Wilderness inspires shows for First Friday

Wilderness serves as the inspiration for several shows opening this Friday in Homer. At Grace Ridge Brewery, Homer artist Deborah Poore displays paintings in her exhibit, “Many Moods of the Wosnesenski.” A dynamic river fed by four glaciers, the Wos” provides new images and perspectives as weather, lighting and air quality change, Poore writes.

At the Pratt Museum, a travelling exhibit, “Denali Artists Respond to Music Inspired by Wilderness,” features work by the Elements Artists Group and their responses to musical compositions by composers who have been involved in the Composing in the Wilderness program. Six artists with strong associations to Denali National Park created 18 works of art in association with nine compositions — two works for each musical piece. Using smart phones or tablets, visitors can access the songs online and view the musical score at the exhibit.

Also opening this month is “Macaroni & Cheese” by Tamara Wilson, the result of her residency at Bunnell Street Arts Center in January. Her show is a mix of site-specific and studio art work made from craft and industrial materials, such as building supplies, paper and felt.

On the whimsical end, using a variety of media, Ptarmigan Artists honor the squirrel in recognition of National Day of the Squirrel, held Jan. 21. More whimsy comes from Homer writer Jeanette Aragones, reading her latest book about the adventures of her ferrets, Oscar and Cosmo, at noon at Captain’s Toy Chest. Other shows include custom metal art by Russ and Lindsey Blaine at the Art Shop Gallery and photography by Joe Kashi at the Kachemak Bay Campus.

Art Shop Gallery

202 W. Pioneer Ave.

Custom Metal Art by Russ and Lindsey Blaine

5-7:30 p.m., First Friday Opening Reception

Russ and Lindsey Blaine are a father-daughter team who have combined their skills in graphic design, computer work, welding and painting to create custom metal art. Their designs include bear, moose or caribou scenes with mountains, trees and water as well as marine themes of octopus, mermaids and whales.

Bunnell Street Arts Center

106 W. Bunnell Ave.

“Macaroni & Cheese,” by Tamara Wilson

5-7 p.m., First Friday Opening Reception, with 6 p.m. artists talk

Tamara Wilson has been the Bunnell artist in residence since early January. Her exhibit and installation opening Friday is the result of that residency.

“I am inspired by domestic spaces, memories, investigations of how things work, daily routines, and industrial materials, but also the need to escape it all and dream,” she writes. “My work is a reaction to my overwhelmed consciousness from the constant stimulus of our media driven world. My ideal creative environment is somewhere between an auto shop and a sewing room in a place beyond the reach of cell towers on top of a mountain that is weathered in with cotton candy clouds. The push and pull of my pragmatic and childish mind fabricate my ideas.”

“Macaroni and Cheese” is a mix of site-specific and studio art work made from craft and industrial materials, such as building supplies, paper and felt.

“Macaroni and cheese is fascinating” she writes. “It is dreamy and ordinary at the same time; the show explores the many sides and meanings of this dish.”

Tamara Wilson is an Alaska-born installation artist currently working in Fairbanks. She returned to Alaska after receiving her master of fine arts from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, in 2014. Tamara has transformed a once abandoned building foundation into a live-work studio just south of Fairbanks on the banks of the Tanana River.

Captain’s Toy Chest

345 W. Sterling Highway, Suite 105

“How Does it Get Any Better Than This?” reading by Jeanette Aragones and “Oso Quiere Volar,” reading by Jessi Hahn of Susanna Isern and Silvia Alvarez’ book.

Noon, First Friday

Homer writer Jeanette Aragones reads her new book about the continuing adventures of Oscar and Cosmo while Jessi Hahn does Spanish story telling and song time.

Grace Ridge Brewery

3388 B. Street off Ocean Drive

“Many Moods of the Wosnesenski,” paintings by Deborah Poore

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

Homer artist Deborah Poore has created paintings inspired by the Wosnesenski River. Fed by four glaciers and influenced by Gulf of Alaska storms and Kachemak Bay tides, the braided river constantly changes. “Those who watch Kachemak Bay closely glimpse intimate moods,” Poore writes. “Changes in weather, lighting and air quality dramatically alter the scenery. … This collection of paintings is a tribute and celebration of adventuring friends who have floated the Wos.”

Kachemak Bay Campus

523 E. Pioneer Ave.

Photography by Joe Kashi

5-7 p.m. First Friday Opening Reception

Kachemak Bay Campus celebrates February’s First Friday with a photography exhibit by Joe Kashi. Kashi’s experimental works involving a tonally inverted image printed 18-inches-by-24-inches on top, with the original digital image printed same-size below the inverted image, both on a single 24-inch-by-36-inch paper with black rather than white background borders.

“Each piece has a technical explanation with insets of the tonal curve to illustrate the digital technique, which is actually extremely simple but not widely documented,” Kashi writes. “Curation is the key, because some attempts work well while many are ghastly and should be instantly deleted in the interest of harmony in the universe.”

Joe Kashi is a trial lawyer in Soldotna who received his bachelor of science and master of science degrees from MIT in 1973 and his juris doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center in 1976. While at MIT pursuing other studies, he “casually” studied photography with noted American fine art photographer and educator Minor White.

Ptarmigan Arts Back Room Gallery

471 E. Pioneer Ave.

“Perspectives,” art by multiple artists

5-7 p.m. First Friday Opening Reception

In “Perspectives,” local artists interpret a work from a single image of an adorable squirrel, chosen in honor of National Day of the Squirrel that was celebrated on Jan. 21. The artists have created fun perspectives of a subject that is normally overlooked in favor of more iconic wildlife. Submissions from members and invited local artists include oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings, glass, earrings and fiber arts.

Pratt Museum

3779 Bartlett St.

“Denali Artists Respond to Music Inspired by Wilderness,” multimedia art and music by various artists and composers

5-7 p.m. First Friday Opening Reception

“Denali Artists Respond to Music Inspired by Wilderness” was conceived at the confluence of two languages, music and visual art. Elements Artist Group, six artists anchored in Alaska, created 18 pieces of art in collaboration with nine composers from Composing in the Wilderness 2017. Each piece of art is a personal response to a musical composition. Composers from Denali National Park’s Composing in the Wilderness program shared their music scores, ideas, and information about specific locations that kindled their inspiration. Elements artists have all experienced the transformative potency of living, working, traveling or being an Artist in Residence in Denali Park. Their connections to this rare wilderness, along with knowledge of specific places, influence their responses — the colors, textures, shapes, and images they chose.

Each visual work in the show is accompanied by a musical score and QR link to audio of the composition by which it was inspired. To listen to the music, bring a smart phone or tablet and ear buds. The show continues through May 25. For more on the show, including the compositions, visit www.bit.ly/ele2018. The artists are Charlotte Bird, Susan Campbell, Nancy Hausle-Johnson, Marybee Kaufman, Margo Klass and Ree Nancarrow, and the musicians are Jesse Budel, Christian Dubeau, Corinna Hogan, Aaron Keyt, Brent Lawrence, Libby Meyer, Christina Rusnak, Dawn Sonntag and Jennifer Wright.

Russ and Lindsey Blaine’s metal art is featured at the Art Shop Gallery for its February 2020 show in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Art Shop Gallery)

Russ and Lindsey Blaine’s metal art is featured at the Art Shop Gallery for its February 2020 show in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Art Shop Gallery)

Debi Poore’s “Many Moods of the Wosnesenski” features her art inspired by the river and glacier on Kachemak Bay. Poore’s art is featured at Grace Ridge Brewery for February 2020 at the brewery in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Grace RidgeBrewery)

Debi Poore’s “Many Moods of the Wosnesenski” features her art inspired by the river and glacier on Kachemak Bay. Poore’s art is featured at Grace Ridge Brewery for February 2020 at the brewery in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Grace RidgeBrewery)

Debi Poore’s “Many Moods of the Wosnesenski” features her art inspired by the river and glacier on Kachemak Bay. Poore’s art is featured at Grace Ridge Brewery for February 2020 at the brewery in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Grace RidgeBrewery)

Debi Poore’s “Many Moods of the Wosnesenski” features her art inspired by the river and glacier on Kachemak Bay. Poore’s art is featured at Grace Ridge Brewery for February 2020 at the brewery in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Grace RidgeBrewery)

A painting from “Perpsectives,” showing in February at Ptarmigan Arts in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Ptarmigan Arts)

A painting from “Perpsectives,” showing in February at Ptarmigan Arts in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Ptarmigan Arts)

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