Rie Munoz retrospective opens at Juneau-Douglas City Museum May 6

One of Alaska’s best known artists, Rie Muñoz is famous for her watercolor paintings of the daily activities of ordinary Alaskan people. The Juneau-Douglas City Museum will display a collection of works spanning Muñoz’s lifetime in an exhibition titled, Portrait of Alaska, A Rie Muñoz Retrospective. The exhibit opens on Friday, May 6, and the museum is hosting a free opening reception that day from 4 to 7 p.m. Portrait of Alaska, A Rie Muñoz Retrospective will be on display through October 29.

In 2019, the Muñoz Family donated a collection of Rie Muñoz original artwork to the City Museum. Included in the donation were five original watercolor paintings, 55 original pen and ink political cartoons, and hundreds of newspaper clippings of Muñoz cartoons. In 2022, the Muñoz Family also donated 149 Rie Muñoz sketchbooks created between 1963 and 2013. These field sketchbooks were the basis for Muñoz’s work and were among her most cherished possessions. In all, the 149 sketchbooks chronicle 50 years of travel throughout Alaska.

Portrait of Alaska, A Rie Muñoz Retrospective includes original paintings, political cartoons, tapestries, sketchbooks, composite drawings, and a glimpse into the life and times of Rie Muñoz.