue Northeast. For information about hours and admission prices, call 543-5590 or visit www.burkemuseum.org.
Jessica Davis writes about arts and entertainment for the Herald-Outlook. She can be reached via e-mail at needitor@nwlink.com.
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