The stampede trail bus, or Bus 142, saw more than 70 years of use in Fairbanks and then the mining trail west of Healy, Alaska before being flown back across the Teklanika and eventually becoming an object in a museum collection. Before it became a pilgrimage and a touchstone for memory, and well after its life in the military and the Fairbanks transit system, it was a well-used bunkhouse, a hunting camp for those who knew how to get off the beaten path.  In the fall of 2022 and the spring of 23, Jerry Freel made three visits to the museum and bus to talk with UAMN Senior Collections Mana ..read more

In this bonus Up Close episode, we continue our Episode 16 ("The Silences") conversation with UAMN Film Curator emeritus, Leonard Kamerling. We talk about the increasing need to curate our personal photos, the value in being an outsider as a storyteller, and what projects Kamerling envisions on the horizon. The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections ..read more

In this episode, we talk about how UAMN Film Curator Emeritus, Leonard Kamerling came to filmmaking. What’s changed in the last quarter-century? What is very much the same? And what should we all, as individuals, as families, think about when it comes to the documentation of our own lives. The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North through collections, research, educatio ..read more

In this episode of the podcast, a conversation with UAMN Curator of Birds, Kevin Winker, and Ornithology Collection Manager, Jack Withrow about the growth of this museum collection, the vastness of North and how little has been studied in detail, the time-tested value of room temperature preservation, the difference between live mounts and study skins…and so much more.  The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural histor ..read more

In this episode, we continue our Episode 14, "Always Getting Ready" conversation with members of the Friends of the UA Museum of the North. The friends are a group of engaged community members whose purpose is to build a bridge of understanding and knowledge about the museum's collections and research. We pick up the discussion with Ron Inouye, Dave Norton, and Tim Doran. The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history a ..read more

Enjoy this illuminating conversation with several members of the Friends of the UA Museum of the North: Ron Inouye, Tim Doran, and Dave Norton. The Friends are a group of engaged community members whose purpose is to build a bridge of understanding and knowledge about the museum's collections—and the research and other work the collections support. They do this through spending time with the staff and the curators, engaging with exhibits, and taking on special projects. The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ..read more

The UAMN audio guide, Sounds of Place was conceived and first recorded in the year 2000 by UAMN Film Curator emeritus, Leonard Kamerling and sound-recordist Kathy Turco. Twenty-something years later, it has grown into a mobile app with 6 tours and nearly 200 stops encompassing all of the museum galleries. The UA Museum of the North mobile app is free and available on a smartphone near you. This week on the podcast, “A Taste of Sounds of Place,” 20-something eclectic clips for 20-something years. The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of ..read more

This week , we interrupt UAMN Ornithology Collection Manager, Jack Withrow, as he installs a small exhibit on the Birds of Beringia. This is the latest edition of Changing Alaska, Changing Collections, a temporary exhibit case near the entrance of the  main gallery that highlights recent work from the museum’s collections. The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the Dena people of the lower Tanana River. UAMN illuminates the natural history and cultural heritage of Alaska and the North ..read more

Today we visit two conversations with UAMN Fine Arts Collection Manager Della Hall, both recorded in the last year -- Della’s first year in this position. We talk about the collection, about storage space and how books should be organized on a shelf, about the life of objects, about exhibits and how all museums have art – all of them – bar none. We talk about how art is made to be engaged with – and responded to – this week on the podcast.  The More You Look is a production of the UA Museum of the North, on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the ancestral lands of the ..read more

It’s easy to forget, with how much we think we know about the world, that new species of animals are being discovered and studied, all of the time. Sometimes, the animal lives where few people are present to observe it. Other times, we just haven’t yet looked close enough. And other times, once in a while, an animal might exhibit an uncommon behavior, perhaps something we can’t fail to notice, and we pay attention, and lo and behold, the animal is new to science. In this episode, Derek Sikes, UAMN curator of insects talks about one such new species, Sciara serpens and its astounding behavior ..read more