Burning the masks of ‘Aggravated Organisms.’

Yupik carver Drew Michael and painter Elizabeth Ellis created 5 foot tall masks in an exhibit called ‘Aggravated Organisms’ to represent the 10 most prevalent diseases impacting Alaskans. After 3 years of touring the masks to Alaska communities across the state and a showing in Seattle, Michael has decided to end the educational journey of these masks through the traditional method of burning. The ceremony will be held on the lawn of the Anchorage museum on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. At the same time, Michael plans to put out a statewide call to promote healing through community cohesiveness and mutual support.