Lily Hope (Tlingit; born Juneau, AK, 1980; resides Douglas, AK) is of the Raven moiety, belonging to her grandmother’s clan, the T’akdeintaan. She learned Ravenstail weaving from her mother, master weaver Clarissa Rizal, and artist Kay Field Parker. She apprenticed for over a decade in Chilkat weaving with Rizal who, until her untimely passing in 2016, was one of the last living apprentices of the late master Chilkat weaver Jennie Thlunaut. Hope endeavors to leave honorable weavers in her place.
Hope is one of few living designers of ceremonial dancing blankets, flowing garments created and worn by northern Northwest Coast Alaska Native peoples. Her contemporary works in textile and paper collage weave together Ravenstail and Chilkat design. She teaches both finger-twined styles extensively in person (and virtually since COVID-19) in the Yukon Territory, down the coast of Southeast Alaska, and in Washington and Oregon. She demonstrates internationally and offers lectures on the spiritual commitments of being a weaver. She also teaches Career Development for the Artist, supporting and enthusing artists to thrive and live well.
Hope constantly looks for ways to collaborate with other artists, often spearheading multicommunity projects or managing huge campaigns, like the Giving Strength robe for AWARE, a domestic violence shelter, and the PRIDE Robe woven with LGBTQIA+ youth at Zach Gordon Youth Center in Juneau. Her work can be found in numerous museum collections, including the Portland Art Museum, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Museum of Man and Nature in Germany, Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, and the Sealaska Heritage Institute.
