Ari Marquardt painted this sign near the ferry terminal encouraging residents to practice social distancing.
Artists assist borough with COVID-19 outreach
Seven Haines artists painted signs posted throughout town that aim to provide COVID-19 outreach through public art.
Haines Borough Emergency Operations Command (EOC) assistant public information officer Margaret Friedenauer helped organize the effort after the signs posted at the airport and near the ferry terminal directing travelers to self-quarantine became obsolete.
“When that info changed, we got the idea to change it using public arts program,” Friedenauer said. The EOC paid the seven artists a total of $2,250 through its budget for outreach materials.
The artists included Andrea Nelson, Amelia Nash, Kelly Mitchell, Katie Craney, Gisselle Miller, Merrick Bochart and Ari Marquardt. Marquardt and Bochart painted over the black-and-white signs detailing the self-quarantine order.
Nelson, who helped communicate and organize the artists said they were asked to create images that were “positive, encouraged togetherness and community spirit.”
Bochart’s sign, painted with exterior paint and acrylic, is posted at the Welcome to Haines sign at the Y intersection of Main Street and the Haines Highway. It has images of a woman hanging a gillnet, a man gardening, along with images of dandelions and eulachon.
“It represents the cool outdoor activities that we can do in Haines that we can continue to do those things and remain distant yet together,” Bochart said.
Miller painted an image that is on riff of Rosie the Riveter, the iconic World War II image that represented woman working in factories and shipyards to aid in the war effort. Her image has a similar figure holding vegetables that says “Lettuce beat COVID together.”
Marquardt’s painting includes a woman wearing a mask decorated with sockeye salmon. Her sign says “Remember…6 feet apart equals three 24-inch sockeyes.”
Another sign reminds residents to stay one fathom apart.
Other signs are displayed outside the public safety building and the harbor.
First Friday
Sharon Svenson will display 11 mosaics at the Haines Brewing Company for First Friday. She’s calling her collection “Whim Wham” after the whimsical nature of her pieces, which include colorful mosaics of flowers, ravens and antique salt and pepper shakers.
“It’s a whimsical show,” Svenson said.
They’ll be on display Monday through Saturday from noon to 7 p.m. through June.
Alaska Rod’s will feature hand-painted terra cotta pots and garden signs by Kelleen Adams. Her collection is titled “Glorious Spring,” and includes chicken signs that say “Fresh Eggs” and “Chick Inn.”
The Valley of the Eagles Golf Course will offer mini golf putting for kids and adults from 5 to 8 p.m. and Chilkat Valley Desserts will offer free samples at the fairgrounds from 4 to 8 p.m.
Museum to host temporary exhibit
The Haines Sheldon Museum will open in June for the temporary exhibit, Alaska’s Suffrage Star.
The exhibit from the Alaska State Museum “shares the story of how local and national activism helped Alaska women citizens get the right to vote in 1913,” a museum press release says. “The exhibit also highlights individual voting rights activists from the 1910s to 1920s: the ‘Suffrage Stars.'”
The exhibit is composed of 10 free-standing banners spaced throughout the main gallery.
The museum is limiting visitor capacity to minimize COVID-19 exposure. Admission is available by appointment only. Appointments are limited to a single group composed of no more than 10 people. Appointments begin on the hour with a visitation time limited to 45 minutes. Staff will disinfect between appointments.
Appointment slots are available Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through June 26.
Additional slots are available for First Friday. Appointments can be made on the museum website at http://www.sheldonmuseum.org/alaskas-suffrage-star.