MONMOUTH – The Jensen Arctic Museum will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Sunday, July 31 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. with a variety of activities at the museum.

The celebration will feature storytelling by Curt Yehnert, a Western Oregon University associate professor and Oregon Council for the Humanities Chautauqua performer. Other performers include the Northwest Inupiat Dancers and Liz Parrish with her sled dogs.

Activities will include crafts, museum tours, face painting and a door prize drawing. The museum’s sound and light show will run throughout the event.

The Jensen Arctic Museum is one of only two museums in the lower 48 states that is devoted to representing the cultures of the Alaskan, Canadian, Siberian and European Arctic. The museum was founded in 1985 by Paul Jensen, Ph.D., a professor emeritus of education at WOU.

The museum’s collection includes more than 4,000 objects representing the ecology and peoples of the Arctic, including a variety of animals such as a polar bear and arctic foxes. The research library also features more than 1,200 volumes and more than 10,000 slides and photographs.

The Jensen Arctic Museum will also hold its 20th annual Salmon Bake on Sunday, September 11 at the Gentle House at WOU. This event, beginning at 4:30 p.m., will feature entertainment by the Northwest Inupiat Dancers and WOU music majors. There will also be a live auction, raffle and silent auction.

The anniversary celebration is a free event and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided. The event was funded in part by the Polk County Cultural Coalition. For more information contact the museum at 503-838-8468 or arctic@wou.edu.