Homer’s galleries showcase works by artists intending to connect with and impart some message to their viewers. Stroll the galleries, meet the artists and enjoy the variety of mediums on display in this October First Friday event.
Bunnell Street Arts Center
106 W. Bunnell Ave.
Quilts by George Art Gianakopoulos
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m. Artist’s talk, 6 p.m.
Bunnell Street Arts Center presents quilts by fiber artist George Art Gianakopoulos for the month of October. Being creative is Gianakopoulos’ passion, life’s work and way of contributing to his community. He created his first quilt out of used clothing 10 years ago, a practice that grew out of many years making cubist, geometric paintings with oil and acrylic on stretched canvas. The images, subjects and narratives in Gianakopoulos’ art stitch together his experiences of family, music, pottery, agriculture and love as a stay-at-home father of two and a part-time farmer. In his artist’s statement, Gianakopoulos wrote, “While I never planned for my artwork to have an environmental or social agenda, working in a medium where I am buying less material to produce fine art working to create something beautiful out of waste feels good.” Visit the gallery online at bunnellarts.org.
Fireweed Gallery
475 E. Pioneer Ave.
“The Artist’s Brush,” paintings by Jozef “Piotreck” Pawlikowski
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Fireweed Gallery presents “The Artist’s Brush,” colorful paintings by Jozef “Piotreck” Pawlikowski during the month of October. Originally hailing from Peru, Pawlikowski moved to Alaska 18 years ago. His work, which uses mediums including acrylic and oil paints, ballpoint pen, watercolors and ink, is often inspired by the colors of nature in any season. In this collection, Pawlikowski captures the relaxing qualities of nature through his brush and embodies on canvas the harmony he sees. His art is brought alive through bright colors, which he hopes will speak to viewers and touch their soul for a few moments. Visit the gallery online at fireweedgallery.com.
Grace Ridge Brewing
870 Smoky Bay Way
“Turning 30,” paintings and felt sculptures by Jenna Gerrety
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Grace Ridge Brewing presents “Turning 30,” an exhibit of paintings and felted sculptures by Homer artist Jenna Gerrety. A University of Alaska Anchorage graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Gerrety returned to Homer in 2019 and currently works at Homer Council on the Arts and enjoys being a part of a robust artistic community, taking classes and learning new skills. Fascinated by the big skies, sweeping landscapes and crazy fungi found across the Kenai Peninsula, her deep appreciation for the processes of nature, decomposition and connective structures impacts her subjects and style, and she often plays with the contrast between natural and artificial in her work. She sees art as a catalyst for conversation and inspiration and hopes her work encourages people to look more closely at their surroundings and discover the hidden whimsy in their day-to-day lives.
This show features both 2D and 3D work by Gerrety that combines previous styles with fresh ideas. In her artist’s statement, she wrote, “As people we are constantly growing and learning, acquiring new skills and polishing old ones. Turning 30 this year made a bigger impact on my psyche than I thought it would. Embarking on this new decade I want to take stock of where I have been, what I have accomplished, and what I want to learn.” From old projects refreshed and refinished, to new mediums and techniques, this show is all about improvement, change, and growth. Visit the gallery online at graceridgebrewing.com.
Homer Council on the Arts
355 W. Pioneer Ave.
“some spark,” paintings by Austin Parkhill
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Homer Council on the Arts presents paintings by Homer artist Austin Parkhill, titled “some spark,” on display through Oct. 28. Originally from Colorado’s Front Range, Parkhill has a local studio practice, continually influenced by an outdoor-biased life, that pairs with exhibitions and public art. Psyche and geography, climate and interconnectivity all influence his work. In the past couple of years, Parkhill’s process has been defined by “pull,” and he’s made work to satisfy subtle tugs at his temples rather than started with a scripted concept or cohesive expectation or target. In his artist’s statement, Parkhill wrote, “Some ethereal, shifting gravity directs each new work. But they are me, they are certainly mine.” Prior to this First Friday exhibit, Parkhill has shown his paintings at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C., Jonathan LeVine Projects in New York City, the Anchorage Museum, and the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, among others. Visit HCOA online at homerart.org.
Kindred Spirits Weaving Studio
Wildberry Homestead Cabin, Pioneer Ave. between Cosmic Thai and AC/DC Electric
Student showcase and luxury handwovens and wearable art by Lisa Talbott and Bonita Banks
Artists’ talk, 5:45 p.m.
Kindred Spirits Weaving Studio is the creative space of two local weavers, Lisa Talbott of Raven Fed Designs and Bonita Banks of sit.breathe.weave. Step inside their working studio to find works-in-progress on multiple looms, along with a variety of handwoven and mixed media products for sale. This month, weaving students will showcase their projects from the studio’s Basics of Rigid Heddle Weaving class and reflect on the experience of learning how to weave. A community weaving project is in process, and everyone is welcome to learn to weave and add their intentions to it! Find the studio on Facebook or Instagram.
Pratt Museum
3779 Bartlett St.
“Rarefied Light 2023,” fine art photography exhibition
Opening Reception, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The Pratt Museum presents “Rarefied Light,” Alaska’s largest annual fine art photography exhibition. Each year the Alaska Photographic Center seeks out a nationally recognized artist to jury the Rarefied Light show and present a public lecture and workshop. This year, guest juror Jennifer Spelman selected 46 photographs by 35 artists for inclusion in this exhibition, from a field of 391 entries by 65 artists. The Pratt Museum’s final special exhibition of the year will be on display in the Main Gallery from Oct. 1st through Jan. 4, 2025. Visit the museum online at prattmuseum.org.
Ptarmigan Arts
471 E. Pioneer Ave.
40th Anniversary Celebration and Artist Reunion
Open 5-7 p.m. on First Friday
Ptarmigan Arts invites everyone to a 40th anniversary celebration with fun, festivities, a reunion of current and former artists, and cake! Peruse gallery memorabilia collected over the years during First Friday opening, and anytime over the weekend enter to win a $40 gift certificate. The winning name will be drawn after close on Oct. 6 — the official date of Ptarmigan’s founding in 1984. The gallery is now on winter hours, open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and open 5-7 p.m. extended hours on First Friday. Visit the gallery online at ptarmiganarts.com.
The Dean Gallery
40374 Waterman Rd.
“Inheritance — Part Two,” pottery and nature photography by Sue and Fred Dean
Open 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. First Friday
For the month of October, The Dean Gallery showcases pottery and nature photography, made by Jeff’s parents, that has been added to their collection. Jeff’s mother, Sue Dean, was a potter for 54 of her 97 years. Though she grew up in the pottery town of Newell, West Virginia and filled the margins of books and notebooks with drawings of vases, she didn’t work with clay until after finishing her education in zoology at Swarthmore College and the University of Michigan, marrying Fred Dean and having three sons. Her teachers were mainly from the Marguerite Wildenhain school of pottery, following a European tradition she learned at the Bauhaus. Jeff’s father, Fred Dean, was a professor of wildlife management at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and was an accomplished nature photographer. The gallery’s October pottery and photography exhibit showcases their talent and features pots by Sue’s teachers, Marguerite Wildenhain, Dean Schwarz and Viviane Roux. Visit the gallery online at deangallery.com.
“Requisite,” a painting by Austin Parkhill, is on display at Homer Council on the Arts through Oct. 28, 2024, in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by Homer Council on the Arts
“Still Life Apples” is an acrylic painting by Jozef “Piotreck” Pawlikowski, on display in his exhibit at Fireweed Gallery in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by Fireweed Gallery
“Bright Idea #2” is a quilt crafted by George Art Gianakopoulos, on display through October in his exhibit at Bunnell Street Arts Center in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by Bunnell Street Arts Center
“Golden Hour” is an acrylic on gold leaf painting by Jenna Gerrety, on display through October in her exhibit at Grace Ridge Brewing in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by Grace Ridge Brewing
“Pumpkin Trio” is a felted sculpture by Jenna Gerrety, on display through October in her exhibit at Grace Ridge Brewing in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by Grace Ridge Brewing
”Kivalina Road 1” is a photograph by Kevin Smith in archival pigment ink on paper, on display at the Pratt Museum in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by the Pratt Museum
Pottery by Sue Dean is on display in The Dean Gallery’s collection, available for viewing on First Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by Jeff Dean
