Homer’s galleries and public art spaces celebrate the holiday season showcasing work by local and Kenai Peninsula artists during their December First Friday events. Stroll downtown Homer, meet the artists and enjoy the creative work on display.

Art Shop Gallery

202 W. Pioneer Ave.

Candles by It’s Us & Jewelry by 907 North Designs

Opening Reception, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Art Shop Gallery presents a Pop Up featuring hand poured candles locally made in small batches by It’s Us Candles and jewelry and gifts by 907 North Designs, including signature designs of Forget-Me-Nots, Blueberries and Square Knot earrings.

Bunnell Street Arts Center

106 W. Bunnell Ave.

Etchings and works on paper by Carol Lambert

Opening Reception, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Artist talk, 6 p.m.

Bunnell Street Arts Center hosts Anchorage printmaker Carol Lambert and her exhibit, “Perseverance”, multicolor intaglio etchings and other works on paper with images touching on common experiences, including birth, death, trust, fear, safety, threat, and conditions on planet Earth, and her whimsical style informed by cartooning and classical drawing. Lambert has called Alaska home for more than 40 years and has pursued training in drawing, painting and printmaking. Exhibiting in numerous solo, juried and group shows, her work bridges fantasy and realism as she explores her theme of resilience in the face of peril.

Lambert will also host a monotype workshop on Dec. 2, noon to 4 p.m. at Kachemak Bay Campus, where she will demonstrate and teach a method that involves painting with ink on a plate, then printing the image. Participants will learn to create areas of color, shape and detail using a variety of tools. For ages 16 years and older. Limited to 10 participants. Work clothes and/or aprons are recommended. Materials included. Youth/students ages 16 to 20, $15; Adults $30. Register through KBC, https://continuingstudies.alaska.edu/Registration.aspx?AffiliateID=ZV5677

Creative Fires Studio and Dean Gallery

40374 Waterman Road

Closed for First Friday. Find them at the Nutcracker Faire on Saturday and Sunday.

The Dean Gallery is closed for December First Friday as they prepare for the Nutcracker Faire. Stop by the their booth over the weekend to see specialty prints on wood, metal, and paper. If you missed the November show, you can see some of Jeff’s new organic and geometric abstract heat-colored steel engravings.

Fireweed Gallery

475 E. Pioneer Ave.

“Potpourri”, work by gallery artists and crafters

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

Fireweed Gallery presents “Holiday Potpourri”, a vibrant mix of work by several Fireweed Gallery artists and crafters, including paintings, photography, jewelry, mixed media, metalwork, and more.

Grace Ridge Brewing

870 Smoky Bay Way off Lake Street

Wood work and drawings by Kim Schuster

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

Grace Ridge Brewing showcases wood sculptures and drawings by Homer’s Kim Schuster. Woodworking has been Schuster’s passion since discovering the art in middle school. Her favorite tool is a scroll saw, which is used to cut a single piece of wood into many individual units, each of which is sanded and painted before being glued back together to create the final product. Often working in remote areas, Schuster uses other media (drawing) as a way to create art wherever she is, with her work highlighting her love of Alaska and the beauty of the natural world around her.

Homer Council on the Arts

355 W. Pioneer Ave.

“Fun With 5×7” continues

No First Friday Opening Reception, Find them at Nutcracker Faire on Saturday and Sunday

Homer Council on the Arts continues its current exhibit, “Fun With 5×7”, small works for and by the community. This sixth annual exhibit challenges artists to think inside the box and is an opportunity to experiment and try something new while encouraging camaraderie among the arts community. Open to all ages, abilities, mediums and subjects, participating artists range in age from pre-teens to late 70s, with most from the Homer area, a few from Kasilof and one from Ketchikan. Artists include Michael Armstrong’s mixed media work showcasing collected marine debris, gouache work by Renee Veldman, and nature-inspired paintings by Holly Brennan, to name just a few.

Pratt Museum & Park

3779 Bartlett St.

Quilt Raffle Drawing, Museum Store Opening & “Patterns in Place”, paintings by Deland Anderson

First Friday Opening Reception 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Pratt Museum & Park hosts First Friday and their Quilt Raffle Drawing, Museum Store Opening and final month of “Patterns in Place”, paintings by Deland Anderson. The Alaskan Wildflowers quilt was artfully and beautifully crafted by Homer’s Kachemak Bay Quilters with proceeds from raffle ticket sales helping to provide essential support of the Pratt Museum. Drawing will take place at 5 p.m. Enjoy the raffle drawing, browse the newly opened store and take one last peek at Anderson’s 30 year retrospective show.

Ptarmigan Arts

471 E. Pioneer Ave.

Quilts by new member Carrie Reed

Open 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. First Friday

Ptarmigan Arts would like to invite the public to view quilts by Carrie Reed, their newest member. Reed has been creating art quilts for 30 years, combining commercial fabrics with her own hand-dyed fabrics and often interlacing her original designs with traditional motifs. Her quilts, wall hangings, and table runners will now be on display year-round at Ptarmigan Arts.

South Peninsula Hospital

4300 Bartlett St.

“We Are All Connected”, pandemic-inspired quilts

An ongoing exhibit

South Peninsula Hospital is home to “We Are All Connected”, a series of quilts by quilters Francie Roberts, Jane Regan, Nan Thompson, Pat Sims, Ruby Nofziger and Sara Reinert. Developed by quilters during the pandemic when connecting with others was very challenging, a ribbon of hand dyed fuchsia connects nine unique quilt panels, with the quilts themed around the idea of identifying, accepting and appreciating human differences, while recognizing our connectedness. Donated to the hospital by the quilters, they are located on the lower level of the hospital, near the Rehab/Long Term Care entrance, accessible via the lower level entrances.

Blueberry earrings by 97North are on display at the Art Shop Gallery’s December exhibit. Photo provided by Art Shop Gallery

A raffle drawing for this quilt will be held at the Pratt Museum on First Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by the Pratt Museum

“My Dream of Life II,” an etching by Carol Lambert, is on display at Bunnell Street Arts Center through December. Photo provided

“Specific Gravity,” a found object sculpture by Michael Armstrong, is on display at Homer Council on the Arts’ “Fun With 5×7” exhibit through December. Photo provided by Homer Council on the Arts