Art Shop Gallery has been a part of the Homer art community since 1992. Originally owned by Karin Marks, the gallery was purchased by Joell Restad eight years ago. The gallery employs two part-time workers and represents work by more than 45 artists from all over the state — from jewelry, candles and soaps to paintings, photography, woodwork, stained glass and more.
In 2023, in addition to hosting exhibits by local artists including Tracy Early, Dan Coe, Nancy Wise and Taz Tally, Restad began a collaboration with Kristen Buckwalter of Flower Towne, incorporating floral bouquets to the gallery’s offerings.
In 2024, the gallery will host artists including Ashley Lohr from Petersburg, showcasing copper and enamel jewelry, among others.
Bunnell Street Arts Center has been operating as a nonprofit for the past 32 years. The gallery’s exhibit space represents 65 artists and its five employees work together to host concerts, workshops and events throughout the year, provide exhibit space for Alaska artists and a national Artist Residency program, and administer Artists in the Schools for the Kenai Peninsula.
In 2023, Bunnell hosted numerous exhibits and residencies, as well as a sold-out Wearable Arts show — the first show since a four-year hiatus due to COVID-19 and thanks to the Homer Fiber Arts Collective, including Kari Multz, Lynne Burt, Marie Walker and Ann Margret Wimmerstedt.
In 2024, Bunnell will celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the plate project, a collaboration between local potters, painters and Bunnell supporters. Bunnell also looks forward to exhibits by Kathy Smith and Steve Gordon and artist residencies with D. Chase Angier in dance, music with Libby Meyer and puppetry with Maite Agopian.
Fireweed Gallery has been open since 1994 and represents more than 125 Alaskan and national artists, from fine art and local crafts to wearables for women, children and babies, as well as vintage items. In 2024, the gallery will host monthly exhibits by Leslie Waugh, mixed media, Don Henry, found object metal sculptures, the Kachemak Bay Watercolor Society’s Annual Spring Show, Aadya Gray’s clay/resin/acrylic paintings, Jan Peyton watercolor paintings, Nancy Deaver’s watercolor work, photography by Christina Whiting and acrylic paintings by Emily Camacho.
Grace Ridge Brewing opened their doors in 2016 with Don and his son Scott brewing and Sherry running the taproom. Today, Don and Sherry continue to manage the brewery with four employees, including their son Steven and daughter-in-law Meagan.
Eager to support local artists, the Steads have been hosting art exhibits every month for the past seven years, with Jen DePesa their first artist who has shown annually. One of their highlights this year was hosting the Ready…Set…Art! Fundraiser for Ptarmigan Arts Visual Scholarship Fund, with 15 artists having an hour to create a piece of work that was then auctioned off.
A staple of the monthly First Friday gallery stroll circuit, in 2024 Grace Ridge will host artists Jenna Gerrety showing her acrylic paintings, photography by Dave Veith, travel photography by Katie Martin and new work by Jen DePesa and Nancy Johnson. While beer is their focus, the Stead family enjoys supporting the local art scene and is often a first venue for emerging artists to showcase their work.
Homer Council on the Arts incorporated in 1975 and serves the lower Kenai Peninsula, offering a menu of arts programs and space for emerging and career artists to display their work.
From individual artist shows, group shows, calls for art, and the annual Jubilee highlighting youth in the arts, this year, more than 100 individuals exhibited in the HCOA Gallery and the HCOA-hosted gallery wall at South Peninsula Hospital. HCOA hosted its first ceramics showcase featuring work from their ceramics studio, with pieces from their students and instructors.
In 2024, HCOA looks forward to launching an artist’s potluck series for networking and professional development, numerous gallery exhibits, partnerships, art calls, workshops, and live performances.
Homer Public Library hosts Art in the Library and in 2023 showcased oil paintings by Achim Jahnke, flower photos by RJ Nelson, paintings by Counsel Langley, quilts by Linda Robinson and wet felted wool landscapes by Elizabeth Kandor.
The 2024 artist lineup includes Elizabeth Kandor’s wool landscapes through January, followed by floral paintings/pastels by Alexandra Sonneborn and Bonnie Dupree’s landscape paintings/pastels.
Pratt Museum & Park opened its doors at its current location in 1968 and currently employees seven community members and has two volunteers helping out year-round. With a mission to facilitate engagement between community members and to strengthen understanding of our shared place, the Pratt galleries include work by more than 25 different artists, with many more included in their collections.
In 2023, the Museum welcomed Patricia Relay as their new director as well as three other team members, hosted educational workshops and exhibits and reopened the Museum Store. They will kick off 2024 with the exhibit “Our Stories, Our Place,” showcasing work by community members that highlight stories about the Museum and the Kachemak Bay area.
Ptarmigan Arts has been in business for 39 years and, since 2013, has operated as a local, member-owned artist co-op. Ptarmigan Arts currently has 37 member artists and carries the works of an additional six past members and local artists.
This year, Ptarmigan participated in and hosted numerous special events, including Pioneer trick-or-treating and weekend pop-up shows with woodworking by Ted Heuer, underwater photography with Marcy McDannel, jewelry by Cindy Nelson and hand-dyed yarn by Jules Joy. Ptarmigan’s scholarship committee also coordinated their 1st Annual Ready – Set – Art! Fundraiser at Grace Ridge Brewing to raise money for their visual arts scholarship awarded to high school seniors pursuing art in higher education.
In 2024, Ptarmigan Arts will hold a “Ptarmigan Kids” pop-up in the spring, showcasing the work of grade school-aged kids and grandkids of co-op members and in October the gallery will celebrate their 40-year anniversary.
The Dean Gallery is the home studio and gallery of the Dean family, including husband and wife Jeff and Ranja and their daughter M’fanwy. In business since 2000, the artists opened the gallery in 2016.
Featuring a diverse collection of contemporary Alaska art, from large-scale wood and metal wall art to bronze sculptures, intricately carved wood panels, and specialty prints on wood, metal, and paper, this year the gallery showcased several of Jeff’s new large-scale wall pieces and hosted open studios to see works in progress.
Offering Dean Homestead and Art Studio Tours during the summer, they plan to continue offering open studios in the coming year.
Tor Lukasik-Foss performs at the Bunnell Arts by Air concert broadcasted in partnership with KBBI AM 890 radio in April 2023 at the Bunnell Street Arts Center in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by Bunnell Street Arts Center
The inside of Creative Fire Studios in Homer, Alaska is photographed in December 2023. Photo provided by Jeff Dean
The Ptarmigan Arts Gallery in Homer, Alaska is photographed in June 2023. Photo provided by Ptarmigan Arts
Art in a variety of media, such as these works photographed in December 2023, is available year-round at the Art Shop Gallery in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by the Art Shop Gallery
