First Friday
First Friday events next month include Sabine Churchill’s garden drawings, Garrett Montgomery’s debut photography exhibition and wood turner Merlin Benner’s work.
Montgomery, who took up photography during the pandemic, will have for sale and display 30 black and white and color landscape photographs primarily taken from around the Chilkat Valley at the Haines Brewing Company.
He first took an interest in photography when taking promotional photographs for social media for the Port Chilkoot Distillery.
“I found out how much I liked it so I started taking photos when I go out to run,” Montgomery said. “We have out the best place ever to take photos.”
Montgomery, who enjoys alpine running, started taking his camera into the mountains on his jogs. He read photography books and watched videos to learn more about the art.
His prints, which will vary in size and material, will be available for between $20 to $95.
“I want it to be affordable for people to put in their homes,” Montgomery said.
Churchill, owner of Gomi’s Garden, hosts spring time plant sales and does custom garden design work. Her drawings will be available for viewing at Ampersand AK.
“I come in, look at the site, take pictures, ask questions,” she said. “Then I retreat, then a couple weeks later they get a monster long email and a sketch, which visualizes what is hopefully the garden of their dreams.”
Churchill has designed and worked with 40 gardens in the Chilkat Valley. Around half of those will be on display.
“I’m going to showcase those sketches of various garden in towns,” Churchill said. “Some are fun because people can drive by and look.”
Churchill has worked with vegetable gardens, rock gardens or rock walls or general landscape designs.
Benner, who moved to town last September, also started experimenting with wood turning at the same time. Benner has been selling his work at Alaska Rod’s and his wooden bowls and vases will be featured at Alaska Rod’s.
He works primarily with local woods.
“I’ve worked with wood as a carpenter for a lot of my life. I like wood,” he said. “I enjoy what’s inside a block of wood, the grain and the coloring. I like being artistic.”
He acquired tools from his father-in-law and from the former owner of the home he purchased in Haines. He has more than 20 pieces available. .for purchase.
Genre-crossing violinist to perform at Chilkat Center
Italian violinist Luca Ciarla will perform on the Chilkat Center stage on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m.
His show, titled “Luca Ciarla solOrkestra,” includes a looping pedal which allows him to perform solo while layering multiple instruments including a guitar, cello and percussion. He’ll also use his voice and a few “toy instruments.”
Haines Arts Council president Tom Heywood said he first heard Ciarla play during a Facebook concert.
“I was just mesmerized. It was just gorgeous music,” Heywood said. “He’s classical trained, jazz trained, but he’s got this unique blend of looping and toy musical instruments, whistles, vocals and he puts it all into this layered effect of entrancing music.”
Ciarla is known for his genre-busting style of music that combines folk, jazz, classical and contemporary sounds. He’s performed in 70 countries including at the Montreal Jazz Festival and the Hong Kong Performing Arts Centre.
The Italian newspaper la Repubblica cited Ciarla as “one of the most interesting violinists nowadays on the international scene, capable of browsing around different sounds and genres without ever losing his unmistakable style.”
Ciarla studied jazz and pursued his master’s with David Baker at the renowned Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and later earned his doctorate in musical arts at the University of Arizona. He’s won several competitions in Italy and abroad.
Heywood encouraged music lovers of all ages to attend the concert.
“I think anybody could enjoy this concert,” Heywood said. “It’s going to be fascinating to watch how he does it. The beauty of the music is very affecting.”