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About Spirit Mountain Artworks
Gallery "From Anchorage to Fairbanks to
Tangle Lakes to Valdez, yours is the most original gallery/shop
we've seen." In late 1977, jeweler Art Koeninger bought the "Chitina Tin Shop" with the intention of scrapping out about half of it for a cabin in the woods. Instead, he succeeded in getting it on the National Register of Historic Places as well as winning two historic preservation grants. Over eight summers, he and family, friends, and volunteers restored what is now known as Spirit Mountain Artworks. The cabin in the woods never got built.
Read an article by by Michael Dunham, Anchorage Daily News Arts
Editor
Art Koeninger
After 25 years in Chitina, Art moved to Homer, Alaska in 2003. He returns to manage the business in the summer. His talents as a metal smith and sculptor have been utilized in the mounting of artifacts for museum exhibits. He continues to create custom jewelry and teach jewelry making through the Alaska Teaching Artists program, the City of Homer Community Recreation program, and the Anchorage Museum. You can see samples of Art's jewelry and metal work online - visit often as artwork is updated periodically! Please contact Art if you would like to know more about his work. You can also listen to an Oral History Interview, part of a joint project of University of Alaska and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. On tape, Art talks about what brought him to the Chitina area and the many issues, opportunities, and challenges that keep him there. Historic preservation and community service are key themes in this interview. After being in business for more than 30 years, Art has put both the historic building and the business on the market. Please contact Art for details. Meanwhile, Spirit Mountain Artworks will remain open summers.
Our Historic Building "Your shop is beautiful."
Spirit Mountain Artworks is housed in the former Chitina Tin Shop. Our building is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Learn more about the history of Chitina and of our building in the Chitina Tin Shop Historic Preservation Plan.
Spirit Mountain Artworks | PO Box 22 Chitina, AK
99566 | info@spiritmountainalaska.com Photos © Art Koeninger unless otherwise attributed.
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