On Friday, November 16, Leonard Savage of Lexington, will celebrate the indomitable spirit of his native Athabascan people of Alaska, and bring to life the animals and culture of these far northern lands by demonstrating his skill and artistry sculpting walrus ivory from 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea.

Leonard was born in the small fishing village of Holy Cross, located in a small alcove on the Yukon River in southwestern Alaska. He lived here until the age of 12 when his family moved to Anchorage and Leonard ran head first into a culture that did not accept him. Looking for a traditional medium in which to express his culture and traditions, Leonard began carving bone, antler and stone – finally choosing walrus ivory as his medium. Only Native Americans can legally possess and carve walrus ivory which is harvested when walrus are obtained for food.

Since his teen years, Mr. Savage, a self-taught artist, has chronicled the history and culture of the Alaska Native people through his work. Through his carvings, he has preserved the ceremonies and activities of their lives, and the animals central to that lifestyle, not only through the carvings themselves, but also through the very acting of carving, an art form now practiced by only a few remaining Alaska Natives.

Leonard has been carving for over thirty years and each piece is an embodiment of both his own personal  history and the influences of his Athabascan forebears. Leonard’s meticulous attention to detail and realism is balanced by his unsurpassed ability to breathe life into the medium, thereby creating works of art which blend traditional subjects with contemporary styling.

Works by Leonard Savage are regularly available at the Kentucky Artisan Center, located just off Interstate 75 at exit 77 (Berea). The Center’s exhibits, shopping, and travel information areas are all open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the café from 8 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Admission is free. The Center currently features works by more than 650 artisans from 90 counties across the Commonwealth. For more information call 859-985-5448 or visit the Center’s web site at www.kentuckyartisancenter.ky.gov  

The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea is an agency in the Commerce Cabinet.