State of the Arts
october 2008
The
monthly newsletter of Fairbanks Arts Association
October 23, 2008, 7pm
Orson Welles’ “F for Fake” (1975) Alaska Centennial Center for the arts theater in pioneer park
IN THIS ISSUE community calendar p8 & 9 p2 Oldie but goldie film series p3 mayors’ awards p4 Reading series ‘08 p4 gift shop artist p5 arts down the road p6 & 7 gallery exhibit
volunteer needs volunteer thanks committee meetings watercolor society corner gift shop author volunteer spotlight
“Promoting contemporary and traditional arts in Alaska’s Interior.”
p10 p10 p10 p11 p11 p12
We are happy to open the 2008-09 Oldie but Goldie film series with Orson Welles’ “F for Fake” on October 23rd at 7pm. Criterion calls this wonderful film, “...a free-form documentary that gleefully engages the central preoccupation of Orson
Orson Welles’ “F for Fake” (1975) Oct 23, 2008, 7pm in the Alaska Centennial Center for the Performing Arts Theater in Pioneer Park. Tickets are $5
Welles’ career—the tenuous line between truth and illusion, art and lies. Beginning with portraits of world-renowned art forger Elmyr de Hory and his equally devious biographer, Clifford Irving, Welles embarks on a dizzying cinematic journey that simultaneously exposes and revels in fakery and fakers of all stripes—not the least of whom is Welles himself. Charming and inventive, F for Fake is an inspired prank and a searching examination of the essential duplicity of cinema.”
Fa i r b a n k s A r ts Ass o c i at i o n
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Fairbanks Arts Association was established in 1966 to promote and support the arts in the Fairbanks area. The Association is funded by private, corporate, and foundation memberships and donations, City of Fairbanks, Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. With assistance from professional staff and charitable volunteers, the Association provides services in five areas: Visual, Literary, Performing, Community Arts and Arts Education. FAA also helps to raise funds for other arts groups, provides technical assistance and support for arts programing, encourages and advises individual artists and beginning organizations, sponsors workshops and presents educational forums.
FAA Phone: (907) 456-6485
Board of Directors Corlis Taylor, President Marcella Hill, Vice President Leafy McBride, Secretary Myrna Colp, Treasurer
Members: Bob Dempsey Jerrie Graham Joan Stack Shane Hurd Lorraine Peterson
Staff June Rogers, Executive Director , ex 225 june@fairbanksarts.org
Melissa Hougland, Associate Director, ex 226 melissa@fairbanksarts.org
Sherry Faught, Office Manager/Bookkeeper, ex 223 sherry@fairbanksarts.org
Seth Schwartz, Program Coordinator, ex 227 seth@fairbanksarts.org
Jessica Rehfield, Education Coordinator, ex 222 jessica@fairbanksarts.org
Meagan McMahon, Special Projects, ex 224
This film includes Cast Members Orson Welles, Oja Kodar, Elmyr de Hory, Clifford Irving, François Reichenbach and Gary Graver. Directed by Orson Welles. Written by Orson Welles and Oja Kodar The film series will continue monthly with a variety of great films which will include “Closely Watched Trains” by Czechoslovakian film director Jiri Menzel in November, Federico Fellini’s “And the Ship Sails On” in December, “Red Beard” by Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa in January, Jean-Luc Godard’s “Pierrot le Fou” in February, Polish film director Andrzej Wajda’s “Ashes and Diamonds” in March, Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmalion” in April and finally “Black Orpheus” by French director Marcel Camus in May. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door. Season ticket books are also available for a discounted price of $30. They contain eight tickets which may be used for any movie throughout the season. For more information please call 456-6485 ext. 227.
meagan@fairbanksarts.org
Fairbanks Arts Association • October 2008
Categories of Awards: Arts and Leadership Award: r e c o g n i z e s i n d iv i d u a l s o r organizations that have contributed to the promotion of art in the Interior. Volunteer Award: recognizes individuals or organizations whose support of the arts through volunteer service has made a significant impact on the arts in the Interior. A r t s A d v o c a c y Aw a r d : r e c o g n i z e s i n d iv i d u a l s o r organizations that advocate for the arts in the Interior.
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o you know someone who has made significant contributions to contemporary and/or traditional arts within Alaska’s Interior?
I f s o , t h e y m a y b e e l i g i b l e fo r t h e M a y o r s A w a rd s fo r t h e A r t s In order to complete a winning nomination fill out the nomination form and submit up to a 300-word essay. Essays should specifically and concisely address how the individual or organization has helped the Arts in the Interior of Alaska in one of the five categories of awards. Assume judges know nothing about the These awards are open to all nominee or organization. individuals or groups, residing in the interior of Alaska who have E ve r y n o m i n e e w i l l r e c e ive made significant contributions to a recognition packet and every contemporary and/or traditional arts nominator will receive a thank you within Alaska’s Interior. A person for his or her effort. Panel members who receives an award is not eligible to receive the same award within the next four years; they may be nominated for a different category Bear Gallery is now within that time frame. Fairbanks closed on Mondays. Arts Association Board Members New hours: are eligible to nominate indivduals Tuesday-Saturday or organizations. Fairbanks Arts noon to 6pm. Association staff are not eligible to be nominated or nominate awardees. Closed Sunday and Monday. Youth Arts Award: recognizes individuals (regardless of age) or organizations whose efforts advance arts among young people. Lifetime Achievement Award: recognizes a lifetime of artistic endeavors.
Attention!
cannot nominate nor judge family members. Fairbanks Arts Association may decide not to award in every category if there is a lack of eligible candidates. A committee of Fairbanks Arts Association will review all nominations. Award recipients will be notified by February 6, 2009. Awards will be presented on March 21, 2009 in the theater in the Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts in Pioneer Park at 2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks. A reception will begin at 6pm, with the awards presented at 7pm. This event is free and open to the public.
All nominations must be postmarked to Fairbanks Arts Association, PO Box 72786, Fairbanks, AK 99707. No later than November 15, 2008. For any questions please call (907)456-6485 ext.226.
October 2008 • Fairbanks Arts Association
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f a i r b a n k s
a r t s
a s s o c i a t i o n
.:: Reading Series ‘08
October 4th Reading Derick Burleson
Kenyon Review, The Paris Review, The Southern Review and Poetry, among other journals. A recipient of a 1999 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry, Burleson teaches in the MFA program in Creative Writing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and lives in Two Rivers.
are also new voices like Mike Burwell and Amy Crawford, and Alaska Native writers, including Joan Kane and Howard Luke. All are passionate about their world—a world populated by icons such as whales, wolves and bears; and a microcosm, significant in its own right, of mushrooms, sand lance and berries, upon which all depend.
October 11th Reading Crosscurrents North: ALASKANS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
Derick Burleson’s latest book is Never Night (Marick Press, 2008). His first book, Ejo: Poems, Rwanda 1991-94 won the Felix Pollak Prize in Poetry. His poems have appeared in The Georgia Review, The
In this collection of sixty-one essays and poems, edited by Marybeth Holleman and Anne Coray, Alaskans express admiration and awe of the landscape and its wild inhabitants. Celebratory, sobering and thought provoking, these writings also bear witness to the effects of such pressing issues as climate change and development. They ponder the irony of the authors’ own impact, an inevitable consequence of living here. Contributors to this anthology span the state and include familiar names: John Haines, Nick Jans, Peggy Shumaker, Nancy Lord and Richard Nelson. There
Readings will be October 4th and October 11th at 7pm • Bear Gallery
Gift Shop Artist of the Month: Amy Noon
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orn and raised in Chicago, Amy came to Alaska in 1986 after graduating from Colorado State University with a BFA in Graphic Design. Wanting to explore life in the far north, she lived on Kodiak Island, then in Juneau. Two years after moving to Juneau, she came to Fairbanks and earned an Alaska State Teaching Certificate. Her 6th grade classroom became an extension of her passion for art complete with mini-galleries and an endless stream of art projects. Amy stopped teaching when she became a mom in 1992. When the youngest of her 3 children entered kindergarten, she began devoting time to her artwork and for the last several years she has been fortunate to work full time as an artist. Amy’s original drawings can be found on permanent
public display at the Noel Wien Library, the Woodland Wellness Center, a new local business park and in several private collections. Gicleé prints of her work are sold at various galleries in Fairbanks, the Museum of the North, Georgeson Botanical Gardens, the Alaska Bird Observatory and Fairbanks Arts Association Bear Gallery and Gift Shop.
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he specializes in vibrant floral drawings created with a basic ink line and multiple layers of colored pencil. Colorful gardens and wildflowers provide her with tremendous pleasure. Amy spends many hours sketching plants and flowers in their natural habitat, then completes the final drawings in winter.
Fairbanks Arts Association • October 2008
DOWN
ART
ROAD
the
First Friday in Fairbanks
First Friday is a well-known and established event. For many years this event has celebrated local artists by exhibiting their art in gallery openings across town on the first Friday of every month. Fairbanks Arts Association is proud to have been hosting First Fridays for over 40 years. However FAA is only one of many organizations that offer First Fridays. Some interesting First Fridays you’ll want to check out include Apocalypse Design, Tundra Walker Studio, Denali State Bank and If Only…a fine store. There are also many established locations such as The Alaska House Art Gallery, The Annex, New Horizons and The Artworks to name a few. Apocalypse Design is joining Fairbanks First Fridays for the second year in a row. Last winter they featured artists for about 6 months and this year they plan to do the same. “We join First Fridays to support the arts in Fairbanks and offer a chance for local (often unknown) artists to share their work. So far this year we have had shows in August (paintings by Davya Flaharty) and September (fractal images by Don Murphy).” Their First Friday in October will feature art by one of their employees, Lyle Croft. The show consists of mostly relief prints. Many of the themes in the prints reflect Lyle’s cynical v i ew s c h a l l e n g i n g social/economical practices. But some are Marriage, Lyle Croft just for fun, including a wood block print of a cat that was carved with a chainsaw. Another great First Friday spot is the Tundra Walker Studio. This unique artist studio, run by Lisa Rogers & Steven Peter, is open 5-8pm on First Fridays. Their October show is going to be Fireweed III. Also on display is over twenty years of devotion to creativity in several different mediums. Denali State Bank hosts a First Friday event each month at its Golden Heart Branch (located by Denny’s). They love their participation in First Fridays because the viewers generally are
banking customers who may not regularly visit traditional arts venues. The opening reception is held from 4-6 PM, which allows the artist to go out and enjoy the other art openings around town. If you make a stop at If Only…a fine store, you can expect to find delicious refreshments and a drawing between 5 and 8 p.m. They occasionally have live music and Signature Events such as Specialty Foods in October and Candlelight Shopping in December. They hold trunk shows and special features related to artists from across the U.S. and Canada as well as feature local guest artists such as Pauline Lian and Sarah Holm. A real treat, if you’re making your way downtown, is The Alaska House Art Gallery. They have been doing First Friday receptions for about nine years and always feature live music to promote a festive atmosphere. This month Mary Watson is featured in her very first solo exhibit “Permanent Vegetative State”. Mary states, “There is a meditative quality in doing these drawings, in losing myself in the incredible variety and beauty of the colors and shapes. There is also a meditative quality in viewing the quiet movement among the forms. I no longer view a brussel sprout or a leaf of swiss chard with dispassion. I only meant to do a few of these drawings, but must admit that it’s hard to stop. Hence, the title of my show: Permanent Vegetative State.” For the month of October, The Annex is accepting two pieces of artwork using any media form from any artist. This exhibit is entitled the “Fourth Anniversary OPEN ENTRY Exhibit.” These are just a few of the wonderful opportunities that Fairbanks has to offer during First Friday. We encourage you to explore the many others found in the October 3rd issue of the Daily NewsMiner’s “Latitude 65” section.
October 2008 • Fairbanks Arts Association
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October G a l l e r y E x h i b i t 64th Parallel XXIII
Pinprick 18-detail
Pinprick 21
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64th Parallel XXIII juror Eileen MacDonald was born in Inverness, Scotland. In 1997 she received her BA in Printmaking from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, in Scotland. In 1999, she relocated to the U.S. to pursue her Master of Fine Art degree at Southern Illinois University. She is presently assistant professor of printmaking at CSU Chico. Eileen has exhibited nationally and internationally, curated and juried numerous shows and has been the recipient of printmaking residencies in England and Italy. MacDonald’s pinprick drawings are created by meticulously puncturing paper with a single sewing needle. She also works with traditional, labor-intensive printmaking processes such as mezzotint and engraving. Eileen writes, “My practice focuses on the physicality of obsessive mark making to manipulate and transform surface. Simplistic tools that have been replaced by faster and more productive machines intrigue me primarily for their mark making potential and their historical implications.”
Pinprick 18
Exhibit Dates: October 3-November 1 • Opening Reception: Friday, October 3, 5-7pm Fairbanks Arts Association • October 2008
Eileen MacDonald will present a Juror’s slide lecture on September 29th at 7pm in the Blue Room, Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts, Pioneer Park, 2300 Airport Way. For more information call Seth at 456-6485 ext. 227. Pinprick 19
CALL FOR ENTRIES:
FAIRBANKS ARTS ASSOCIATION is proud to present it’s first Statewide Juried Exhibition of Digital Art. NEW MEDIA: art via digital technology JANUARY 2 – JANUARY 31, 2009 Opening reception: January, 2 – 8 pm, 2009 -> open to any art created or manipulated via any form of digital technology: Digital Painting • Computer based Illustration • Fractals & Algorithmic Imagery • CGI • Internet based Art • Computer manipulations of Traditionally created art • Digital Montages and Collages •Digital Video Art • Mixed Media with Digital Elements • Computer Animation AWARDS: Juror’s Choice $125 • Second Place $100 • Third Place $75 • Honorable Mentions JUROR: Mariano Gonzales, Anchorage INPORTANT: This exhibit is juried in two stages. STAGE 1 consists of submitting digital files of your work only (CD or DVD). STAGE 2 requires pieces accepted into the show be mailed/brought in. There is no postmark deadline for STAGE 2. All work accepted in STAGE 1 must be physically in the Bear Gallery by December 28, 2008 CALENDAR: Stage I:
Friday, October 10, 2008 Postmark Deadline for mailed in entries Friday, October 17, 2008 Last day to receive hand delivered entries Monday, November 3, 2008 Notifications of acceptance sent out
Stage II:
Sunday, December 28 12-6 pm Last Day to receive all artwork Monday, December 29, 2008 all day Guest juror will jury artwork Monday, December 29, 2008 7pm Juror’s Slide lecture (Blue Room) Friday, January 2, 2009 5pm Opening Reception Tues, Wed. Jan. 5 – 7, 2009 12-6pm Pick up/mail out entries not selected Mon. Tues. Feb. 2 – 4, 2009 12-6pm Pick up/mail out exhibit
For complete prospectus please visit www.fairbanksarts.org or call 456.6485 ext. 227. October 2008 • Fairbanks Arts Association
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Fairbanks
Shakespeare Theatre presents “Omelet, Prince of Danish” the hilarious spoof of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is coming this Oct 9-26 Thurs-Sat 7:30 pm, Sun 2pm. Alas, poor Yorik ain’t never seen anything like this! Tickets are available online at www.fstalaska .org, at Gulliver’s Books, or call 457-7638 for more information. Fairbanks Symphony Association presents a Free
Pre-Concert Lecture at 3pm Sunday, October 26, 2008. A perfom ance with Alexander Kobrin, Piano, will follow at 4pm. Brahms: Concer to No. 1 for Piano & Orchestra and Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1 “Winte r Dreams”will be performed. For more information or to purchase tickets please go to www.fairbankssymphony.org/.
Fairbanks
Symphony Association presents a Symphony Ball Fundraiser on Saturday, November 8, 2008 at 8pm At the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.For more information please go to www.fairbankssymphony.org/.
To submit calendar information please email melissa@ fairbanksarts.org or call 456-6485 ext.226
Fairbanks Light Opera Theater presents The Most
Happy Fellow November 14-16 and 21-23 at the West Valley Perform ing Arts Center. For more info or tickets please go to www.flot.org.
Fairbanks Drama Association presents the classic
thriller WAIT UNTIL DARK, October 24 through November 9 with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:15pm and Sundays at 2:00pm. For ticket reservations phone 456-PLAY.
Halloween at the Museum
T he F airbanks Concert Association announces that tickets are now available for Calo Flamenco, the Baltimore Consort and Baka Beyond. Tickets can be purchased by calling Alaska Tix at 490-2858, online at www.alaskatix.com or at Grassroots Guitar on College Road. FCA will also be presenting workshops with Calo Flamenco and Baka Beyond. Information and order forms are available at www.fairbanksconcert. org or 474-8081.
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See Friday, October 31 • 5-7 PM in bats, bears, birds, bugs and more re the museum’s research labs. Explo nt. hu the galleries in a scavenger with For children ages 12 and under on adult supervision. Free admissi the with donation of canned food for Fairbanks Food Bank.
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University of Alaska Museum of the North Family Program
VOLUNTEERS!
We need volunteers in the Bear Gallery & gift shop! This is a great opportunity to support the arts in Fairbanks while meeting visitors and sharing about life in the north. Our volunteer docents fill a threehour shift and are a vital part of our program. Find out more about how you can be part of the team at Fairbanks Arts Association by calling 456-6485 ext. 223 or 226.
World of Insects on Saturday, October 11 at 9 AM-Noon (ages 7-12) • 1-2:30 PM (ages 5-7) Investigate the largest group of animals on the planet: insects! Discover some of their amazing adaptations, see specimens from the museum’s collection, handle live insects and create an “insect” of your own to take home. For children with an adult. $15 per child/adult pair.* Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Call 474-5360 for information/reservations.
University of Alaska Museum of the North Lecture & Book Signing
In Defense of Hunting on Tuesday, October 14 • 7 PM Author, actor, producer and environmental psychologist James Swan, Ph.D. will discuss the heritage of hunting and the human connection to the land. A columnist for ESPNOutdoors.com, Swan has written several books including In Defense of Hunting and The Sacred Art of Hunting. Book signing follows the lecture. Free admission.
University of Alaska Museum of the North Hunting and Trapping Expo
Saturday, October 18 • Noon - 5 PM Celebrate Alaska’s hunting and trapping heritage at this museum expo. Visit with local experts and see demonstrations related to hunting and trapping. Free with reduced museum admission ($2 off all day).
Museum design wins national architecture award
The University of Alaska Museum of the North continues to garner national and international acclaim for its architectural design. Last month, the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design selected the museum as one of the recipients for the 2008 American Architecture Awards. A complete list of awarded projects is available online at www.chi-atheneaum.org.
Associate with the Arts Become a member of FAA
Membership forums available online at Fairbanksarts.org
REMINDER
Portfolio Review Deadline
October 31st at 5pm Questions? Call 456-6485 ext227 or e-mail seth@fairbanksarts.org
October 2008 • Fairbanks Arts Association
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u o y k n a Th
fer Ginny Sha t Ben Elizabeth ss o Kathryn V sen Joris Mary Lou apil v Rachael K n Vi Robinso bbs Kathy Du z hul Frances Sc n ee Deb McQu les onza Michael G asaki Ginny Kaw
an Flein Margret V ory Jane Greg roma Barbara P Salsbury hardson Kathy Ric rt Pat Rawe r sathe Shirley Od Pat Walsh lor Waterco Fairbanks y Societ
Kathy Dubbs-Des k Cha ir
Carol Lee Har ris-Upr igh t Fre eze r
Joh n and She ila Fel lerath-Pri nte r, Des k Cha ir, Card Table and Folding Cha ir
Committee Meetings: Community Arts Meeting October 8 at Noon Community Writers Group October 12 from 1-4pm Long Prose Writers Group October 16 at 6pm Other Meetings TBA All meetings in the Bear Gallery, 3rd Floor of the Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts, Pioneer Park, 2300 Airport Way. For more information call 456-6485 ext. 227.
Th an k yo u fo r yo ur In-Ki nd Do natio ns !
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OCTOBER
s:
u nte e r l o V r u o to
s on donation s each The Fair ban ks Arts Asso ciat ion relie like you. Our need s just bers year from commun ity mem now we need: t righ ever how , time to vary from time
Office Supplie s Des k Cha irs Step Ladder Ham mers
Hou se Paintbru she s Flat Screen Computer Mo nito r Fax Ma chin e
Th an k yo u for yo ur ge ne ros ity in co nti nu ing to supp or t FA A! Fairbanks Arts Association • October 2008
M
ary Ann Borchert was born and raised in the Chicago area. She attended college and worked in Ohio before heading to Oregon for graduate school. She then took a job in Fairbanks “for a year or two.” Mary Ann is a biologist, she retired in 1994 after 23 years in research and administration at UAF. After retirement, she began taking watercolor painting classes from local artists and workshop instructors brought up by the Fairbanks Watercolor Society as well as Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. All these artists have been supportive and encouraging and they have helped to make painting fun. Mary Ann enjoys traveling in Alaska and worldwide and she draws many painting ideas from her travels.
Watercolor
H
elen Howard was born in Mary Ann Borchert North Cornwall and maintained her connections with that beautiful part of the world until recently. She dabbled in oils while in England and took classes there as well as in Fairbanks, but got interested in watercolors through the Fairbanks Watercolor Society. She has taken workshops and classes from a number of wellknown artists and she especially likes to paint outdoors. She finds watercolor a challenge but easy to carry and enjoyable to use. She arrived in Fairbanks in 1964 and worked for the Musk Ox Project and the Alaska Native Language Center at the University of Alaska. She and her husband, Vince, were one of the last homesteading couples.
Helen Howard
Society Corner Book of the Month: Last New Land–Stories of Alaska Past and Present
The Last New Land offers a generous gathering of Northern Classics as well as contemporary writing less known to the general reader. This collection also accords a prominent place to Native Alaskan tales and legends. Some of the writings included in The Last New Land are: The Tlingit Legend, How Mosquitoes Came to Be; Nick Jans, The Last Light Breaking; Natalie Kusz, Road Song; Barry Lopez, Arctic Dreams; Mary TallMoutain, The Stars, The Snow, The Fire; Robert Service, The Cremation of Sam McGee; and many others. The Last New Land is edited by Wayne Mergler and contains an introduction contributed by John Haines. October 2008 • Fairbanks Arts Association
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The
monthly newsletter of Fairbanks Arts Association
october 2008
State of the Arts
Thank you!
P.O. Box 72786 Fairbanks, Alaska 99707
Katherine has been having a splendid time married to Richard for 36 years. She has one daughter, Kindra, and two granddaughters: Isabella and Realani. Katherine, who is originally from Kansas, has since moved all over the states and arrived in Fairbanks from Tok in 2000. When asked why she started volunteering with FAA, Katherine replied, “I’ve always felt art, creativity and design are a crucial part of a person’s development. That includes art, music, drama, dance and anything that challenges the right side of the brain and balances the functions of the left. Volunteering for FAA is a small contribution I can make to the promotion of the arts.” She also commented that when compared to areas visited in the Lower 48, Fairbanks has a varied and rich artistic community. “I attribute it to the winter darkness… or maybe the summer light.” Either way, Katherine will continue her hard work as a volunteer for FAA.
Volunteer Spotlight -katherine voss