“The Old Ones tell us who we are…”
Mesmerizing storyteller Steven Alvarez uses music, stories and multimedia imagery to express the many ways we find ourselves in the past and present. Then, visit the gallery to see how objects and art connect us with tribal ancestors. Gallery guides provided.

A Closer Look - About the Artist:

Percussionist, vocalist and storyteller Steven Alvarez (Mescalero Apache/Yaqui/Upper Tanana Athabascan) currently resides in Anchorage, but originally hails from the San Francisco Bay Area where he was active as both a performer and educator.  Raised in a military family, Steven had the opportunity to grow up in many diverse cultures including Hawaiian, Japanese, and all three coasts of the continental U.S. He graduated from San Jose State University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music (Voice and Percussion) and History and a minor in Philosophy. 

An artist with hands in many mediums, he works professionally as a percussionist, vocalist, stage actor, film and stage producer and music educator.  He is currently producing four film projects and has produced an innovative performance piece that couples live storytelling and singing with film which recently debuted at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington D.C.

As a percussionist he worked with the Monterey Symphony and the Santa Cruz Symphony Orchestras for seven years and freelanced as a percussionist for various performing groups both in the San Francisco and Anchorage areas.  Steven was a guest artist for the Anchorage Festival of Music (AFM) in 1997 and then served as AFM’s Executive Director for three seasons. He also served as a guest artist for the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1983, performing with jazz artist Bobby Hutcherson.  He has worked with numerous bands, combos and pit orchestras and toured extensively throughout the U.S. and in Europe,  has recorded local and national radio and television commercials jingles as both a vocalist and percussionist and has music directed over 30 theater productions.

He currently performs regularly as a percussionist and drummer with the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra, the Anchorage Opera and Anchorage Concert Chorus.  He also works with Canyon Records recording artists Medicine Dream and Artic Voice recording artists Pamyua, and performed at the Kennedy Center and recently at the NMAI’s Classical Native Series in Washington D.C. 

Steven serves as the Director of Cultural Education & Strategic Initiatives for the Alaska Native Heritage Center where he is responsible for developing educational and public programming, serving as the primary liaison to the Center’s national partners and the U.S Department of Education, coordinating strategic initiatives and developing a new media department.

About the Meet the Museum Series:

Look for other Meet the Museum partnerships offered in Smithsonian museums on and off the mall. These programs are specially designed by Discovery Theater and the education departments of the nation’s top museums to engage young people during their visits to the Smithsonian and foster scholarship (and fun!) Each program introduces themes and topics in a 20-30 minute Discovery Theater performance in a theater or space within a museum. The main event is the gallery visit to see objects, artifacts, or artwork on that theme; all in a one hour format (more time in the galleries is always an option). We have planned a very special day for you and your children: plan to attend them all!