Fred Machetanz is considered Alaska's preeminent artist, who has traveled a long trail from his first one-man show in 1961. His paintings and stone lithographs have been exhibited around the world, included in numerous permanent collections and published in three books. His awards ranged from 1977 Alaskan of the Year and a seat in the Alaska Press Club Hall of Fame to three honorary doctorates, including one in humane letters from The Ohio State University, his alma mater.
Machetanz pictured the Alaska he first encountered in the village of Unalakleet; it was there that he first established a bond with the land and its people that lasted more than 50 years. As the patterns of light and dark and the luminous effect of his Renaissance glazing techniques were the trademarks of a Machetanz painting, the spirit of Machetanz was the trademark of Alaska. He once said, "If anyone viewing my work has felt the beauty, the thrills and the fascination I have known in Alaska, then I have succeeded in what I set out to do."
(Biography Courtesy of Mill Pond Press Publishing)
