Blog

Apr 22, 2024

September artworks usher in autumn

Environment, “Taking Care,” and new sculptures featured in September First Friday exhibits As the rainy summer days catapult us into autumn, Homer’s galleries debut new work during First Friday

Environment, “Taking Care,” and new sculptures featured in September First Friday exhibits

As the rainy summer days catapult us into autumn, Homer’s galleries debut new work during First Friday opening receptions. Stroll the art walk, meet the artists and enjoy the variety of mediums on display this month, a celebration of our their creativity and hard work.

Art Shop Gallery

202 W. Pioneer Ave.

Labor Day Weekend Sale

No First Friday Opening Reception

Art Shop Gallery hosts a Labor Day weekend sale with special prices on framed Alaskan artwork throughout the store and treasure tables with discounts up to 50% off. Enjoy Alaskan art and refreshments all weekend long.

Bunnell Street Arts Center

106 W. Bunnell Ave.

10×10 Member’s Exhibit, “Taking Care”

Second Friday Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m. Artists’ talk, 6 p.m.

Bunnell Street Arts Center presents their 10×10 Members’ Exhibit, “Taking Care,” opening with a reception and talk on Second Friday, Sept. 8. How do artists express care for self, community, other life forms and the land? How do artists picture resilience, innovation, and healing? As first responders, artists lead as healers through their creations. In times of tension, crisis or distress, artists surface truth and create images of energy, vibrancy, and hope. “Taking Care” aims to foster hope, spark joy, and nurture self and community resilience.

Creative Fires Studio and Dean Gallery

40374 Waterman Road

Open Studio and Homestead & Art Studio Tour

Open 5-7:30 p.m. First Friday

The Dean Gallery hosts an Open Studio on First Friday, sharing the family’s work, including Jeff’s heat-colored steel wall art, originals and reproductions of M’fanwy’s intricately carved maple panels and Ranja’s graphite drawings. You’ll also find bronze and wood sculptures, cards, stickers and other gift items. They are also offering a special Dean Homestead and Art Studios tour for Homer area locals on Saturday, Sept. 2 before the end of the tour season. Visit the Dean Gallery during the week or on First Friday to sign up in person and receive a special 25% tour discount.

Fireweed Gallery

475 E. Pioneer Ave.

“I can’t believe it’s already … September!”, photographs and paintings by Lorna Branzuela

First Friday Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.

Fireweed Gallery features “I can’t believe it’s already … September!” with photographs and paintings by Lorna “Bee” Branzuela. Autumn is Branzuela’s favorite time of year in the Far North and although a short season, it provides a lot of creative inspiration — mountainscapes, blueberries along the Denali Highway, fungi and dew-covered dandelion puffs and more. In this exhibit, Branzuela showcases images and paintings that show the seasonal transitions.

Grace Ridge Brewing

870 Smoky Bay Way off Lake Street

Painting by Emily Camacho

First Friday Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.

Grace Ridge Brewing presents new work by Emily Camacho, an artist who is inspired by the beauty of the world around her and works to capture the feel of a moment in time, the beginning of a story in color and light. Working in acrylic, watercolor, mixed media and pencil and ink, Camacho creates simple stories with nostalgia and humor for those who look for it.

Homer Council on the Arts

355 W. Pioneer Ave.

Ceramics Showcase

First Friday Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.

Homer Council on the Arts showcases work by students of their ceramics studio. Proud to be a part of the ceramics legacy in Homer, with the addition of a ceramics studio last November, HCOA has been hosting classes and workshops and are delighted to be a resource for community members to engage with clay by providing a place to socialize, learn and grow. This month’s exhibit is a showcase of students’ work, from kindergartners to retirees, and represents the beginning of a beautiful friendship between HCOA, clay and the community.

Pratt Museum & Park

3779 Bartlett St.

In A Time of Change: Boreal Forest Stories

First Friday free admission 4-6 p.m., no reception

Pratt Museum & Park continues their ongoing exhibit, “In a Time of Change: Boreal Forest Stories,” a cross-disciplinary, collaborative project examining change in the boreal forest through narrative. For over a year and a half, 44 creators including artists, writers, environmental educators and humanities scholars exchanged knowledge and perspectives on the boreal forest with scientists and explored narrative as it applies across the disciplines. Through their original works, participants relate stories rooted in the boreal forest, including its ecology, its inhabitants, and their interactions. Exhibit continues through September.

Ptarmigan Arts Back Room Gallery

471 E. Pioneer Ave.

Macramé Work by Chelsea Carpenter

First Friday Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.

Ptarmigan Arts presents work by new member Chelsea Carpenter, a macraweaver and macramé artist whose colorful creations, large and small, are now available at Ptarmigan year-round.

The Bagel Shop

3745 East End Road

Ceramics by Krista Etzwiler

No opening reception, available to view during business hours

The Bagel Shops hosts “Akurah Project,” ceramics and reclaimed wood by Krista Etzwiler. During her 25-year career teaching elementary school, Etzwiler developed a love for teaching visual arts and ceramics. Retired from teaching, she now works for Homer Council on the Arts as the ceramics studio manager, grateful for the opportunity to continue sharing her passion for the arts. A Homer resident since 2021, this past April, Etzwiler lost her husband Chris and as part of her grief process, she’s turned toward art and produced hundreds of simple organic, hand-formed pinch pots, titling this exhibit “Arukah,” a Hebrew word meaning healing or restoration, including physical, mental and spiritual. Exhibit will remain through October.

“Stacked,” a ceramic sculpture by Sarah Julig is on display at Homer Council on the Arts during their September ceramics student showcase. Photo provided by Homer Council on the Arts

Ceramic pinch pots by Krista Etzweiler are on display at The Bagel Shop through October. Photo provided by Krista Etzweiler

A macraweave by macrame artist Chelsea Carpenter is on display at Ptarmigan Arts. Photo provided by Ptarmigan Arts

Ranja Dean (left) is picture with Yeti, one of the highlights of the tours given at the Dean Homestead and Art Studio that culminate in a visit to the Dean Gallery. Photo provided by the Dean Gallery

“Spirits of the Fallen,” a painting by Lorna “Bee” Branzuela is part of her exhibit on display at Fireweed Gallery through September. Photo provided by Fireweed Gallery

”Tern Lake,” a painting by Emily Camacho is part of her solo exhibit on display at Grace Ridge Brewing through September. Photo provided by Grace Ridge Brewing