History

It is impossible to talk about the beginnings of the Alaska Fine Arts Academy without also talking about the lives of its two founders, Art and Eleanor Braendel.

In 1946, Art and Eleanor moved to Alaska and homesteaded part of what is now Eagle River. Art and Eleanor were heavily involved in music instruction and performance, two of the original founders of the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra.  Art had played in each of the past 60 seasons and Eleanor all except for an occasional absence for family responsibilities. They both officially retired from the symphony in 2006 after 60 seasons.

It was not until 1984, however, that Art and Eleanor formally established a center for the instruction of music and other art forms. They originally called it the Eagle River Fine Arts Academy and only later (in the 1990's) was the name changed to the Alaska Fine Arts Academy. From the very beginnings, the Academy intended to teach more than just music. The Academy envisioned itself as a community arts center where music, visual, and moving arts would be available to everyone in the community, both as participants and as patrons.

The fact that the Academy is still an important part of the Eagle River community 25 years later attests to the hard work and dedication of both the Braendels and others in the Eagle River, Anchorage, and Palmer/Wasilla communities. The Braendels were honored with the Governor's Life Time Achievement in the Arts Award in 2008, the Anchorage Mayors Lifetime Achievement award in 2004, and the Bear Paw Festival Lifetime Achievement Award. "Discover the Artist in You" has become the theme of the AFAA.