Two Kachemak Bay artists have received Rasmuson Foundation arts grants for fall 2006. Annette Bellamy of Halibut Cove received a $12,000 Visual Arts Fellowship Award to work on her clay art. Poet Eva Saulitis of Homer received a $5,000 Individual Artist Project grant in literary arts.
“I’ve always loved working in Halibut Cove,” she said. “I just think it would be really interesting to work around a few more people, kind of get out of my comfort zone.”
The Rasmuson Foundation liked Bellamy’s current work, particularly her “tool forms” series of clay art, objects that look like rusty old tools.
“I’m really excited,” she said. “I’m going to honor this fellowship. It’s incredibly flattering.”
Saulitis, a first-generation Latvian-American, received funding for a project to visit Latvia as inspiration and research for a series of poems she’s writing about her family’s experiences during World War II in Latvia. She hopes to do a residency next March in an international program for writers and translators in Latvia.
“Part of (the project) is trying to find this ancestral landscape,” Saulitis said.
A biologist, Saulitis also teaches poetry at Kachemak Bay Campus.
The Rasmuson Foundation also awarded fellowships to five other artists and individual artist grants to 12 other recipients.
Founded in May 1955 by Jenny Rasmuson to honor her late husband “E.A.” Rasmuson, the foundation has given out $584,000 to artists. To apply or for more information, visit the Web at www.rasmuson.org.
Mouw’s work is in “500 Necklaces”
Two necklaces by Homer artist Rika Mouw have been selected in “500 Necklaces: Contemporary Interpretations of a Timeless Form,” the latest in the “500” series of art books published by Lark Books. The works were selected by juror Marjorie Schick from over 5,000 entries. Mouw submitted photos of two necklaces shown in 2003 and purchased by the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, a necklace of fireweed leaves strung on gold wire and mussel shells attached to each other in a thick rope.
The 420-page paperback book is $24.95 and available at bookstores.
In conjunction with publication of “500 Necklaces,” Velvet Da Vinci Gallery in San Francisco is showing the work of over 100 artists featured in the book. Mouw submitted another mussel shell necklace, which was also featured on the show’s announcement postcard.. “The Necklace Show” runs through Dec. 31. For information on Velvet Da Vinci Gallery, visit www.velvetdavinci.com.
Mouw also curated “Out of The (Jewelry) Box,” a collection of works of jewelry by 40 artists who are not considered jewelers. The show opens next month at Bunnell Street Gallery.
Fashion Show is Saturday
Fiber art fans who didn’t see enough fashion at Wearable Arts can attend the KC Lowe Fashion Show Saturday at Bunnell Street Gallery. The show features Lowe’s garments made of felted wool and has new works similar to a show several years ago. Lowe emcees the show.
The show starts at 2 p.m. Saturday at the gallery and is catered by Panarelli’s Café. Tickets are $40 general and $35 for gallery members.
Local press publishes Alaska Sudoku
Currently traveling in the Lower 48, Bellamy said she will use her fellowship for a variety of creative projects and residencies.
Road Tunes Media has released a new puzzle book, Alaska Sudoku, a collection of 49 Sudoku logic games with Alaska trivia questions. Created by John Bushell, the puzzles range in difficulty from Cheechako to sourdough.
Beware! As any long-time Alaskan will tell you, the longer you stay in the 49th State, the more it becomes a part of you, Bushell said. Solve the first Cheechako puzzle and, in time, theyll be calling you the Sourdough Alaskan Sudoku Master.
The cover illustration is by James Gleason. A 72-page paperback with illustrations, the book has a suggested retail price of $7.99 and is available Nov. 27.
Founded by John and Sharon Bushell, Road Tunes Media published We Alaskans and We Alaskans II, collections of Alaska biographies, and The Trouble With Bernie and Bernie Jones and the Blazing Bandits, all by Sharon Bushell.
Charity concert benefits orphans
Four Homer rock n roll bands hold a charity concert at 6 p.m. next Wednesday at the Best Western Bidarka Inn. CTTC, Token Counter Slug, Entropy and Mind Over Matter play starting at 6 p.m. There is a $6 cover charge.
The concert benefits Jodie Millers work in South African orphanages. For 14 years, Miller has been doing charity work in impoverished areas of the world. All proceeds from the concert go directly to Miller.
Community Conversation series continues at library
The Pratt Museums Community Conversation series continues this week at a new location, the Homer Public Library. This weeks topic is The Social Contract.
Now that elections are over, it's time to renegotiate our social contract, said Deland Anderson, facilitator for the program. According to Thomas Hobbes, life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. That's why we form governments. But how much is enough? Let's consider what the government owes the people and what in turn the people owe the government? Yes, that's right, let's talk taxes, civic responsibility, political accountability and the like.
The conversation runs 6-7:30 p.m. Friday at the library.
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