Homer’s galleries and public art spaces celebrate spring with a showcase of artists’ work. Stroll the galleries, meet the artists and enjoy the variety of mediums on display.
Art Shop Gallery
202 W. Pioneer Ave.
Enamel Jewelry by Ashley Lohr
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Art Shop Gallery hosts “Flowers and Watery Echoes,” a spring-themed exhibit of enamel jewelry by Ashley Lohr of Petersburg, Alaska. Inspired by Alaska island life, Lohr focuses on expressive color palettes that reflect the colors of Southeast Alaska’s seasons and her work features shapes like fishing buoys, salmon and mountains. Her process involves torching powder glass onto copper in multiple layers, with each layer providing depth and contrast. Lohr will host two jewelry classes at Homer Art & Frame on May 2, 2-5 p.m., May 4, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and at Homer Council on the Arts on May 4, 2-5 p.m. For more information on the classes, visit homerartandframe.com and homerart.org. Visit the gallery online at artshopgallery.com.
Bunnell Street Arts Center
106 W. Bunnell Ave.
Fiber work by Ree Nancarrow and sculptures by Margo Klass
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m. Artist talks, 6 p.m.
Bunnell Street Arts Center presents work by fiber artist Ree Nancarrow and sculptor Margo Klass. Nancarrow’s pieces were inspired by changes she has witnessed in Alaska, many accelerated by global warming. Raised in South Dakota, she lived near Denali National Park for 50 years and currently lives in Fairbanks. The recipient of numerous art awards in many national shows, she has had 10 solo shows. Her major commissions include a panel quilt for the U.S. Army at Fort Wainwright Bassett Hospital in Fairbanks and a four-panel quilt for Eielson Visitor’s Center in Denali National Park. She received an Interior Alaska Mayor’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts in 2012 and was a Rasmuson Individual Artists Award recipient in 2020.
Klass’s work is a collection of handcrafted books and box constructions made from tanned salmon skin, beach rocks, boreal birch, items found in thrift stores, and more. Each book looks both backward and forward, intending to express grief, hope and gratitude. A mixed media sculptor, her use of natural and found objects are springboards for content, often narrative, but always symbolic of meaning beyond what the objects suggest. Aesthetically, she draws from her study of medieval art and travel in Japan. She has received awards from the Rasmuson Foundation and Alaska State Council on the Arts. In 2015 she received the Governor’s Individual Artist Award. Her work is in the Anchorage Museum, University of Alaska Museum of the North, Alaska State Museum, Pratt Museum and other public and private collections. She maintains studios in Alaska and Maine.
Fireweed Gallery
475 E. Pioneer Ave.
Spring show Kachemak Bay Watercolor Society and Paintings by Leslie Anne Waugh
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Fireweed Gallery hosts two exhibits — the Kachemak Bay Watercolor Society’s “28th Annual Spring Show” of new work by members and mixed media work by Leslie Anne Waugh. Each year, KBWS artists present new work — colorful florals, Alaska landscapes and distinctive portraiture, featured in originals, prints and cards. Waugh presents a selection of her newest work in her exhibit, “Artfully Crafted”. Waugh enjoys creating in a variety of different mediums with oils on a variety of surfaces at the top of her list. In this display she shows line pen and ink, pencil work, etched and stained glass, collages and mixed media. Visit the gallery online at fireweedgallery.com.
Grace Ridge Brewing
870 Smoky Bay Way
Dot painting by Nancy Johnson
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Grace Ridge Brewing presents an exhibit of dot painting by Nancy Johnson, whose artistic practice is about giving herself permission to play with all the colors in the crayon box. Inspired by the challenge of using only a dot, she aims to capture the vibrant patterns of the 1970s, nostalgic images of her childhood. Working primarily with acrylic on wood panels or canvas and using dowels or pointed tools rather than brushes, Johnson’s work has evolved from her early days of dot painting on rocks and are playful explorations of colors and patterns pattern and joy.
Homer Council on the Arts
355 W. Pioneer Ave.
Photography by Clay Duda
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
Homer Council on the Arts hosts “At Road’s End,” analog photography by Clay Duda. Exploring the intersection of daily life and the wild frontiers of Kachemak Bay, Duda’s work probes the dualities between stewardship and venery, the fleeting moments of enjoyment on the edges of sustainability, consumption, leisure and life. With his work, Duda strives to capture the fleeting minutiae of life and the world around him, employing a mixture of modern and traditional photography techniques. The majority of his work is captured on film, developed by hand at home and printed in his home darkroom. Before moving to Homer, he worked seven years as a full-time journalist and photographer. A writer, photographer and mariner, his words and photos have appeared in publications across the United States. Visit HCOA online at homerart.org.
Pratt Museum
3779 Bartlett St.
“Celebrating Our Sister City” gifted art and “Inner Stellar,” paintings by Marjorie Scholl
Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.
The Pratt Museum hosts “Celebrating Our Sister City: 40 Years of Gifts From Teshio, Japan” in the Gallery Lobby from May through September. This exhibit features works from the City of Homer’s Municipal Art Collection, 18 pieces of art that Teshio gifted the City. This exhibit provides an opportunity to learn more about Homer’s Sister City, foster a stronger connection with Teshio, and view the art collection.
In the Main Gallery, the Museum hosts from May to September “Inner Stellar,” paintings by Marjorie Scholl. A series of painted portraits of community members that are set in a forest of birch trees, each subject actively participated in the creation of their portrait, including sharing related personal anecdotes. As part of the series, Scholl includes a self-portrait to share her own journey. A Homer painter interested in depicting human relationships to our changing Earth, she examines complex social issues and shifting landscapes to challenge systemic inequalities and explore experiences of belonging. Scholl’s work has been exhibited throughout Alaska and the Pacific Northwest and she has created murals in public and private settings. Visit the Museum online at prattmuseum.org.
Ptarmigan Arts
471 E. Pioneer Ave.
“Here a Bird, There a Bird”, bird-themed artwork by gallery members
First Friday, 5-7 p.m.
Ptarmigan Arts hosts “Here a Bird, There a Bird”, an exhibit of bird-themed artwork by 18 gallery members, including paintings, photography, leather handbags, beadwork, wood carvings and turnings, fused glass, pottery and ceramics, drawings, fabric arts, cards, gift tags, journals and stickers. The exhibit will be on display through May 12. Visit the gallery online at ptarmiganarts.com.
South Peninsula Hospital
4300 Bartlett St.
“Now I Think I Like Birds,” photography by Christopher Kincaid
South Peninsula Hospital’s gallery, through Homer Council on the Arts, is host to “Now I Think I Like Birds,” photography by Homer photographer Christopher Kincaid. Kincaid enjoys working in landscape, portraiture, astro and as seen in this exhibit, wildlife photography, specifically birds. On display through June, find the exhibit in the upper level of the hospital, accessed through the Main entrance.
The Dean Gallery
40374 Waterman Road
New Metal Art by Jeff Dean
Open 5-7 p.m. on First Friday
The Dean Gallery is family-owned and features contemporary art by M’fanwy, Ranja, and Jeff Dean. Visitors will find wood and metal wall art, bronze sculptures, intricately carved wood panels and specialty prints on wood, metal, and paper. There is also a variety of other art and gifts, including greeting cards and stickers. This month, the gallery showcases “What Lurks Beneath,” a hand-carved maple panel by M’fanwy Dean. Using miniature chisels to carve intricate designs into painted wood panels by hand, Dean works almost exclusively ambidextrously, with her right hand wielding the V-tool and her left hand the U-gouge. Striving to push the boundaries of her medium, she uses negative space and each permanent cut of the chisel to bring life and movement to her work. Each panel has its own unique character that gives depth and meaning to a piece that might otherwise feel static with such a limited palette, the grain and texture of the wood adding to the narrative and shaping each irreversible mark. Visit them online at deangallery.com
Enamel jewelry by Ashley Lohr is on display through May at the Art Shop Gallery in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by the Art Shop Gallery
“Wayfinding,” a mixed media box construction created by Margo Klass in 2022, is on display at Bunnell Street Arts Center through May. Photo provided by Bunnell Street Arts Center
“Plant Forms,” a fiber quilt by Ree Nancarrow created in 2021, is on display at Bunnell Street Arts Center through May. Photo provided by Bunnell Street Arts Center
“What Lurks Beneath,” a hand-carved maple panel by M’fanwy Dean, is on display at the Dean Gallery in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by The Dean Gallery
“Peony Promise,” a watercolor painting by Melinda Hershberger, is on display in Fireweed Gallery through May as part of the annual Kachemak Bay Watercolor Society spring show. Photo provided by Fireweed Gallery
A beaded vase with feathers by Kathy Baldwin is on display at Ptarmigan Arts through May during their themed exhibit, “Here a Bird, There a Bird,” in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by Ptarmigan Arts
“Princess Kimana – DJ Kimi,” an acrylic painting by Marjorie Scholl, is on display in her solo exhibit at the Pratt Museum from mid-May through September. Photo provided by the Pratt Museum
A cat-themed dot painting by Nancy Johnson is on display in her solo exhibit at Grace Ridge Brewing through May. Photo provided by Grace Ridge Brewing
