Meet Your Neighbor: ‘Ready, Set, Art’ fundraiser

If you have ever wanted to catch a behind-the-scenes glimpse of artists at work, stop by Grace Ridge Brewing this weekend to see more than a dozen artists creating works of art — from start to finish — in one hour – to raise funds to support youth artists.

In a fundraising event for the Ptarmigan Arts Visual Arts scholarship fund, artists from Homer, Anchor Point, Seldovia and Anchorage will settle into the brewery, out in the open for all to see, with their medium and tools at hand, including painting, drawing, metalwork, sculpture, stained glass, dyed fabrics, weaving, brooms, jewelry, cut paper, portraits and more. Ready… Set… Art!

Organizing the fundraiser are Sherry Stead with Grace Ridge Brewing and artist Gary Lyon, a founding member of Homer’s Ptarmigan Arts, the oldest art co-op in Alaska. Prior to COVID-19, the annual fundraiser was a monthlong silent auction at the gallery, with artists donating work. Lyon shared that this Ready… Set… Art! fundraiser was inspired by his involvement in similar “quick-draw” benefits in the past with other organizations.

“The concept originated in contemporary Southwest art communities like Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Taos, New Mexico,” he said. “It incorporates the local shootout, quick-draw, gunslinger motif, usually involves big-name artists, and raises money for museums and community projects.”

At the brewery, artists will have one hour to set up their space inside or outside, depending on their medium and preference, and once the bell rings, one hour to complete a work of art. Because of the nature of some artist’s mediums, organizers have given them the option to start with a piece of work that is 30 percent completed if they don’t think that an hour is enough time to finish.

Silent auction bid sheets will be available at each artist’s area and community members can register to bid. At the end of the hour, a live auction run by Lyon and Chick Deal will take over where the silent auction final bids end.

Who are these adventurous artists participating? From Homer: Jim Buncak will be painting a portrait; Caryl Christy will be working with pastels; Jeff Dean creating metal sculptures; Jen DePesa painting; Mike deSanno working in stained glass; Leah Dunn painting; Tami Johnson making jewelry; Willow Jones creating Appalachian brooms; Gary Lyon working with acrylics; Lynn Naden with dyed fabric; Andie Sonnenborn painting; Lisa Talbott weaving; and Leo Vait painting.

From Anchor Point, Dan Coe will be working in acrylics. From Seldovia, Valisa Higman, cut paper. And from Anchorage, David Pettibone will be doing a portrait painting.

Pettibone will be traveling from Anchorage specifically to participate in the event by painting Mayor Ken Castner. Painting professionally since 2008 after receiving his Art Degree from the Rhode Island School of Design and MFA from the New York Academy of Art, Pettibone is a previous Homer resident who now lives north of Anchorage.

No stranger to painting quickly as he hosts figure drawing classes in Anchorage, he is also not a stranger to being gawked at when painting. While in school in New York, he would participate in benefits where students painted throughout the buildings, with patrons stopping by to watch. Still, even with that experience, he said he expects to be nervous.

“I’m sure I’ll be feeling a little bit of pressure and a little bit of stage fright, but mostly I’ll be feeding off the energy of the other artists, of Ken, and those coming by,” he shared. “Ptarmigan Arts is a fantastic gallery and I appreciate what they do to help nurture young artists.”

While Mayor Castner poses in one area of the brewery, a paraprofessional at one of the Russian schools will be sitting for her portrait painted by Jim Buncak, one of Homer’s longtime established painters. A former art teacher at Kachemak Bay Campus, Buncak has been oil painting and charcoal drawing for more than 50 years, exhibiting his work at galleries around town and the state.

“I’ve been at this a long time and it’s not uncommon for me to create a three-quarter or life-size oil sketch of someone in a half an hour or an hour,” he shared. “That’s a quick fresh way to capture someone.”

Buncak’s portraits, which often feature Homer community members, hang in various locations around town, including at AJ’s Steakhouse.

“This should be a really fun event and it’s certainly a good cause, helping encourage young artists,” he said. “I’m happy to help out.”

Jeff Dean is a well-known artist who has been sculpting in a variety of mediums since the 1970s and is planning to make two simple metal pieces during the event.

“I’ll be doing some grinding and heat coloring, making two small pieces at the same time so that while I heat one and color it, I can work on the other while the first is cooling,” he said.

Dean said that despite being a full-time working artist, the idea of creating as people watch is a bit daunting.

“I’m a little nervous, but it’s going to be a fun event and the scholarship is a great program I’m delighted to support,” he said. “There’s a lot of logistical things I have to sort out, but by the time Saturday rolls around, I’ll be ready.”

At the heart of the evening is raising money for Ptarmigan Arts Visual Arts scholarship fund. Awarding scholarships for the last 25 years, the fund is the only visual arts scholarship given to a Southern Kenai Peninsula high school student.

“Years ago during the high school scholarship awards, Brother Asaiah would step up, put his hand in his pocket and give $250 to a student that he figured graduated despite all odds,” Lyon shared. “He just gave them money and I thought if that is all you do, let’s get our members to each donate $10.”

Every year, Ptarmigan Arts offers the scholarship opportunity to high school juniors through one-year post-grad students who have a career focus in visual arts. Applicants are invited to showcase their portfolio during a gallery membership meeting and the recipients are chosen by vote. In addition to the scholarship, they are invited to exhibit in the gallery.

From their humble beginnings, with members donating money to provide $250 scholarships to today, where scholarships are $2,000 and the fund is managed by the Homer Foundation, the fund strives to honor budding artists.

“We want young artists to feel they’re recognized and supported,” Lyon said.

Valisa Higman is a Seldovia artist whose medium is cut paper. A former scholarship recipient, Higman graduated Seldovia High School in 1998 and used the scholarship to help pay for her tuition at Lewis and Clarke College. Higman began cutting paper when she was in middle school, eventually submitting her work in state art competitions and studying drawing in college. Slowly developing her skills over time, today she combines drawing and cutting paper and playing with color and paints on paper and sells her work around the state, including in Homer at Fireweed Gallery.

“Growing up in Seldovia, I kind of got the impression that I was good at art, but good in Seldovia,” she said. “Receiving the scholarship gave me some confidence to see that people outside of Seldovia could see that I had potential. That was very special and meant a lot to me, so when Gary asked if I wanted to participate, I was excited to be able to give back. Any time you can encourage young people to pursue their passion, we need to do it.”

Artist Leah Dunn will be the youngest artist participating, at 17 years old. Dunn showed her acrylic and watercolor paintings publicly for the first time this January at the brewery. While working as a deckhand set-netting in Kasitsna Bay two summers ago, Dunn, then 15 years old, was inspired by the natural beauty surrounding her, especially the ocean. This fascination launched her journey into acrylic and watercolor painting.

“I’m planning on doing a 5”x7” or maybe bigger acrylic painting of a picture I took while out kayaking across the bay,” she shared. “I did a practice of it a few nights ago and had three minutes to spare. I think this is a very cool idea and a fun community activity and I’m excited to be participating with so many other artists in that environment.”

Stead, who owns the brewery alongside her husband Don, has been hosting First Friday art events since the brewery opened in 2016.

“It’s really important to us to be a part of this community and one way we can do that is to support the arts,” Stead said.

In addition to the artists hard at work, there will be beer on tap, food catered by Red Bird Kitchen, and music by Cathy Stingley and Cindy McKenna.

Join the fun on Saturday, March 25.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for artist set up, with work beginning at 6 p.m. and the live auction kicking off at 7 p.m. In addition to money raised from the auctions, all tips from the evening will be donated to the scholarship fund and donations will of course be welcomed. Grace Ridge Brewing is located at 870 Smokey Bay Way. For more information, stop by or call the Brewery at 907-435-0601, Thursday and Friday, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. or Saturday when they open at 2 p.m.

“Flowers in her hair,” cut paper by Seldovia artist Valisa Higman, created 2022. (Photo provided by Valisa Higham)

“Head Study” oil painting by longtime Homer artist Jim Buncak, painted in 2015. Buncak will be participating in the Ready Set Art fundraiser for Ptarmigan Arts. (Photo provided by Jim Buncak)

“Blue Poppies” pastel by Andie Sonneborn, who will be painting an oil or pastel during Ready Set Art. (Photo provided by Andie Sonneborn)

Stained-glass bumble bee by Mike de Sanno, who will be creating a piece during the Ready Set Art fundraiser for Ptarmigan Arts. (Photo provided by Mike de Sanno)

“Moon Walk,” a painting by Dan Coe created in 2012, from which he will be painting an acrylic paint on top of a print on vinyl at the Ready Set Art fundraiser. (Photo provided by Dan Coe)

“Ray of Sunshine Scarf,” handwoven, 100% merino wool, by Lisa Talbott, who will create a similar scarf during Ready Set Art. (Photo provided by Lisa Talbott)

“At the Breathing Hole,” heat-colored steel and cottonwood by Jeff Dean, who will be participating in Ready Set Art. (Photo courtesy Jeff Dean)

Haboti silk and silk crepe de chine scarves by Lynn Naden, who will be participating in Ready Set Art fundraiser for Ptarmigan Arts. (Photo courtesy Lynn Naden)

“The Green Man,” wood painting by Caryl Christy, who will be participating in Ready Set Art. (Photo courtesy Caryl Christy)

Watercolor painting “Hawk Owl” by Gary Lyon, who is organizing and participating in the Ready Set Art fundraiser. (Photo courtsey Gary Lyon)

“Sawtooth,” oil on canvas painted summer 2022 by Jen DePesa, who will be participating in Ready Set Art. (Photo provided by Jen DePesa)

Image provided by Dan Coe Dan Coe is a professional artist and sign painter. He works out of his private studio in Anchor Point, where he works along with his wife Nancy, specializing in hand-painted signs and commissioned fine art.

Photo by Michael Armstrong Jen DePesa with her art on display at Grace Ridge Brewing, May 2022.

Photo provided by Leah Dunn Homer youth artist Leah Dunn working on a painting from the famous 1984 “Afghan Girl” originally portrayed on the cover of National Geographic.