Homer’s galleries and public art spaces showcase artists’ work during the first Art Walk of the New Year. Stroll the galleries, meet the artists and enjoy the variety of mediums on display.
Art Shop Gallery
202 W. Pioneer Ave.
No First Friday
Art Shop Gallery is not hosting an art opening, but invites community members to stop by and enjoy their newly acquired Byron Birdsall watercolor originals, as well as their wide varied selection of Alaskan art, including paintings, pottery, jewelry, ivory and woodwork. Winter hours are Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit the gallery online at artshopgallery.com.
Bunnell Street Arts Center
106 W. Bunnell Ave.
Paintings and mixed media work by Megan DeCino
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m. Artist talk, 6 p.m.
Bunnell Street Arts Center presents paintings and mixed media work by Megan DeCino. DeCino’s art that she makes for herself is inspired by uneasiness and isolation, dwelling on worst-case scenarios and lonely characters. The work she creates for others, collage cards and valentines, are more lighthearted and whimsical. She enjoys straddling the line between comedy and horror and the dichotomy in her work is a reflection of her heart — full, optimistic and willing to be broken over and over again.
Community members are invited to participate in DeCino’s “Show the Love” workshop on Thursday, Feb. 8 from 7-9 p.m., where she will teach the art of making Valentine’s Day collage cards. DeCino was raised in Homer and studied art at Kachemak Bay Campus and the Art Students League in New York City. Visit the gallery online at bunnellarts.org.
Fireweed Gallery
475 E. Pioneer Ave.
No First Friday
Fireweed Gallery reopens for the season on Friday, Feb. 9 after a winter break. Visit the gallery online at fireweedgallery.com.
Grace Ridge Brewing
870 Smoky Bay Way
Photography by Dave Veith
First Friday Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Grace Ridge Brewing presents photography by Dave Veith. Veith and his wife, Francine, embarked on a new chapter in their life six years ago when they moved to in Homer. Inspired by the beauty and charm of the community and the surrounding landscape, Veith captures landscapes, the aurora borealis, and the diverse wildlife. He also administers the Facebook group, “Homer Alaska,” which is a popular place for locals and visitors to share photos of Homer’s natural beauty. Find the brewery online at graceridgebrewing.com.
Homer Council on the Arts
355 W. Pioneer Ave.
“Finding Home”
First Friday Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Homer Council on the Arts and Friends of the Homer Library collaborated on the exhibit, “Finding Home.” Inspired by the novel, “The Cold Millions” and based on the theme of the 2022-2023 NEA Big Read, “Where we live,” this show features work by local artists on the theme of how individuals turn where they live into a home.
Do you define a home by its walls? By the people you share it with? By the freedom to make changes and repairs? By the security you feel when you lock the door for the night?
By challenging the concept of what it means to have a home, HCOA and FHL hope to raise awareness of the housing crisis facing the Homer area, a crisis that has familiar touchstones to the housing crisis depicted in “The Cold Millions.” From the feeling one gets looking out to the mountains from a bedroom window, to the repairs and modifications made to the spaces we occupy, “Finding Home” is a universal human endeavor. Visit HCOA online at homerart.org.
Pratt Museum
3779 Bartlett St.
“Our Stories, Our Place,” a showcase of community artwork
First Friday Opening Reception, 4-6 p.m.
Pratt Museum & Park celebrates their ongoing participatory exhibit, “Our Stories, Our Place,” where community members share visual and written stories relating to the museum and life in and around Kachemak Bay. Find the museum online at prattmuseum.org.
Ptarmigan Arts
471 E. Pioneer Ave.
New work by member artists
No First Friday
Ptarmigan Arts showcases new work by their member artists. Community members are invited to stop by and check out the wide variety of work on display. Visit the gallery online at ptarmiganarts.com.
Serenity Aquatic Physical Therapy
210 W Fairview Ave.
New mosaic work by Joshua Nordstrom
First Friday Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Serenity Aquatic Physical Therapy hosts an opening reception for their newest mosaic work by Joshua Nordstrom of Tierra Tile. Aurora Borealis Mosaic combines the use of marble, granite, stained glass and fiber optics. Community members are invited to stop by and watch the Northern Lights flicker above the pool Nordstrom also tiled that features an original Orca Mosaic.
South Peninsula Hospital
4300 Bartlett St.
“Fruits of Our Labor,” photographs by Susan Johnson and “We Are All Connected,” quilts by Kachemak Bay Quilters
South Peninsula Hospital’s gallery area is host to “Fruits of Our Labor,” photographs by Homer’s Susan Johnson, shot during the summers of 2021 and 2022, featuring the bounty of her and her partner’s numerous gardens and the ensuing harvest. Passionate about photography and gardening, Johnson’s exhibit is intended to compel the viewer to pause and consider the many nuances of a harvest. On display through February.
Also on display is “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.
The Dean Gallery
40374 Waterman Road
New Metal Art by Jeff Dean
Open 5-7 p.m. on First Friday
The Dean Gallery showcases metal work by Jeff Dean, including a 7-foot tall variation of “Lower Kuskokwim,” a heat-colored steel engraving custom piece inspired by the Lower Kuskokwim Delta. Also on display are carved wood panels by M’fanwy Dean, bronze work by Jeff and Ranja, as well as prints from Ranja’s graphite drawings. Visit them online at deangallery.com.
“Aurora Borealis,” a mosaic by Joshua Nordstrom is on display at Serenity Aquatic Physical Therapy. Photo provided by Serenity Aquatic Physical Therapy
“Valentines,” a mixed media piece by Megan DeCino is on display at Bunnell Street Arts Center through February. Photo provided by Bunnell Street Arts Center
“Lower Kuskokwim,” a heat-colored steel engraving by Jeff Dean is currently on display at The Dean Gallery. Photo provided by The Dean Gallery
“Main Street,” a mixed media acrylic collage by Jean Steele is on display in Homer Council on the Arts’ featured exhibit, “Finding Home.” Photo provided by Homer Council on the Arts
“Sandhill Crane” is a stained glass work by Ptarmigan artist Mike deSanno, one of numerous artists in Homer’s Co-op gallery. Photo provided by Ptarmigan Arts
“Floral Gift,” an original watercolor with gold leaf by Byron Birdsall is currently on display at the Art Shop Gallery. Photo provided by the Art Shop Gallery
