The busy summer season is over, fall is here showing off its colors, and winter is well on its way. See what local and visiting artists have been inspired to create. Stroll Homer’s galleries and public art spaces during First Friday, meet many of these artists and enjoy the wide variety of mediums on display.
Art Shop Gallery
202 W. Pioneer Ave.
“Currents,” acrylic water studies by Pam Fraley
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Art Shop Gallery presents “Currents,” acrylic water studies by Homer artist Pam Fraley. Raised near Detroit, Fraley was surrounded by art, literature and the stories of Tolkien and Lewis. She learned early on to process life through words and images, a practice that has stayed with her. A wife, mother of five and member of the School of Visual Storytelling, Fraley works as a writer and illustrator and published her first children’s book, “Sad Salad,” in 2024. She is currently at work on a young adult novel. Approaching painting a space for play and reflection, the acrylic water studies in this exhibit began as an exploration of light and movement with the artist finding water, both within us and around us, to be endlessly evocative in reflecting change, memory and wonder. Visit the gallery online at artshopgallery.com.
Bunnell Street Arts Center
106 W. Bunnell Ave.
Prints by Ethan Kayaaní Lauesen and weavings by Laine Rinehart
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m. Artist’s talks, 6 p.m.
Bunnell Street Arts Center presents prints by Fairbanks-based printmaker Ethan Kayaaní Lauesen and Chilkat weaver Laine Rinehart, who are both exhibiting and artists-in-residence during the month of October. Kayaaní Lauesen’s “Raven Stole the Stars, Raven Stole My Heart” is a collection of prints created through their process of self-reflection and personal growth. Of Denaakk’e Koyukon Athabaskan and Lingít, Raven/Dog Salmon clan, the artist’s show title reflects a well-known Tlingit story about Raven stealing the sun. This body of work for this exhibit is a compilation of images exploring spaces, routines and activities where they find themself reflecting on the past and dreaming of potential futures. Kayaaní Lauesen earned their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, is a recipient of the Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Award and is the CIRI Foundation visual artist-in-residence at the Anchorage Museum.
Rinehart engages with communities across Alaska by sharing their craft through weaving demonstrations, speaking engagements and workshops. Rinehart’s Tlingit name is Neech Yannagut Yéil. They are of the Teeyhítan clan from Wrangell, Alaska, and a child of the Kagwaantan through their father’s side and a maternal descendant from Taos Pueblo on their mother’s side. In the summer of 2010, Rinehart began weaving with Chilkat weavers Kay Parker and has since worked with Chilkat weavers Lily Hope and her mother Clarissa Rizal. Rinehart is grateful to have been allowed to participate in a way of being that they said would generally be unavailable to men. They strive to honor the practices and traditions of Chilkat weaving through the use of materials like mountain goat hair and yellow cedar bark. Community members are invited to watch Rinehart demonstrate the art of Ravenstail or Chilkat weaving on a large loom on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 1-3 p.m. at the gallery. On Saturday, Oct. 18 from 1-5 p.m., Rinehart will host an intergenerational Chilkat keychain weaving workshop for ages 14 and up. For more information and to register, visit Bunnell Street Arts Center at bunnellarts.org.
Fireweed Gallery
475 E. Pioneer Ave.
“Stories of Alaska,” watercolor paintings by Bruce Sink
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Fireweed Gallery hosts “Stories of Alaska,” an exhibit of scenic views and animal life rendered in watercolor paintings by artist Bruce Sink. An avid outdoorsman who has traveled extensively around the globe, Sink displays his passion for nature through his creativity, focusing his work on control of light, color, texture, brush strokes and composition to create dramatic watercolor images with a nod to simplicity. Sink enjoys teaching workshops, is a member of several watercolor societies and has garnered numerous art awards. All work in this exhibit is available by on-site silent auction bidding through the month of October, with all proceeds from the highest bidders being donated to Homer’s Community Food Pantry, a local non-profit he has long supported. Visit the gallery online at fireweedgallery.com.
Grace Ridge Brewing
870 Smokey Bay Way
“Devine Nature,” oil paintings and mixed media by Cynthia West
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Grace Ridge Brewing presents “Devine Nature,” a series of oil paintings and mixed media work by Cynthia West. Inspired by organic forms and the rhythms of nature, West is a lifelong Alaskan who is deeply attuned to the cycles of light, shadow and small details. With these oil on canvas and mixed media pieces, West reflects on the glow of endless summer light and the quiet depth of long winter shadows with a goal of inviting viewers to pause, wonder and reflect on the natural world and the sacred and inspiring joy and connection.
Homer Council on the Arts
355 W. Pioneer Ave.
“Kachemak Bay in Metal Clay,” object and wearable arts by Carley Conemac
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Homer Council on the Arts presents “Kachemak Bay in Metal Clay: A Coastal Alchemy of Object and Wearable Arts” by Homer artist Carley Conemac. The owner of Stregas Moon Jewelry, Conemac is a Homer metal artist who enjoys creating dark, nature-inspired jewelry using gemstones, fossils, teeth and other found materials. Her work blends traditional metalsmithing with metal clay, drawing on coastal landscapes, natural history and a love for the strange and beautiful. This exhibit explores the interplay between natural forms and metalwork, preserving beach-found objects including stones, shells, driftwood and sea glass through the versatile medium of metal clay and traditional metalsmithing techniques. Conemac’s work begins with an object gathered from the tidal edges of Kachemak Bay and through mold-making and alchemical processes involving fire and silver, the materials reborn as wearable works of art. More than jewelry, these pieces are intimate relics of the coast, echoing the textures, rhythms, and quiet mysteries of the sea and are designed to be worn, cherished and passed on, carrying forward the legacy of Kachemak Bay one tide, one tale and one generation at a time. Visit HCOA at homerart.org.
Pratt Museum
3779 Bartlett St.
“World on Fire,” oil paintings and driftwood sculptures by American artist Geoffrey C. Smith
Opening Reception, 4:30-6:30 p.m. with free admission to all galleries. Artist talk, 5 p.m.
Pratt Museum presents “World on Fire,” a special exhibition of oil paintings and driftwood sculptures by American artist Geoffrey C. Smith. Mixing fine wax and oil paint, Smith then uses a palette knife to sculpt the painting and giving his work a distinctive deeply dimensional feeling displaying large strokes and layers of texture. Painted over the course of three summers spent in some of Alaska’s most remote and majestic landscapes, this exhibit captures the awe-inspiring beauty of the state’s wildlife and the subtle, sometimes startling signs of a world in flux. Using a palette knife and bold, expressive strokes, Smith renders creatures like moose, polar bears, ravens and brown bears with emotional intensity, some portrayed in an almost dreamlike sense and others grounded in traditional realism. Intended to speak to both climate change and the deep, enduring beauty of the natural world, “World on Fire” is an act of bearing witness to Alaska’s wild spaces, as well as an elegy, celebration and call to see more clearly, feel more deeply and protect more fiercely. Visit the museum online at prattmuseum.org.
Ptarmigan Arts
471 E. Pioneer Ave.
Work by newest member, Joella Clove
Gallery hours 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Sunday. Open until 7 p.m. on First Friday
Ptarmigan Arts welcomes their newest member, Joella Clove, to the co-op gallery. An intuitive artist who blends materials and energetic realms to create surrealist work, expressive portrait art and dynamic abstracts, Clove is currently displaying a collection of line drawings that portray families and marine life. Visit the gallery online at ptarmiganarts.com.
South Peninsula Hospital
4300 Bartlett St.
“Scattering of Light,” oil paintings by Kayla McGrath
On display at South Peninsula Hospital’s gallery is “Scattering of Light,” a series of oil paintings by Kayla McGrath that explore Alaskan landscapes and the atmospheric phenomenon that create the most dramatic light within these landscapes. Using color and value to define space, McGrath strives to capture the essence of the Alaskan landscape. This body of work showcases moments in time that seem most fleeting — last light on the mountains and reflections on a ripple in the water. Whether working with oil paints, watercolor, pen and ink or hand crafting birch bark jewelry, McGrath is influenced by her artistic family, continually connected to her environment and uses her art as a form of communication. After graduating from the Delaware College of Art and Design in 2006, McGrath joined the Peace Corps, traveled the world and settled in New Orleans for a time where she developed her paintings as an abstract artist before moving to Alaska’s Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve area where she lives with her family and her work has evolved into more realistic portrayals. Find the gallery wall through the Main Entrance and on display in the hallway by the lab.
The Dean Gallery
40374 Waterman Road
“Open Studio”
Open 5-7 p.m.
The Dean Gallery is family-owned and features contemporary art by M’fanwy, Ranja and Jeff Dean. On First Friday, the gallery will host an open studio where visitors can see intricately carved wood panels by M’fanwy, bronze sculptures and drawings by Ranja and images of Jeff’s recently installed interior and exterior commissions, “Four Worlds”. Visit them online at deangallery.com.
“Together” is a woven robe by Chilkat weaver Laine Rinehart on display through October in the artist’s collaborative exhibit at Bunnell Street Arts Center. Photo provided by Bunnell Street Arts Center
“Sea Otter” by Ptarmigan Arts’ newest member, Joella Clove, is featured during October among the co-op’s other numerous members. Photo provided by Ptarmigan Arts
“Lilly of Sea and Shell #1” is a mixed media piece by Cynthia West, on display through October in her solo exhibit at Grace Ridge Brewing. Photo provided by Cynthia West
“Abandoned Fishing Boat” is a watercolor painting by Bruce Sink on display in his solo exhibit through October at Fireweed Gallery. Photo provided by the Fireweed Gallery
“Polar Bears,” an oil painting by American artist Geoffrey C. Smith, is one of the artist’s works on display in the Pratt Museum’s exhibit, “World on Fire,” showcasing Smith’s oil paintings and driftwood art. Photo provided by the Pratt Museum
“The Brooks” is an oil painting by Kayla McGrath on display in her solo exhibit in the gallery at South Peninsula Hospital. Photo provided by Homer Council on the Arts
Jewelry by Carley Conemac, crafted from metal clay shells and stone, is on display through October in the artist’s solo exhibit at Homer Council on the Arts. Photo provided by Carley Conemac
“Bubbles” is an acrylic and foil painting by Homer artist Pam Fraley on display through October in her solo exhibit at the Art Shop Gallery. Photo provided by Pam Fraley
