Unangax̂ artist turns recycled glass into household goods

By Sofia Stuart-Rasi

Published December 27, 2023 at 10:04 AM AKST

1 of 3 — recycled glass coasters

Coasters made from recycled glass in Unalaska by multimedia artist Taytum Robinson.

KUCB

2 of 3 — taytum robinson earrings

Photo courtesy of Taytum Robinson

3 of 3 — taytum robinson pottery

Photo courtesy of Taytum Robinson

Taytum Robinson is a multimedia artist from Unalaska. She makes jewelry, baskets and, now — glass coasters. The Qawalangin Tribe recently donated recycled glass from Unalaska to a pottery center in Anchorage where Robinson works.

On this episode of "Island Interviews," Robinson discusses how Unalaska plays a role in her artwork. She’s the granddaughter of the late Unangax̂ artist Maria Turnpaugh, whose work may be found in museums around the country.

This interview originally aired on KUCB on Dec. 26, 2023.

Island Interviews

Sofia Stuart-Rasi

Sofia was born and raised in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. She’s reported around the U.S. for local public radio stations, NPR and National Native News. Sofia has a Master of Arts in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism from the University of Montana, a graduate certificate in Documentary Studies from the Salt Institute and a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Arts from the University of Colorado Boulder. In between her studies, Sofia was a ski bum in Telluride, Colorado for a few years.

See stories by Sofia Stuart-Rasi