First Friday to start ‘Shop Local’ drive
Alaska Arts Confluence creative director Carol Tuynman said a new branding initiative for First Friday will launch in May.
The nonprofit will launch the First Friday campaign to “inspire local, buy local and hire local.”
“We’re welcoming all entities from businesses like galleries, retail stores, museums, the library, eateries…all are invited to participate and benefit from the marketing effort,” Tuynman said.
Tuynman said the First Friday art walk began in February 2015 and has continued year-round in the Main Street and Fort Seward business districts. She said the purpose of the campaign is to provide the public with easy access to all that’s going on during First Friday each month and to promote all participating businesses.
“Participation in First Friday is open to all businesses, nonprofits and other entities who want to feature some aspect of their business or simply an activity, such as a sidewalk chalk art contest, a raffle ticket drive, a new menu item for a restaurant, an art display, a new product announcement, or anything that can be promoted to entice the public to come to the downtown district,” Tuynman said. “People can check out a business or cultural event, have an enjoyable evening on the town, do some shopping or simply socialize in a relaxed manner and join friends for dinner after walking from venue to venue.”
Tuynman said businesses can pay to participate and will receive placement in advertising in the CVN, KHNS and Facebook pages, a First Friday black and white logo window decal, access to a street kiosk replica of the logo, an individual monthly listing with the business name, address, featured artist, event or special, and how-to information to optimize First Friday participation.
The design and campaign elements are being paid for with a $2,000 Haines Borough grant, Tuynman said.
Contact Alaska Arts Confluence at 907-314-0282 for more information on how to participate.
Students write and perform puppet show
Haines School students will debut their original math-themed puppet show at the April 12 Family Night after months of preparation.
School librarian Leigh Horner said students in grades four through seven have been working after school to write and design the show, called “The Curse of Equatia (or Why You Should Pay Attention in Math Class).”
The students made the puppets, constructed the sets and wrote the script with help from puppeteers Merrick and Hannah Bochart, Melina Shields and Debi Knight Kennedy.
In a short synopsis, fourth grader Maddox Rogers said the play is about “Prince Nefarbi’s amazing quest to break his curse using math.” Fifth grader Selby Long added, “The cow is the key.”
Horner said the shows will take place in the school library at 6 and 6:30 p.m. and will last about 20 minutes.
The puppet program was made possible with funding from the Rasmuson Foundation through the Arts in Education fund and is administered by the Alaska State Council on the Arts and the Haines Community Foundation Grant. Horner said some funds from the Scholastic book fair also went into the activity. The money was spent on crafting materials and paying the artists.
Horner said after the show’s debut, the puppets will be on display at the May 4 First Friday celebration.
Macro photos at First Friday
April First Friday attendees can see flower photography, Iceland-inspired art and enjoy an open house celebration at Ampersand AK.
Port Chilkoot Distillery will feature macro photography of flowers by Anna Jurgeleit.
“I like to get up close and personal with flowers,” Jurgeleit said. “My favorite lens to shoot with is a Lensbaby Velvet 56, which allows me to achieve very soft images. I also like to use my iPhone to take closeups of flowers, and then alter them in apps on my phone.”
She said both styles of photography will be displayed.
The Alaska Arts Confluence will feature all new work from Katie Craney’s art residency in Iceland last year.
The pieces were created during and inspired by a month-long artist residency at Nes in Skagaströnd, Iceland, a small fishing and farming community of roughly 400 people, situated in the far north on an inlet that connects with the Greenland Sea.
“Like Alaska, the Icelandic landscape is challenging and often unforgiving, with an unpredictability that heightens your sense of vulnerability,” Craney said. While there, she kept a list of similarities between Iceland and Alaska. “Noticing these similarities had a profound impact on me, and heightened my appreciation for Alaska, making home all the more important to cherish, protect, and stand up for,” she said.
Ampersand AK will have an open house to celebrate new ownership. Co-owner Amelia Nash said there will be food from the Fireweed Restaurant and specialty desserts by Amy Kane.
The Haines Sheldon Museum will open a new exhibit called “Elemental Impressions,” which staff Regina Johanos said will feature nature art.
Drawings by Ari Marquardt will be at Haines Brewing Co. and Babbling Book owner Darcee Messano invites First Friday goers to see her new camping display.
The Magpie Gallery on Second Avenue will also offer expanded hours for First Friday.
First Friday activities start at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 6.
String band to play Chilkat Center
Haines Arts Council will pick up where First Friday leaves off with a concert and membership drive at the Chilkat Center on April 6.
When First Friday festivities come to a close in town, doors for the performance will open at 6:30 p.m. The local band Extended Play will play before the Foghorn String Band of Portland, Ore. takes the stage at 8 p.m.
The quartet has been together for 15 years and has performed more than 2,000 shows, making eight albums and touring the world. The band’s website says of their music, “old time dance tunes rub shoulders with Cajun waltzes, vintage honky-tonk country, and classic bluegrass…and it’s all rendered into a cohesive whole.”
The Foghorn String Band huddles around one microphone, “balancing their music on the fly, and playing with an intense, fiery abandon,” according to their website.
Arts Council board member Matt Whitman said pizza by the slice, wine and beer will be available. Guest artist Rob Goldberg will display in th elobby guitars he’s built.
Whitman said this event will serve as the kickoff to the Arts Council’s 2018-2019 season membership drive.
“It is through memberships that we get most of our money,” Whitman said. “The membership funds outraise revenue from attendance of events.”