The robe, designed by Teri Rofkar of Sitka, was commissioned as part of the Alaska 1% for Art Program when the new terminal at the Ted Stevens International Airport opened. The robe is called the 1964 Earthquake robe because it commemorates the Good Friday earthquake, which Rofkar experienced first-hand.
Woven in geometric patterns with images and symbols that evoke the story of the March 27, 1964 event, which took place at 5:36 p.m. on Good Friday, the robe represents the accurate direction of earth's movement. Its top border, a traditional design called "Bear Tracks," represents the weight of a large bear as he compacts and shifts the earth under his feet, just as the earthquake did to Fourth Avenue in Anchorage. The large wave pattern at the bottom of the robe represents the Tsunami, which was over 67 feet in places, and the fire it caused in Seward.
