First Friday Events

Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center

95 Sterling Highway

Voices of the Wilderness, poetry, paintings, photography, fiber art, sculpture and music by various artists.

5 p.m. First Friday opening reception

7:30 p.m., Nancy Lord keynote address

The Voices of the Wilderness traveling art show comes to Homer in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act. It showcases the work of poets, painters, photographers, sculptors, fiber artists and musicians who were inspired by Alaska’s most remote and beautiful wilderness areas. Local artists in the show are Nancy Lord, Ron Senungetuk, and Tom Collopy and Mary Frische. Lord also does a keynote address, “A Voice of the Wilderness: Reflections on an Artist Residency,” about a residency she did in the Chugach National Forest.

Bunnell Street Arts Center

106 W. Bunnell Ave.

Artist in Residency, prints by Elizabeth Emery

5-7 p.m., First Friday Opening Reception; 6 p.m., artist talk

Rasmuson Foundation Old Town Artist in Residence Elizabeth Emery presents a talk about her work and plans for her residency, including a 2000+ postcard exchange between Cleveland and Homer. Emery earned a bachelor of arts in art history from the University of Pennsylvania. Emery explores collaborative social practices through diverse media including sculpture, printmaking and performance. The main project Emery will work on during her residency is a community print project using a variety of print methods, including a small press donated to Bunnell by the estate of Gaye Wolfe.

Fat Olives

276 Ohlson Lane

Heavy Metal, new works by
Marjorie Scholl

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

Homer artist Marjorie Scholl recently painted a mural on the wall of Fat Olives. Her work returns with “Heavy Metal,” paintings of ships, trucks, helicopters and other big machines. The idea came to her 15 years ago after she arrived in Homer. Scholl grew up in a suburban dairy town in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“By my teen years, the town that I had grown up in was spotless, paved, and the curb appeal removed every metal object that wasn’t brand new from front yards. I longed for the flavor of my youth,” she writes. “At college in San Francisco, I found myself drawing kids in their pajamas, hair full of knots playing in their front yard on their abandoned skiffs and rusted trucks. I was then drawn to Alaska for romance and adventure, only to find an abundance of rusted metal and unbrushed children. … I love the juxtaposition of masculine metal and feminine sunsets and wildflowers.”

Fireweed Gallery

475 E. Pioneer Ave.

Day Dreams, watercolor and acrylic paintings by Pati Deuter

5-7 p.m., First Friday Reception

Sterling artist Pati Deuter’s work reflects her outlook on art “as a journey about inner spirit, of exploring new places and cultures,” she writes. Deuter recently moved to Alaska from Los Alamos, N.M., a move that she said has given her the opportunity to listen, learn and translate the spiritual lives of the First People and their ancestors into her work. She defines her watercolors as “visionary art, with a whimsical disregard for what is expected.” Deuter uses cubism and realism to create her style.

Homer Council on the Arts

344 W. Pioneer Ave.

Born in the Wrong Century, gallery concert by Robert Hockema and Patrick Latimer

7:30 p.m., First Friday. Admission, $10 members, $15 general admission

Homer High School seniors Robert Hockema and Patrick Latimer present “Born in the Wrong Century,” a multi-instrumental mix of jazz, funk, blues and more in the HCOA gallery. There also may be a few surprise musicians joining them for guest jams.

There is no First Friday opening and reception, but starting in October Gus Beck will be working on a wire installation for his “Wired” project. From 5-7 p.m. Nov. 7, there will be a First Friday exhibit opening for “Wired,” followed by a gallery performance by Beck.

Ptarmigan Arts Back Room Gallery

471 E. Pioneer Ave.

Fiber and other art by Eileen Wythe

5-7 p.m., First Friday Reception

Long-time Homer resident Eileen Wythe’s show continues at Ptarmigan Arts. Wythe is a well-known and respected quilter, but the show also includes delicate shell flower arrangements and useful items embellished with shells gathered from the beaches of Kachemak Bay. Wythe began quilting in the 1950s and currently designs most of her quilts. Quilting methods used include needle turn appliqué, machine piecing and hand quilting as well as some hand dyed fabrics.