What Are the Best Experiences and Tours for Artists Visiting Alaska?

Turnagain Ceramics (Anchorage)

Located in downtown Anchorage, Turnagain Ceramics offers a fun and approachable way to make your own Alaska-inspired souvenir. The studio’s Summer in Alaska series, which runs daily throughout the season, lets participants make fun creations out of clay, like halibut-shaped spoon rests and otter figurines, along with other themed pieces.

You’ll make your artwork and choose a glaze; the studio handles the firing and mails your masterpiece to your home, where it often arrives just as your trip memories settle in.

The space is relaxed, beginner-friendly, and one of the few Anchorage art studios that can comfortably host large groups. Families traveling together love comparing what everyone made.

Good for: Individuals, multigenerational groups, date nights & poor-weather days. No experience needed!

Wild Starr Creations (Anchorage)

Wild Starr Creations brings high-energy art experiences to downtown Anchorage. Workshops span the gamut, from acrylic painting to charcuterie-board design, but its truly unique feature is the Splatter Room—a fully protected space where you can throw paint freely at your canvas!

Because artwork stays wet for at least 24 hours, the studio provides transport boxes, so you can safely bring your piece back to your hotel.

Also check out Wild Starr’s Creative Lab, a drop-in workspace for self-guided projects. It’s a flexible option for families or travelers who don’t want to commit to a scheduled class. They even have Alaska themed projects if you want to create a souvenir to bring home. The drop-in space is open daily from 9am - 4pm.

Good for: Kids, teens, groups, rainy-day fun

Photography Day Tours (Anchorage and Denali)

Alaska’s scenery can be overwhelming to photograph on your own, due to the state’s unique environment. We recommend working with local guides, who can take you to reliable locations and suggest techniques to help you get great shots.

Alaska Photo Treks offers year-round tours in Anchorage and along Turnagain Arm, including sunset sessions and winter aurora hunts. These outings are ideal for beginners and hobbyists. Denali Photo Guides provides similar experiences in Denali National Park, helping visitors photograph both wildlife and vast landscapes.

Good for: Any professional or amateur with a camera or smartphone.

Alaska Botanical Garden (Anchorage)

The Alaska Botanical Garden in Anchorage hosts classes year-round that blend creativity with Alaska’s plant life. Workshops may include watercolor painting, botanical drawing, photography walks, nature journaling, and more! ABG also accepts submissions for garden-scale art on an ongoing basis.

Set among cultivated gardens and forested trails, the Garden makes for a peaceful, inspiring option right in Anchorage.

Good for: Travelers seeking a relaxing outdoor creative experience.

Anchorage Museum

The Anchorage Museum invites visitors to engage their creativity through hands-on experiences and artist-led workshops that reflect the spirit of the North. Whether you're a local resident or exploring Alaska for the first time, the museum offers opportunities to connect through art, storytelling, and making. These programs span a wide range of ages and interests, from contemporary craft to experimental design, and are shaped in collaboration with artists and educators. Visit their website for current schedule and offerings.

Good for: Museum-goers and casual learners. Check the schedule in advance to see if there’s a workshop that aligns with your trip.

Multi-Day Photo Workshops with Alaska Pros (Statewide)

Multi-day programs led by established photographers offer intensive learning paired with access to remote landscapes. These trips often include small group sizes, boat or air travel to off-grid areas, field instruction in composition and exposure, opportunities to photograph wildlife, or glaciers.

With Alaska’s fast-changing conditions, having an experienced guide significantly improves your odds of capturing stunning images. Go with Jeff Schultz, Michael DeYoung, or Sitka Wonders.

Good for: Best for intermediate to advanced photographers, but beginners are welcome too! Workshop dates are often announced a year or more in advance.

McCarthy Lodge – Artist in Residence Program (McCarthy/Kennecott)

McCarthy Lodge offers a different kind of creative experience—less about making art yourself, and more about encountering wilderness through the work of artists immersed in it. Through its Artist in Residence program, the lodge hosts accomplished painters, writers, musicians, and multidisciplinary artists whose work is shaped by time spent in Alaska’s backcountry. Guests may have opportunities to view works in progress, talk with artists returning from the field, and explore finished pieces in the lodge’s Mountain Arts Gallery, which features work inspired by Wrangell–St. Elias and Alaska’s wild landscapes.

Some resident artists spend days—or even weeks—working solo in the wilderness before bringing that experience back into town through painting, music, writing, or ephemeral work created in the landscape itself. For visitors, that offers a rare kind of access: the chance to experience Alaska’s wild places through the perspective of someone actively translating them into art.

You might see a painter working outside the gallery, hear a visiting musician perform, or simply spend time with artwork that deepens your connection to place. These moments add a creative dimension to a stay in McCarthy—and reflect the idea that art can help people relate more deeply to wilderness.

Good for: Travelers interested in art, culture, and the emotional experience of wilderness; visitors looking for a creative dimension to a stay in McCarthy
Tip: Ask the lodge what artists may be in residence during your visit—programming and opportunities to engage can vary by season.

Discovery Voyages — Photography-Focused Small Ship Cruises (Prince William Sound and Beyond)

Discovery Voyages offers a series of small-ship photography cruises departing from Whittier, just an hour south of Anchorage. These 7- to 11-day journeys, designed with photographers in mind, blend wildlife viewing, dramatic coastal landscapes, and hands-on instruction from experienced photography guides. On many itineraries, you’ll spend five days aboard the 12-guest M/V Discovery exploring the pristine waterways of Prince William Sound, with opportunities to photograph tidewater glaciers, fjords, marine wildlife, and the ever-changing light on the water.

Some trips pair the cruise with overland travel to other photogenic locations around Alaska, creating a seamless itinerary that mixes land and sea photography. Certain departures are built around specific themes, such as brown bears or the northern lights, offering targeted opportunities for travelers who want to focus on a particular subject.

Good for: Photographers of all levels; small groups of friends or couples; travelers seeking a small-ship, lodge-style cruising experience with a strong photographic focus. Photography itineraries are limited and often sell out early—reserve well in advance to secure your preferred dates or specialty theme.

Camp Denali – Photograph Workshops (Denali National Park)

Come late August, Camp Denali hosts specialty photography-focused sessions with guest instructors. These sessions provide extended time in a quiet, less-visited part of Denali’s interior, with guided hikes, evening presentations, and ample photography opportunities.

Lighting conditions in Denali can be exceptional, particularly in late summer or early fall. These programs give you the time required to make the most of them.

Good for: Nature photographers, couples, travelers seeking a lodge-based learning experience. These trips often book up a year in advance, so reserve early.

Creative Residencies and Fellowships at Chulitna Lodge (Lake Clark National Park)

For artists seeking deeper immersion, Chulitna Lodge offers three pathways—Fellowship, Resident Artist, and Honorary Resident—each with different levels of support and involvement in daily lodge life.

This is a place to slow down, focus, and let the surrounding wilderness influence your work. The setting is remote and peaceful, with facilities for many disciplines:

• Complete woodshop
• Tools for printmaking and digital photography
• Spacious, well-lit areas for painters
• A library of Alaska-specific resources
• Recording space and musical instruments

Good for: Serious artists, writers, musicians, and researchers. Fellowship applications fill up early!