Acclaimed Tlingit weaver Clarissa Rizal dies at 60

Acclaimed Tlingit weaver Clarissa Rizal, best known for helping to revitalize an almost lost form of Chilkat blanket weaving, died Wednesday.

Rizal had been diagnosed with terminal colon and liver cancer this fall, according to her family's YouCaring page. She was 60.

Rizal was a multidiscipline artist who specialized in Tlingit regalia, including Chilkat and Ravenstail robes and weavings. The Chilkat robes, made of wool and cedar bark, are difficult and time-consuming to produce. According to Rizal's artist biography, making one is the equivalent of carving a totem pole for women in Tlingit culture.

The Ravenstail design, noted for its intricate geometric pattern, is considered an earlier design of Tlingit weaving, which had all but disappeared until it was revived in the 1980s. Rizal mentored under Jennie Thlunaut, the last traditional Chilkat weaver.

Earlier this year Rizal was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts. The fellowship recognizes masters of folk and traditional arts. The award included a cash prize of $25,000.

Rizal's weavings have also been named best in show at the Heard Museum Indian Art Fair, the Santa Fe Artists Market, the All Alaska Juried Art Show and the Sealaska Heritage Invitational Art Exhibit.

Rizal was known for her efforts to pass on traditional weaving knowledge. She recently had completed a collaborative robe with 40 other Northwest coast artists. The robe was presented at the White House at a dinner celebrating the Heritage fellows.