Photos and demos at July First Friday
Businesses participating in Haines’ First Friday celebration invite the public to view nature photography, live demonstrations, landscape paintings and more from 5 to 7 p.m. July 6.
Port Chilkoot Distillery will display photos by local nature photographer Tom Ganner, but not of his regular wild Alaska subjects. He’ll be on hand to discuss his show “Rim to River: A top to bottom photographic essay of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.”
Ganner said he’s been inspired by the canyon for years. He started taking pictures of the Colorado River in 2012. “There are a lot of people in town interested in river rafting, and I thought it would be good to put together a show that’s different and unique.”
Alaska Rod’s will have photos from Haines photographer and author Dena Selby. Her 2019 calendar with Haines photos will be on sale. The Rusty Compass will feature photos by wildlife photographer Brian Staurseth and Haines Brewing Company will have Dana VanBurgh’s nature photography.
Two Haines businesses are hosting live art demonstrations. The Haines Sheldon Museum will host a demonstration by master carver Wayne Price, where he and his students will carve a Native clan hat on the museum’s front lawn.
Alpenglow pizzeria is hosting Yuko Hays, who is home for the summer from her first year at a small art school in Philadelphia called Studio Incamminati, School for Contemporary Realist Art.
“In my first year of school we practiced drawing, and I wanted to continue drawing this summer,” Hays said. She will turn Alpenglow into a portrait studio with live pencil sketching for the community to enjoy.
The Babbling Book will feature two-dimensional art by John Svenson, following traditional Alaska themes.
Alaska Arts Confluence will show the work of Beverly Schupp in a show called “Big Country, Small Landscapes.” She said her acrylic and oil paintings are inspired by the French style “en plein air,” which translates to “in open air.” The painting style of working outside instead of in a studio began with impressionist painters to capture how the landscape changes during a day.
Schupp said she started her paintings of the Chilkat River and other Canadian rivers outside per the “plein air” style and finished them in her studio.
Caroline’s Closet will host Gilbette Blais, owner of Singing Bird Farm Alaska. Blais will show her hand-painted, Alaska-inspired silk art and other items.
Mandy Ramsey’s new show, “A Celebration of the Beauty and Wisdom of Flowers,” will be on display at the Magpie Gallery.
Lynn View Mercantile will feature MaxWorksGold jewelry; clothing store La Loft plans a $1 sidewalk sale; and Ampersand AK will be open with refreshments.
New kids books based on Haines
Local efforts to write and illustrate children’s books are bringing Alaska lullabies and mysteries at the fairgrounds to life.
Cassie Miller is the author of “Mother Moose,” a collection of classic nursery rhymes recreated with Alaska themes.
“My son Corvus wouldn’t go to sleep without a song, and I got tired of singing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle’ over and over again,” Miller said. So about three years ago, she started infusing the songs with Alaska nature, and when Corvus requested repeats she wrote down the rhymes.
“I thought maybe other kids might like it, too,” Miller said.
Last summer, Miller asked Haines artist Ari Marquardt to create 12 illustrations of the animals in the nursery rhymes.
“I looked at wildlife pictures of Alaska nature and my own photos and sort of experimented with styles,” Marquardt said. “I had to use another part of my brain. What if this animal was smiling?” She said she saw potential in the funny characters for a cartoon-like style. For example, the moose on the front cover is drawn wearing old granny clothes.
Marquardt said this was the first project she worked on using a drawing tablet, and it took at least six hours to perfect each illustration. “It wasn’t easy. My hand would cramp up. It was an all-new type of drawing for me and it was a lot of work, but definitely fun.”
Marquardt said she wants to thank the community for encouraging her when she was “losing steam,” and she and Miller are excited to share the book next month. “Mother Moose” will be available to purchase on Amazon and in local stores soon.
Washington state author Patty Slack based her fourth book, in a series for upper elementary-aged students, on the Southeast Alaska State Fair. Slack said she grew up in Juneau and started writing books in 2016 set in communities along the Inside Passage, including Juneau, Skagway, Whitehorse and now Haines.
In her newest book titled “Fair Warning,” puppies go missing at the fairgrounds, and the main characters set out to solve the mystery, Slack said.
“I went to the fair every year when I was growing up. It was one of my favorite summertime things to do,” she said. When she came back to the fair two years ago for research for the book, Slack said she was certain she wanted to include the interesting people and eccentric activities in her writing.
Slack will be at the fair’s kids’ stage at 4 p.m. Friday, July 27, and at the park stage at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 28, for book readings and signings.
New leadership for kids’ theater camp
New directors of the Summer Youth Theater Conservatory are excited to make July’s performance of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis the best one yet.
Marcos Najera and Debra Piver from Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles will lead about 14 students ages 8 to 18 to put on performances July 20 and 21 at the Chilkat Center for the Arts.
Najera, who has taught theater for years, said he plans to introduce students to what he calls the actor’s tool kit: using voice, body and imagination to tell stories.
“We teach students and teachers how to jump inside the story,” Najera said. Through games and other kid-friendly activities, “we’ll help stretch their imaginations and use their bodies to tell stories. … In a lot of ways, actors are athletes and the stage is our sports field,” he said.
Incoming sixth-grader Klover Cinocco said the conservatory is her favorite camp of the year. She said she likes spending time with friends, going outside on nice days and rehearsing to work on mistakes.
“Every time we fail, we come back up standing straighter because we have support. It doesn’t matter if we fall down, the directors will pick us back up,” Cinocco said.
Also part of the summer program, about seven younger students are signed up for the half-time playmaking session run by Kathy Madsen of Haines, said conservatory coordinator Annette Smith.
Najera said he’d like to welcome “all hands on deck” if local artists, musicians or other community members would like to contribute ideas, art, music, costumes or set pieces to the show. “We want a little bit of the community on the stage,” he said.
Eclectic bands to play at the fair
The Southeast Alaska State Fair’s 50th year will bring a diverse and eclectic selection of music to Haines in July, from Hawaiian ukulele to foot-tapping fiddle.
Fair music director Scott Ramsey said he’s proud to bring a wide spectrum of musical groups to the community, many of which came from local requests.
The McDades, a Celtic jam-band from Canada, will get people on their feet and “a lot of dust rising” when they headline Saturday night, July 28, Ramsey said. He’s been trying to get the group here since he saw them play at the Atlin Arts and Music Festival eight years ago.
“There’s something about this town and fiddles,” Ramsey said. “It’s the right combination of familiar and exotic.”
The McDades will lead a jam session on Sunday, July 29, at the park stage, where musicians from a lot of the headlining acts will be invited to play together.
“It’s magical when the bands get together for spontaneous music. The jam session is often overlooked, but that’s where the hidden gems are,” Ramsey said.
Bands also will participate in park sessions, an opportunity to get the musicians off the big stage and back to their roots of playing for smaller, more engaged audiences.
“I like the park sessions. You can drink wine, sit in the grass and listen to world-class music in a little bit more of an intimate setting,” Ramsey said.
Hawaii will come to Haines with Anuhea, a guitar player, singer and songwriter who mixes pop reggae with an island flair. Stuart Fuchs, with a performance called Ukulele Zen, will also make his fair debut playing the Hawaiian instrument.
Fair staffer Amanda Randles said she is excited to hear from Leche De Tigre, whose music is described as “Latin gypsy funk.” The group is on Saturday’s calendar.
That night will culminate with a “circus dance party” hosted by the fair’s kinetic act, Circo Valiente. Randles said the circus group out of Portland will perform Friday and Saturday, July 27-28, on the main stage, but also wander the fairgrounds.
Other local favorites like the Lack Family Band, Red Onion from Skagway and Haines’ God Particles will make appearances through fair weekend July 26-29.