If you’re looking to spruce up your walls this summer, you can get a free Sydney Laurence print at Anchorage’s Loussac Library.
Former city mayor and the library’s namesake, Zachariah Joshua Loussac, left his collection of paintings by the famous landscape artist to the city of Anchorage to be displayed at the library.
Now, library staff say they want to make sure the artwork is shared with even more of the city, and they’re distributing the prints to the public.
The free art is also a way to encourage more people to visit the library’s Alaska Collection, which houses and displays Loussac’s paintings, said Andi Haley, the library’s Alaska Collection Librarian.
They said there are about 20 paintings in the collection, with about 15 available to view, including ones from Eustace P. Zeigler, who painted images of life in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.
“They’re not in the museum, so you don’t have to pay to come and see them,” Haley said.
Laurence is considered one of the most prominent and prolific artists who depicted Alaska’s landscape. Information about the oil painter can be hazy and his past is complicated – like abandoning his family to come to Alaska and eventually pumping out his work from a Los Angeles studio.
Anchorage Museum Chief Curator Francesca DuBrock said that while Laurence might have perpetuated a mythical, uninhabited view of Alaska, his work is undeniably linked to the state.
“Sydney Laurence, you know, is pretty foundational to most Alaskans’ understanding of Alaska landscape, right or wrong. Love him or hate him,” DuBrock said.
To get a print and see the collection of paintings, head to the third floor of Loussac and go through the doors behind the reference desk. You’ll find the paintings behind glass along the wall of the Anne Stevens room. You can see works like Laurence’s “Winter Birches,” “Northern Lights” or “McKinley Spring.” Then go back to the desk and choose a rolled up mystery print from a random selection.
Haley said if you haven’t been to the Loussac library in a while, this is a perfect reason to stop by and see what’s new.
“It’s a great thing to come and see part of the culture of the library — to not just come in for books or reading materials and whatnot,” Haley said.
The free prints are available during normal library hours until Labor Day or while supplies last.
Ammon Swenson is Alaska Public Media’s Audio Media Content Producer. He was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. He graduated from UAA in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and integrated media. He’s previously worked for KRUA radio, the Anchorage Press, and The Northern Light.
