First Friday gets into the festive spirit
Santa, the town tree lighting, and a multi-media art show that encourages residents to reflect on their mortality are all part of this December’s First Friday.
Ampersand AK will be honoring half-goat, half-demon, Krampus, the popular figure from European folklore who punishes misbehaving children during the Christmas season, and encourage shoppers who visit the store to “confess your sins and buy some gifts.”
At the Alaska Arts Confluence, a host of mosaic and jewelry artists will display their work for a bejeweled holiday celebration. Sharon Svenson, Travina and Bailey Stuart, Cassie Miller, Josh Benassi, Keri Eggleston, Greg Horner, Debi Knight Kennedy, Jenny Lyn Smith and Joanie Wagner will all have work on display.
Svenson’s ICONS exhibit will include mosaics built from colored glass, antique brass objects, broken jewelry and objects found in thrift stores that aim to express thoughts, memories, events and feelings. “Color is the obvious first attraction, however it is the more challenging aspects in mosaics of working with the endless possibilities and combinations of texture, reflective light and scale of spacing and so on,” Svenson said in her artist’s statement. “It’s during the process of deciding how to put all these bits and pieces together that I lose myself and enter into the creative ‘zone.’”
The Haines Chamber of Commerce will host town square festivities in the lot at Third Avenue and Main Street with an appearance from Santa, hot cocoa, cotton candy, caroling, cookie and candy judging contest and the tree lighting.
Main Street bookstore owner Jo Goerner will unveil her new business, the Moosterious Emporium, with a game night. Games for all ages will be available for play throughout the evening, accompanied by live music and treats.
Angie Goodwin will offer pine needle baskets and photography at Alaska Rod’s, where Jim Green’s 2019 calendars and maps will be available.
Rusty Compass Coffehouse patrons can enter a drawing for a free print by photographer Brian Staurseth who will be at the coffee shop.
The Magpie Gallery is celebrating its grand re-opening at their new location in the former Chilkat Valley Medical building, next door to its old gallery on Second Avenue. Festive baked goods by Josie’s Bread & Bagels will be served.
Hannah Bochart’s multi-media exhibit Memento Mori will be on display at the Port Chilkoot Distillery and Carol Clifton’s paintings will be at Haines Brewing Co.
Holly Jolly Follies brings song and skits
The holiday variety show Holly Jolly Follies will be back on the Chilkat Center stage on Dec. 16 at 4 p.m. complete with elves, angels and bell ringers.
The show will consist of two acts. Winter Wonderland will feature traditional Christmas music and themes, and Home for Christmas will add humor and secular holiday themes.
The Presbyterian Bell Choir will open the show. The angel candle dancers will perform in the first act. “They have these fabulous wings with lights on the edges of the wings,” said Follies organizer Lorrie Dudzik.
In the same act, preschool and elementary ballerinas will dance to songs from the popular Disney animated film Frozen choreographed by ballet instructor Ramie Carlson. Holly Davis will play the harp and sing. Opera singer Carolyn Goolsby will sing “Ave Maria.” Both the Men of Note and The Women’s A cappella group will perform.
In the second act, the Men of Note and other vocalists will sing humorous songs and the Lynn Canal Community Players will perform skits. Elves and their wiggling ears will also make an appearance. Dudzik is looking for additional performers. Anyone interested is encouraged to contact Dudzik at 766-2071. “There are a lot of good acts already lined up,” Dudzik said. “If somebody else is interested in participating, that would be great.”
Other songs include “Oh Holy Night,” “Silent Night,” the “12 Pains of Christmas” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
Tickets are $10 for adults, $6 for children and $30 for families. Dudzik estimates the show will run two hours.
At First Friday, consider your mortality
Inspired by the belief that individuals should reflect on their mortality, and the title of an old X-Files episode, Hannah Bochart named her new First Friday exhibit “Memento Mori,” Latin for remember you must die.
“Mortality is a gift,” Bochart said. “It gives you the ability to appreciate what you have, when you have it.”
In that spirit, Bochart assembled old objects into scenes and stories that fit into small drawers resembling coffins. The objects, Bochart said, belonged to people who are long dead. She said she’s interested in “the objects we fill our lives with, the importance that we place on our objects, how they bring joy or sadness to us and outlive us.”
The pieces are not just a reflection, but also a call to action. “Bang Bang,” named after a popular song, incorporates old firearm advertisements, and a smattering of shattered ceramic baby heads spread across a landscape of old shotgun shells.
She said the inspiration for the piece came as she was listening to news of another mass shooting. “If you’re an American, whatever side of the debate you fall on, it’s always present in our lives.”
Additional pieces include an hourglass, a cap gun from the 1920s and other objects that “had a life before they came to me.”
“Memento Mori” will be on display at Port Chilkoot Distillery.