Claire Davis, of Kake, helps Joe Lewis adjust a halibut hook during a display of student work at the Region V ArtFest on Monday, April 27, 2026, in Haines, Alaska. (Rashah McChesney/Chilkat Valley News)

Several Haines student artists were honored for their work after a weekend of experimenting with new techniques and mediums over the course of four days. 

Students from all over Southeast Alaska traveled to the Chilkat Valley for the annual Region V Art Festival. Each chose two options for classes and spent an average of 30 hours working on pieces over the weekend. 

“It was super challenging, said Ronnie Fairbanks of Craig, who taught a workshop where students created formline art for longboards. “We only have 15 hours to learn how to paint formline. Have you ever tried that? It’s not fun.” 

Two Chilkat Valley students were honored for their efforts in his class, Ruby Martin who was awarded best in workshop and Ezra Nash who was given an honorable mention. 

“I chose Ruby because if you see this design, she like threw this killer whale together and you can tell she has experience with formline, but it’s super complicated,” said Fairbanks. “She stayed up until 2 a.m. painting. She put in a lot of time, so I’m super proud of her.” 

Zorza Szatkowski brought home best in class in both John and Sharon Svenson’s glass mosaic workshop and in a found-item mixed media workshop taught by Juneau artist Sam Jordan. In the latter class, Szatkowski’s distinctive creation “The Eternal Struggle” got a lot of interest during a student art show on Monday. 

It features a robotic creation with batteries for eyes,  a row of screws spiking down its back, feathered driftwood trees, and a smaller creature with a shell for a head appearing to hunt with a spear. 

“It’s so rad to dish out this MacGyver set of random items and see some kid come up with something out of their head,” said Jordan. “You can see that and it’s crazy cool.” 

Local artist Skweit Jessie Morgan taught a copper-engraving workshop for seven students. 

“Copper engraving is really hard and unpredictable,” said Morgan, who thanked the Chilkoot Indian Association for loaning her class its equipment.  She said students who came in with formline experience made the workshop an “amazing space.” 

Other local students highlighted for their work included MJ Hotch whose efforts in Tawney Crowley’s gelli-print class won her an honorable mention while Ezra Nash was awarded best in workshop for her work in a painting class taught by Ashley Lohr. 

(Rashah McChesney/Chilkat Valley News) Anna Rock, of Petersburg, photographs a piece of glass artwork made by another student during a show on Monday, April 27, 2026, in Haines, Alaska. The Region V ArtFest drew students from across Southeast Alaska to Haines over the weekend for classes and a competition in several art forms.

Results: 

Glass Mosaic (taught by local artists John and Sharon Svenson) 

  • Best in Class, Zorza Szatkowski, Haines
  • Honorable mention, Zoe Lessard, Juneau

Copper Carving (taught by local artist Skweit Jessie Morgan) 

  • Best in Class, Riley Soboleff, Juneau 
  • Honorable mention, Ray Fairbanks, Klawock

Found Items Mixed Media (taught by Juneau artist Sam Jordan)

  • Best in Class, Zorza Szatkowski, Haines
  • Honorable mention, Hannah Hofstetter, Petersburg

Gelli Print (taught by Wrangell’s Tawney Crowley)

  • Best in Class, Tera Hicks, Juneau
  • Honorable mention, MJ Hotch, Haines

Beaded Earring Making (taught by Klawock’s Eva Rowan)

  • Best in Class, Ali Kittams, Petersburg
  • Honorable mention, Ellee Votzm, Wrangell

Glass blowing (taught by Haines’ Tassja Letchworth)  

  • Honorable mention, Claire Davis, Kake
  • Honorable mention, Claire Snyder, Juneau

Halibut Hooks (taught by Kake artist Joe Lewis)

  • Blood, Sweat and Tears award (Best in Workshop) Riley Soboleff, Juneau
  • Special Unicorn (honorable mention) August Rathbone, Juneau   

Formline Longboards (taught by Ronnie Fairbanks of Craig) 

  • Best in Workshop, Ruby Martin, Haines
  • Honorable Mention, Ezra Nash, Haines

Wash Painting and India Ink (local art teacher Kelleen Adams) 

  • Best in Workshop, Quinn Rafferty, Petersburg
  • Honorable mention, Hannah Hofstetter, Petersburg

Upcycled Photography (Skagway’s Valerie Larsen) 

  • Best in Workshop, Rebecca Midkiff, Petersburg
  • Honorable mention, Anna Rock, Petersburg

Painting (taught by Ashley Lohr, of Petersburg)

  • Best in Workshop, Ezra Nash, Haines
  • Honorable mention, Ayla Loges, Kake

Best for work completed at the event: Zoe Lessard, Juneau

Best for work from home (completed in their home town and brought to Haines): Eve Harrige

Kirk Garbisch award: Kiera Sanderson, of Klawock

Spirit of Art Festival award: Rick Mills

Rashah McChesney is a multimedia journalist and editor who has reported and edited newsrooms from the Deep South to the Midwest to Alaska. For the past decade, she has worked in collaborative news as the...