ART BY ANYA TOELLE
Fairbanks, AKBrand
Anya Wien Toelle was born, raised, and is based in Fairbanks. She started her journey with painting in high school art classes. She attended two years at the University of Alaska Fairbanks where she took a few painting classes. Anya transferred to University of Alaska Anchorage and studied painting + history. She graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Painting and a minor in History.
Anya comes from a family of bush pilots.One of her favorite places to visit, and main inspiration for paintings, is her grandparent’s cabin in the Brooks Range which can only be accessed by boat, snow machine, or plane. This special place has had a major influence on her perception of what it means to live in Alaska and the importance of preserving the land. She often finds herself getting lost in paintings and loves to focus in on the rocks and tiny trees, to the complex shapes and shadows created on a bluebird day in the Arctic.
Anya’s dad and step mom, Doug and Jane, own Running Reindeer Ranch. This has inspired many paintings of reindeer and other wildlife that can be found in Alaska.
Anya is the 2023 Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce Artist of the Year, 2024 Hoodoo Maibock artist, and owns Lichen which is located in Downtown Fairbanks.
