Rebecca Lyon receives $50,000 Rasmuson Distinguished Artist award

Rebecca Lyon has been named the Rasmuson Foundation's Distinguished Artist for 2026. The honor recognizes one individual each year whose work has left a lasting mark on Alaska's cultural scene. Lyon, a Dena'ina Athabascan and Unangan artist from Cordova, received the designation last month. The award includes a $50,000 grant to support her creative practice. The Rasmuson Foundation has given this title for 22 years.

Lyon's mixed media work often explores the intersection of personal history and broad social issues. Her pieces have depicted the internment of Unangax̂ people during World War II and examined the modern spread of plastics. She also frequently investigates Indigenous issues, women's rights, and environmental impacts. Lyon said her art usually starts with a personal connection to the subject. At times, that connection involves examining the lives of her mother and grandmother. Both women were Indigenous leaders with deep roots in civil rights advocacy.

The artist noted that her work often rekindles childhood trauma and confronts the systematic abuse of Indigenous populations. She said these topics remain highly relevant. "Indigenous issues, they haven't gone away. They, in a lot of ways, like many problems in our society, just intensified," Lyon said. She also views her role as an artist as a way to document the current moment. "The artist's work through time, it helps to illustrate, it helps to document the time in which the artist lives, and the struggles that we all experience in our humanity," she said.

Lyon studied art at the University of Alaska Anchorage. She did not pursue art full time until her 30s. She described the decision as a gradual process rather than a single moment of bravery. "I suppose it was when I matured to a point where I realized that in my heart, art was going to be more fulfilling than just a job," she said. Her work has been featured in the Anchorage Museum, the Pratt Museum in Homer, and the Musée de Boulogne-sur-Mer in France. She also has installations in the Lower 48 and Europe.

Lyon said she is grateful for the financial support. She acknowledged that monetary awards are rare for artists. "Happiness definitely doesn’t come from money and creative endeavors, those are seldom rewarded with a monetary reward," she said. The grant will allow her to continue her work without the immediate pressure of financial survival.

Twenty other Alaska artists received Individual Artist Awards fellowships alongside Lyon. Each recipient will receive $25,000. The fellowships are designed for mid- to late-career artists who need financial support to focus on their craft. The recipients work in diverse fields, including traditional arts, carving, poetry, music, and visual arts. Anchorage musician Ashley Young was among the recipients. Young returned to Alaska in 2020 and is preparing to release her debut full-length album.

Young said the award will help her strengthen her online presence and continue learning the Tlingit language. She plans to collaborate with other language learners to write lyrics for her next project. "With these funds, I will collaborate with other Tlingít language learners to write more ‘Tlinglísh’ lyrics for my next project," Young wrote in an email. She also intends to seek Indigenous visual artists for her merchandise table while she tours. The other 19 fellowship recipients include Sydney Akagi, Renee Culp, Erin Ggaadimits Ivalu Gingrich, Ernestine Hayes, Erin Coughlin Hollowell, Anna Hoover, Lily Hope, Gail Jackson, Rachael Juzeler, Nancy Lord, Rose McAdoo, Da-ka-xeen Mehner, Quki, Don Rearden, Nadia Jackinsky-Sethi, M.K. Thekkumkattil, Michael Walsh, Annie Wenstrup, and Tamara Wilson.