Homer Alaska - Arts

Alaska artists praised Bunnell, said Jim McDonald, senior program officer for arts and culture with the Allen Family Foundation, Seattle.

"They play an important role for those professional artists of the state, both for bringing their work into a professional setting, and also bringing other work for other people to enjoy from outside," McDonald said.

The 1-year grant is the third received by Bunnell from the Allen Family Foundation. Prior grants were a $5,000 1-year grant in 2004 and a $15,000, 2-year grant in 2006. Bunnell was invited to apply for this year's grant.

"It's hugely exciting," said Asia Freeman, executive director of Bunnell. "It's an affirmation of what we do and what we feel that we do best and our original reason for being here."

While Bunnell features the work of local artists, such as this month's exhibit of Homer artist Lynn Naden's cast paper sculptures, the gallery also shows artists from around the state. Freeman noted that half its membership is from elsewhere in Alaska.

"Allen seems to recognize the stature of that program," Freeman said.

McDonald said he and other Allen Family Foundation staff had been impressed on their visits to Alaska by Freeman and Bunnell's work.

"It really was this idea of this rural community supporting professional artists through a really professional, high-caliber installation. They do a nice job," he said.

Founded in 1988 by Paul G. Allen, cofounder of Microsoft, and Jo Allen Patton, president and CEO of Vulcan Inc., the project and investment management firm she co-founded with Allen, the Allen Family Foundation supports building healthy communities through the arts, education, assistance to vulnerable populations and advancing scientific and technological discovery. As part of its latest round of grants, the foundation awarded $8.5 million to 85 nonprofit organizations in the Pacific Northwest, including three in Alaska. Other Alaska organizations receiving grants are Koahnic Broadcast Corporation and the Rural Alaska Community Action Program. Since 1988 the foundation has given $428 million to nonprofits.

The U.S. recession forced the Allen Family Foundation to scale back its support for the arts and other nonprofits.

"We see great need out there," McDonald said. "We went to invitation only to make sure those organizations we had supported — who are doing excellent work — that the Allen Foundation becomes stabilization funding for them."

Freeman said getting grants to fund visual arts programs is challenging.

"It couldn't have come at a better time given the economic climate overall," Freeman said. "I wish more funding like that were available for programs."

For more information on the Allen Family Foundation, visit www.pgafamilyfoundation.org.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.