About Us

Joined the KAAHC Board in 2013
Victoria Lord discovered her love of the arts early in life while attending Saturday morning classes at the Pasadena Art Museum (now the Norton Simon Museum) – a creative place of free expression, dance, painting and theatrics. That early experience with the arts has influenced her throughout her life and helped to define her career choices and lifelong learning experiences. Victoria brings to the KAAHC board a great deal of knowledge of nonprofit management, philanthropy and program development. Her work experience includes arts and culture program staff with Rasmuson Foundation (2004-2010), Ketchikan Museums senior curator of programs (1997 – 2004), and executive director of the Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council (1986 – 1997). She currently works with various fine art galleries in Ketchikan and is enjoying being surrounded by art and artists everyday. Victoria is an active member of the Ketchikan community as a participant in many nonprofit advisory committees and fundraising activities.

Rain or shine, you may find Victoria wandering the beach in front of her home with her dog Poppy, especially at low tide.

Joined KAAHC Board of Directors in 2012
Participation in the arts is an everyday experience for me and I believe it is for most of our residents …they just don’t realize it yet. Living in Ketchikan has afforded me the chance to expand my art skills and pass them on to many. By day, I am an insurance agent at Davies-Barry Insurance. The rest of the time, I enjoy volunteering among a lot of other things. My art is found in beading. I love those little pieces of glass that have glorious colors, have a wonderful tactile sensation, and can be constructed into little creations.

As a pretty well seasoned non-profit board member, I try to give back to my community in areas where I can help make life a little better for someone else. KAAHC is a perfect fit for me. My stance on the arts is that this community is rich with a wide variety of excellent art venues. Look around and you see, hear and feel it everywhere. As a community we should be proud and do what we can to promote everything that the arts can do for us. Sharing and incorporating art experiences in economic development and daily lives should be a top priority of us all.

Joined KAAHC Board in 2020
I currently work for KIC’s Cultural Resources Dept. As the Cultural Heritage Specialist-Tasked to infuse culture in to all aspects of the Tribe and community. I worked for Cape Fox Corporation for fourteen years as the Repatriation Program Manager and Corporate Secretary, where I researched, organized and facilitated the largest repatriation in the country, repatriating nine totems, human remains, associated funerary objects and one clan house from various museums across the country. I interviewed elders on a day to day basis acquiring cultural knowledge which led to assembling 221 genealogical charts and some dating back to 1550. The charts are situated by clan house and organizes individuals by clan and clan house-matrilineally. I conducted research in every major archival repository in the country, including the Smithsonian, UC Berkley, Presbyterian Mission Archives, Library Congress, State Archives, Forest Service, BIA and the State of Alaska Dept. of Vital Statistics. I was Executive Director of Cape Fox Heritage Foundation, where I continued to do repatriation work, mostly research, facilitated Lingit language classes, established the Sacred Sites Guardian Council to protect sacred sites in the Ketchikan area and lastly curated and documented Cape Fox Corporations 1061 artifact collection. I served on KIC Health Board for one term and then chose to run for the Tribal Council and served the Tribe for 13 years and for 11 years I was the President and CEO, where I negotiated KICs IHS, BIA compacts and contracts. I served on the Chamber of Commerce Board for Ketchikan, a Board Member for the Peace Health Foundation, served on the Cape Fox Corporation Board for 15 years. I currently serve on Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council Board, and I’m Commissioner for the Ketchikan Historic Commission and committee member for the Repatriation Review Committee for Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. I have completed several training courses and received certificates of achievement and completion from the Smithsonian, State of Alaska-Suicide Prevention, Forest Service NEPA, Safe from Harm and various others. Lastly and most importantly, I’m a lifelong subsistence user, hunter, gatherer, fisherwoman and I’m a provider for my family.

joined May, 2024

I’m Bernice Metcalf. I was born in Ketchikan and have lived the majority of my life here. I have been a member of the Program Development Committee for KAAHC for a few years and recently moved into a seat on the Board, as well. I am a Past Exalted Ruler of the Ketchikan Elks Lodge and am the current Grants Coordinator for the Lodge. I sit on the Ketchikan Nonprofit Collaborative on behalf of Southeast Senior Services. I previously sat on the Homehealth Board.

Artists run rampant in my family and it’s natural for me to be a part of helping to create it. Being involved with KAAHC has been a wonderful opportunity for me to help my community stay artistic.

(joined 2019)
Markel Wallace, born in Ketchikan and raised in Saxman, Alaska, is an emerging young leader in the Ketchikan area. Markel experienced an early exposure to the arts at a young age with many days spent at the Edwin C. DeWitt Carving Center in Saxman. She offers hours of time in support of the arts in the Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council with volunteerism cheer. Markel proudly adds an Alaska Native and American Indian heritage + background to the collective since 2019. Volunteerism occurs for Markel within other areas throughout the greater community. Ms. Wallace's interest for all to experience and create the arts aligns with the organization's aim. She appreciates even the art of preparing a good cup of joe to spark an artistic flow. Markel resides in Saxman.