Chilkat Center productions on standby
Two productions scheduled to take place at the Chilkat Center in December are on standby as state and local health officials and decision-makers monitor Alaska’s COVID-19 infection and hospitalization rate.
Lynn Canal Community Players’ production “Grin and Bear It” along with Tod Sebens’ talent show “Haines Has Voice” are scheduled to take place with mitigation efforts including half-capacity and socially distanced seating, mandatory mask wearing and no intermission or lobby activities.
On Nov. 12, Gov. Michael Dunleavy issued new “health orders,” and called on Alaskans to wear masks, work from home if possible and take other steps to slow the spread of the COVID-19, which is straining the state’s healthcare capacity. He said if things don’t change by the end of November, the time it would take recommended mitigation efforts to show an effect, options would be limited on how to proceed. It’s unclear what those options are.
On Sunday, 523 cases were reported and 503 cases were reported Monday, with many occurring in rural villages. On Monday, 128 people were hospitalized, down from 138 on Sunday. Hundreds of healthcare workers are currently in quarantine or isolation, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
Haines Borough Emergency Operations Incident Commander Carolann Wooton said while the EOC is recommending individuals not attend gatherings with people outside one’s immediate family, it’s up to the Chilkat Center organizers to decide whether to schedule the event.
“We should all be cognizant of the large number of daily cases and expect that if there is not a significant decrease in cases that he may extend this beyond November 30. If that happens, then the EOC may recommend not having indoor events due to the fact that most transmission is occurring at indoor gatherings. Ultimately, the venue will need to decide if they are going to have the events.”
Sebens said about five people have confirmed that they will participate in the singing competition he’s planned to occur over three performances in December.
“It’s wait-and-see right now,” Chilkat Center manager Kay Clements said this week.
Contest, library and Fort lightings planned
Holiday lighting events, including a holiday lighting contest, are scheduled with pandemic mitigations in place. The public library will move its annual Lighting of the Library event outdoors.
The annual fundraiser hosted by Friends of the Haines Borough Public Library will take place in the school field behind the library from 5-6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28. The auction began Nov. 16 and ends the day of the event. A link to the digital catalog of bidding items is available on the public library’s events calendar found at haineslibrary.org. Gifts have been donated by local fishermen, artists and bakers.
Library staff will light the tree at 5:30 p.m.
“We have a nice model train village set up you can view from the outside. Once the library is back open again, we’ll have tickets at the front desk to look at the train village and the tree,” said Friends of the Library president Nelle Jurgeleit-Greene.
The high school choir will sing holiday music and Friends of the Library volunteers will hand out hot chocolate packets and candy canes from a booth in the parking lot.
Ornaments will be available for a suggested $2 donation.
The Haines Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a holiday lighting contest with cash prizes and a seven-night Caribbean Cruise for two sponsored by the Royal Caribbean Group.
“The contest was created to entice our community to go the extra mile for holiday lighting. The competition encourages residents, business owners, and fishermen to spruce up their homes, businesses, and boats by creating a festive destination for our residents and future visitors when safe travel resumes,” a chamber press release says.
Categories include Best Storefront, Best Boat and Best Residential. Only the residential category is eligible for the cruise for two. Entry applications must be completed by 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 4 and forms, along with additional rules, can be found at haineschamber.org/haines-holiday-lights-contest.
The outdoor lighting display must be operational beginning Dec. 11 and ending Dec. 17. Winners will be announced Dec. 18.
The annual Lighting of the Fort, complete with the cannon blast, fireworks and sledding, is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5 at 5 p.m. at the Fort Seward Parade Grounds.
Hot drinks and individually packaged s’mores will be served and organizer Annette Smith encourages participants to “bring their favorite holiday face covering.”
“We had to pass on the nativity tableaux because of COVID-19,” Smith said. “I also decided to pass on the weenie roast.”
The Fort’s first lighting occurred when it celebrated its Centennial in 2001.
For this month’ Arts Outlook, the CVN reached out to local painters, musicians, potters and other artists to ask how their work and creative processes have been affected by the pandemic.
Has their routine, or output changed as a result of increased isolation? Have they delved into new mediums, has their work evolved in unexpected ways or are they exploring different themes?
Some say they’re accustomed to and even prefer the isolation. Others have used the time to learn new skills, or have adapted their talents to make money in more practical ventures. For all, it’s affected their ability to show and market their work. Artists, like everyone else, have relied on digital forums to share their work and network with the industry. The following are edited excerpts from four Haines artists.
Donna Catotti, painter
“Artists work alone, so it is best if we enjoy our own company. The pandemic didn’t really change my studio work habits, as much as it changed the social part of being a professional artist. This will be the first January in many that I have not gone to New York City for a show at the National Arts Club. My yearly Portrait Society Conference was presented as a webinar, and it was surprisingly good, though not the same as being in the hotel with 800 artists at once.
Unfortunately, one of the pandemic effects is that our local life-drawing group will not be meeting this winter, as I do not think we could be properly distanced.
I work representationally and have worked in oils and pastels for years. I did not get out for much plain air painting this summer, not because of the pandemic but because all my energy went into (newly purchased business) Bear Creek Camp. When friends would ask if I was painting, my joking response was, “I am painting the oldest, funkiest doors you can imagine instead of masterpieces.” We did a lot of upgrades and a complete renovation of cabin two, which will be a daily rental to subsidize the river guides’ camp.”
John Hagen, photographer
“I have swung between moments of intense creativity and existential dread as an artist. My feeling of existential dread comes from losing certainty of when or if I will ever be able to show my work. Galleries often book shows years in advance. Shows I booked in 2019 for 2021 may not exactly happen. I have been showing more of my work through social media.
Early on when the spring 2020 lockdown set in, going out to make photographs was my way of getting out of the house and being sane. As an artist inspired by the landscape, it was easy to ramp up my work. I was able to photograph the eulachon run like never before because there weren’t that many people around.
This summer I made photographs in the village of Ugashik in Bristol Bay, finishing a project I started in summer of 2019. My project was a response to how the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918 impacted the village and my ancestors. I didn’t realize I was going to experience an actual pandemic in a small village when I booked my travel last December and signed on to help my aunt commercial fishing for salmon. I felt the fear, paranoia and dread of being besieged by a pandemic in rural Alaska. I scrapped a portrait part of this project. The work created celebrates an absence of people through landscape photography.”
Henry Leasia, musician
“The start of the pandemic was a really productive time. Adjusting to the new normal was oddly inspiring and I tried to channel what I was feeling and thinking about into my songs. I was at home a lot and no longer able to perform at open mic night so I focused on writing music. I recorded a few videos and virtual performances. Over the course of a few months, I put an album together and released it in September.
Now the coronavirus isn’t so novel anymore. I’m not writing much music these days, and I’m not posting as many videos online. I’m just itching to play music with people and perform live. I have been learning songs including Randy Newman’s “Living Without You.” It’s really cathartic to sing songs about loneliness right now. I also just bou