Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center

95 Sterling Highway

Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival Art, paintings by various artists

4:30-6:30 p.m., First Friday Reception

A show of painted canvases depicting Alaskan birds, created and donated by 28 artists, which will be sold at the festival’s annual online art auction. The 6-inch-by-6-inch canvases feature painting from artists including, Gary Lyon, Mossy Kilcher, Conrad Field, Marjorie Scholl and Carla Stanely. 

The 2016 Shorebird Festival Poster depicts the Black Oystercatcher, this year’s featured bird, was created by artist Ram Papish. Papish’s poster will also be for auction. The posters from the previous 23 Shorebird Festivals will be available for viewing. 

The minimum bid for each painting is $25 for all except Papish’s poster, which is set at $100. Bidding closes on May 15 at 12 p.m. Paintings can also be purchased outright. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival. A computer will be available at the reception for bidding, or buyers can visit the auction site at biddingowl.com/kachemakshorebird.

Art Shop Gallery

202 W. Pioneer Ave.

Guest artist show, art by Olga Amaral

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

Homer artist Olga Amaral is showcasing original watercolor works and painted glass. Amaral portrays uniquely Alaskan scenes, working to capture the moods and colors shaped by the weather, seasons and time of day, she said in a press release from the Art Shop Gallery.

Bunnell Street Arts Center

106 W. Bunnell Ave.

May exhibiting artist, art by Ryan Romer

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

Romer will showcase a new body of work that consists of paintings with gouache and acrylics, photographs, monotypes and reliefs, according to Bunnell’s website. The latter two mediums depict imagery of Yup’ik theology and worldviews, as well as the nomadic lifestyle and landscapes.

Fireweed Gallery

475 E. Pioneer Ave.

“Gearing Up for Spring”, art by Kachemak Bay Watercolor Society

5-7 p.m., First Friday Reception

The exhibit marks more than a decade of member artists joining together to create an original piece of watercolor art. Local watercolorists will exhibit new work representing a wide range of techniques and styles.  A collaborative piece created by the artists in KBWS, “Gearing up,” embodies spring on Kachemak Bay and the preparations for activities like fishing and bird watching that ensue with the season.

 

“Mermaid Migration”, art by Michael Urciuoli

5-7 p.m., First Friday Reception

Urciuoli’s show is built out of his love of carving faces, mermaids, abstracts, animals and life-size Native Americans out of wood. It all started with a few tools and a piece of firewood at a friend’s house, along with a desire to bring things into being that pleasant to look at and generate positive energy. Alaskan Birch is one of Urciuoli’s favorite material, of which he has a large pile drying in his Kenai studio.

 

Both “Gearing Up” and “Mermaid Migration” will show in the gallery through June 1.

Homer Council on the Arts

355 W Pioneer Ave.

‘40 Years of Painting’, art by Jim Buncak 

5-7 p.m., First Friday Reception

The exhibit will show a restrospective on artist Jim Buncak’s work over the past four decades.

Homer Flex

4122 Ben Walters Ln.

Sixth Annual Flex First Friday, art by staff and students

4-6 p.m., First Friday Reception

Flex’s show will showcase ceramic artwork created with Artist in the School Melisse Reichman. All of the artwork will demonstrate different techniques of sculpting faces out of clay over the two-week class. 

Pratt Museum

3779 Bartlett St., Homer

“Paula Dickey’s Legacy”, art by Paula Dickey and various artists

5-7 p.m., First Friday Reception

A legacy exhibition representative of Paula Dickey’s lifetime of creating, showcased in remembrance of the artist. Paula, who died in 2011, will be honored through her works, some of which will be for sale along with works by other artists from Paula and Brad Dickey’s personal collection. Art will be available for purchase beginning on Saturday, May 7 from 3-6 p.m.

 

“Art and Science of Bears”, art by local and statewide artists

5-7 p.m., First Friday Reception

The exhibit combines new works from Alaskan artists with current science about Cook Inlet bears.

Ptarmigan Arts Back Room Gallery

471 E. Pioneer Ave.

Group show, art by Jeff, Ranja and M’fanwy Dean

5-7 p.m., First Friday Reception

Ptarmigan’s First Friday show will feature limited edition bronze statues created by Ranja Dean, heat-tinted engraved steel wall pieces by Jeff Dean, limited edition woodcut prints by M’fanwy Dean, and more created by the trio. A sighting of a six-and-a-half foot tall white spruce polar bear at the door is also in store for guests.