Copyright Anchorage Daily News
For most artists, their work is a creative outlet, an expression of form and inspiration. For Jerry Laktonen, it also became a necessity. Laktonen found dwindling opportunities in the fisheries sector he had worked in and needed income streams to support his family. So at age 45, Laktonen turned to art. “I really needed to do something to make a living at it,” he said. “I was into fishing but it was really pretty tough after the (Valdez) oil spill.” Over the past 35 years, Laktonen’s art has been recognized across the country, from the Pacific Northwest to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. In October, Laktonen was named the Rasmuson Foundation’s Distinguished Artist for 2025, reflecting decades of work featuring traditional Alutiiq methods. Born in Larsen Bay on Kodiak Island, Laktonen had interest in both art and his Alutiiq culture during his younger years. But it wasn’t until he merged those two that he found both inspiration and a new career pathway. Laktonen became well known for his carved Alutiiq masks, which sometimes merge tradition and modern cultural references or humor. As a student in Seattle, he became interested in the works of sculptor Larry Beck, who was known for creating Yup’ik masks. “He was making traditional Native masks in design, but with contemporary products, kind of like found objects,” Laktonen said. “That really inspired me.” When he started creating art, there weren’t many remaining practitioners of Alutiiq methods and styles. Locally in Kodiak, Jacob Simeonoff was one artist who was quite prolific. But mostly, Laktonen was self-taught. His masks were a hit right out of the gate, as his first piece was sold at Smithsonian gift shops. “I was pretty surprised,” Laktonen said. “It was just at gift shops, but they kind of got me going a little bit. I ended up selling them a whole bunch of masks. They were kind of like almost mass produced, but it was a good opportunity for me to use my imagination and get my skills down.” One of Laktonen’s famous masks was titled “Joe Hazelwood,” named after the infamous captain of the Exxon Valdez. Another famous mask, titled “Dunqiiq,” was a basketball-themed piece inspired by a young Shaquille O’Neal. “It was kind of tied to the holistic culture, which is a really big deal for the whole state of Alaska where people play basketball a lot,” he said. He said his sense of humor often guided him when he developed pieces. Growing up working in the local fishery, he met plenty of older characters, which contributed to his sometimes sly approach. “I think I absorbed a lot of their sense of humor and their different viewpoints on life,” he said. “It was a lot of fun to for me to combine the old ideas with the new ideas.” While masks were a mainstay of his portfolio, Laktonen also crafted ceremonial paddles and a number of other pieces. Over the years, he earned awards and ribbons at a number of shows, including at the Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Museum in Phoenix. Laktonen is also an author, and published a book called “Marmot Dreams” a decade ago. In staying with his love for carving, Laktonen’s book features the adventures of two marmots, Seymore and Oscar, in a baidarka, or Alutiiq kayak. The visuals for the book were partly borrowed from photos Laktonen took of his process of carving a baidarka. His work even found its way into textiles as one of his designs was used for a blanket from the Pendleton company. “They were looking for a blanket design for Alaska, and they had me design one for them,” he said. “That was pretty cool that I had a Pendleton blanket on my resume.” The Rasmuson award includes a $50,000 grant. And while Laktonen’s four daughters are now adults and he isn’t in the position of supporting a family, as he was 35 years ago when he started, the income still helps. Now in his mid-70s, Laktonen has slowed down but is still creating art, and recently had a booth at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention. “It might just change me in a different direction to maybe just do better work rather than more work,” he said. “I think the Rasmuson grant will help me to be more financially secure.”
