OM.2024.101 - Deanna Lampe - USA

OM.2024.101 - Deanna Lampe - USA - Fingers and Toes - collage on panel- 8 x 8 inches - Visual Poetry and Color

 Deanna Lampe (Tlingit name Daasákaayee) is a Juneau, Alaska-based Indigenous artist, fashion designer, beadwork artisan, and needle-point expert. A member of the prominent Rizal-Hope artistic lineage, Lampe has spent over three decades mastering traditional Alaska Native crafts while pushing the boundaries of contemporary Indigenous fashion and public textile art. [1, 2, 3]

Artistic Mediums & Indigenous Fashion

• Beadwork & Needle-Point: Lampe has operated as a dedicated beadwork and needle-point designer for over 30 years. Her intricate hand-stitched designs often preserve and reframe traditional Tlingit visual language. [1, 2]
• Indigenous Haute Couture: In 2016, Lampe teamed up with her niece, renowned master weaver Lily Hope, to venture into contemporary apparel design. The duo debuted multiple hand-sewn, statement ensembles for the Sealaska Heritage Institute’s inaugural Native Fashion Show at the Walter Soboleff Center in Juneau, blending business casual cuts with traditional button and basketry accent textures. [1, 2]

Collaborative Textile Activism

• The Giving Strength Robe (2019): Lampe served as a core project organizer alongside her sister, the late legendary weaver Clarissa Rizal, and nieces Lily Hope and Ursala Hudson. [1, 2]
• Honoring Survivors: The large-scale community initiative brought together more than 60 Chilkat and Ravenstail weavers across North America to hand-weave individual 5-by-5-inch merino wool squares. The pieces were meticulously assembled into a full-sized ceremonial robe donated to AWARE (Aiding Women in Abuse and Rape Emergencies), Juneau's local shelter, to offer healing, strength, and global awareness for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. [1, 2, 3]

Cultural Leadership & Museum Research

• Preserving Material Heritage: Deeply dedicated to regional art conservation, Lampe works actively within the Southeast Alaska cultural sector. She has collaborated closely with the Chilkat Dye Working Group at the Alaska State Museum, conducting hands-on historical experiments to recreate traditional organic dye chemistry (such as copper and ammonia treatments) on merino wool structures.
• Institutional Recognition: Her visual legacy and ongoing contributions to Northwest Coast art have been officially cataloged by state institutions, notably highlighted in the Alaska State Libraries, Archives & Museums Women of Vision collection. [1, 2]