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FAIRBANKS, Alaska –Alaska Nanooks swimming head coach Scott Lemley and artist Todd Sherman, the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, unveiled the brand new "Nanook Gallery" on Wednesday on the second floor of the Patty Center on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.

The gallery includes five large prints of Sherman's work, each featuring a polar bear – or Nanook – the official mascot of UAF Athletics. The images were printed on vinyl and will be permanently affixed to the wall across the hallway from the women's swimming office. The largest and most prominent image of the gallery is a 6-foot-tall painting of a polar bear wearing a swimsuit and a pair of goggles.

The genesis of the plan to open a gallery using Sherman's work came from Lemley, who wanted to highlight the "Alaska Nanook" mascot in a more fun, playful and artistic manner than usual. Lemley also found that since polar bears are the fastest land mammal in the water, with humans the second fastest, the gallery also demonstrates how Lemley thinks of his team – fast and formidable.

Lemley and Sherman are admirers of each other's work and the pair go back quite some time, as Lemley coached both of Sherman's daughters through club swimming in the Fairbanks area.

The gallery was unveiled in front of several members of the Alaska Nanooks athletics department, including the women's swimming team, members from the College of Liberal Arts, as well as UA President Jim Johnsen and UAF Chancellor Dan White.

The project was funded by Lemley. No state, athletic or booster funds were used in its establishment.

The newly unveiled "Nanook Gallery" is free and open for public viewing starting on Thursday, Aug. 24 during normal Patty Center hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you are interested in donating to the Alaska Nanooks women's swimming team, please click on the link located above.

The Alaska Nanooks swim team unofficially kicks off the 2017-18 season on Friday, Sept. 22 with the program's annual Blue vs. Gold Pentathlon at the Patty Center Pool at 6 p.m.

For more information on the Alaska Nanooks swim team, follow @NanooksSwim on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Swimming team page on Facebook.