Retrospective shows feature Fenske, Timmreck

April’s First Friday exhibits feature two retrospective shows by artists who recently died.

At the Homer Council on the arts is a show of art by Shirley Timmreck. Timmreck also distinguished herself as a playwright, and Pier One Theatre last weekend held readings in her honor.

John Fenske, a lifelong student, artist and supporter of the Kachemak Bay Campus, will be honored at the campus with a show curated by Bunnell Street Arts Center artistic director Asia Freeman and Fenske’s fellow KBC Advisory Board Member Bill Smith. A true Renaissance man, Fenske also was a pilot, welder, charter captain, politician and carpenter.

Bunnell Artist-in-residence Alicia Kelly will speak at an opening reception Friday night on her upcoming residence project, creating an installation using manipulated paper. In another exploration of the paper arts, Ptarmigan Arts shows “By the Book,” handmade books about books, authors or the joy of reading.

Cut-paper artist Valisa Higman, this year’s featured Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival artist, is one of the artists featured in the festival’s 6×6 show at K-Bay Caffé. The festival invited artists to submit works in a 6-inch-square format and to be available for sale in an online auction fundraiser for the festival.

Also opening Friday is “Rust” by photographer Morgan Stewart, “Finding Inspiration” by watercolor artist Olga Amarol, and digital, large-format vinyl prints by one of Homer’s hardest-working artists, Dan Coe. Poet Linda Martin and photographer Edson Knapp collaborate in a show opening at the South Peninsula Hospital gallery.

Reach Michael Armstrong at marmstrong@homernews.com. Armstrong’s wife, Jenny Stroyeck, is one of the artists in the “By the Book” show.

Bunnell Street Arts Center

106 W. Bunnell Ave.

Opening reception, April Artist-in-Residence Alicia Kelly

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

Bunnell’s April artist in residence, paper sculptor Alicia Kelly, speaks about her upcoming residency. Kelly will use the gallery space to create a touchable, imaginary forest installation that takes the viewer on a journey of the senses. She also will provide a series of workshops to co-create this paper installation.

Of her work, Kelly writes, “Composed of manipulated paper, my recent works explore this delicate medium and its connection to the third dimension. My hand-cut paper installations are both a marker of the division between our familiar spaces and forgotten, sacred ones — a sheer curtain to be gingerly lifted as we step across the threshold, casting broken light onto the clearing as we draw it back.”

Kelly offers design workshops from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. On April 6, 7, 13 and 14. Workshops are free to Bunnell members or $50 for all. The closing reception of the completed work is 5-7 p.m. April 25. For more information and workshop descriptions, visit https://www.bunnellarts.org/alicia-kelly-artist-in-residence-april-2019.

Fireweed Gallery

475 E. Pioneer Ave.

Finding Inspiration by Olga Amarol

5-6:30 p.m., Friday Reception

Watercolor artist Olga Amarol is featured at Fireweed Gallery for April. “Finding inspiration” — the title of her show — to paint is just one of the reasons she loves to live in Homer. Amarol highlights portraits of some well-known mushers such as Nicholas Petit and Lisbet Norris as well as interesting women and girls from around the world. She said she couldn’t resist including some favorites from Homer, including Kachemak Bay and Halibut Cove. The remaining pieces typify her diverse interests.

Grace Ridge Brewery

3388 B. Street off Ocean Drive

Rust, photographs by Morgan Stewart

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

“There is a particular beauty in decay,” photographer Morgan Stewart writes in her artist statement. “The white glint of bone in sunlight, the deep colors of rust and corrosion: These catch my eye. As a Homer local I spent most of my childhood roaming the beaches of Kachemak Bay looking under rocks and wading into tide pools past my boots. More recently, I spend my summers walking the beaches of the Aleutian Islands, camera in hand, always on a mission to find what treasures lie on their untouched beaches.

“The beach calling has pulled me to coastal areas around the world, photographing what the sea spit out on their beaches too. My roam may be little broader now, but I can still be found looking down and stumbling across beaches looking for cool rocks, dead stuff and rust.”

Homer Council on the Arts

355 W. Pioneer Ave.

Shirley Timmreck, a Retrospective

5-7 p.m., First Friday

Gathered from the private collections of Homer’s art supporters, the late artist, writer and playwright Shirley Timmreck’s work shows the breadth of her creativity over her lifetime.

Her art career began at Newcomb College and continued for many decades, including positions as a teacher of art at St. Martin’s Episcopal School. Her painting styles ranged from realism to abstraction, as her media varied widely across watercolor, oil, collage, and monotype. The stimulating environment of Homer led Timmreck into writing plays, with several produced at Pier One Theatre, including “First Friday,” “The Boy Who Could Fly” and “Tulane and Telemachus.” Her play “Louisa” also accomplished a run in Boston.

This exhibit will be up for the month of April alongside community submissions of Cardboard Art.

Kachemak Bay Campus

533 E. Pioneer Ave.

Headline: John Fenske Art Retrospective

5-7 p.m., First Friday

The Kachemak Bay Campus will hold a retrospective of John Fenske’s art work. Fenske came to Alaska in 1973, eventually settling in the Homer area. He spent his time in Alaska pursuing his talents as a pilot, welder, charter captain, politician, community leader, business owner and artist. He became a central figure on the lower Kenai Peninsula and eventually restored an original slough house in Seldovia to create Warehouse Books and Coffee.

A great believer in the value of education, Fenske completed his bachelor of science in psychology at Kachemak Bay Campus where he served as an advisory board member for 32 years. He died in January of this year. The exhibit is being curated by Asia Freeman, Artistic Director of Bunnell Street Arts Center, and friend and fellow advisory board member, Bill Smith.

K-Bay Caffé

378 E. Pioneer Ave.

6×6 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival art show and auction

5-7 p.m., First Friday

The Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival shows its 6×6 art show collection with donated works by artists in the 6-inch square format. The artists also show other work. Also bid on donated items like featured shorebird festival artist Valisa Higman’s original cut-paper festival art work, water taxi rides with Bay Excursion, a stay at Jakolof Bay cabins, massages and more. Visit biddingowl.com/kachemakshorebird for information.

Ptarmigan Arts Back Room Gallery

471 E. Pioneer Ave.

By the Book, work by various artists

5-7 p.m., First Friday Reception

Ptarmigan Arts Gallery shows “By the Book.” Artists were invited to participate in this show along with Ptarmigan member contributing artists. The show features handmade books and art about or involving books, authors, or the joys of reading. It includes work by Jenny Stroyeck, Desiree Hagen, Mary Huff, and other artists from the community as well as Ptarmigan members.

South Peninsula Hospital Gallery

4300 Bartlett Street

Spring, photograph by Edson Knapp and poetry by Linda Martin

5-7 p.m., First Friday Reception

In partnership with South Peninsula Hospital, Homer Council on the Arts features “Spring,” a collaboration by photographer Dr. Edson Knapp and poet Linda Martin. Knapp, a radiologis, developed a passion for photography from his mother Evelyn Knapp, included in this collection.

Homer poet Linda Martin contributes work from her collection, “I follow in the Dust She Raises.” The poems explore relationships between mothers and daughters.

The Shop: Kachemak Bay Art Space

60388 Bear Creek Court

Large Digital Paintings on Vinyl, art by Dan Coe

7-9 p.m., First Friday Reception

Longtime Homer artist, muralist and sign painter Dan Coe shows a new variation on media, digital painting printed on vinyl. The opening reception includes live music by Charles Aguilar.

Of his work, Coe writes, “Lately, I have been enjoying sliding pixels around smooth glass with the Apple Pencil — painting with light, then sharing that creation on social media with immediate gratification. However, to make it a physical thing that one can take home and make part of their life is a whole other thing.

“With this show, I’m attempting to leave behind some of the old paradigms created by people in the periphery of the art business, for example, the difference between original, limited edition prints and open edition reproduction.

“If the artist can make something with passion that someone can afford while profiting from the effort, then contentment can be had by both creators and buyers.

“Smiles all around!”

Alicia Kelly’s manipulated paper work, an example of what she plans to create during her residency this month at Bunnell Street Arts Center. (Photo provided)

A photograph from Morgan Stewart’s show, “Rust,” opening at Grace Ridge Brewery in April. (Photo by Morgan Stewart)

Art from the Shirley Timmreck retrospective show at the Homer Council on the Arts. (Photo provided)

Art by Jenny Stroyeck, left, and Mary Huff, right, from “By the Book” at Ptarmigan Arts. (Photo provided)

Art by Desiree Hagen from “By the Book” at Ptarmigan Arts. (Photo provided)

Dan Coe’s digital art printed on vinyl is featured at The Shop. (Photo provided) Dan Coe’s digital art printed on vinyl is featured at The Shop. (Photo provided)

A photograph by Dr. Edson Knapp, right, and a poem by Linda Martin, left, from “Spring,” a collaborative show by them showing at South Peninsula Hospital. (Photo provided)

Photographs by Dr. Edson Knapp and poems by Linda Martin from “Spring,” a collaborative show by them showing at South Peninsula Hospital. (Photo provided)