State of Art

On this episode of State of Art we're learning about this year's Alaska Book Week. The series of events celebrating writing and writers in Alaska runs from Sunday October 1 to 8. There will be live events and virtual presentations featuring everything from poetry and romance to nonfiction and children's books. Professor of English and Book Week coordinator, Trish Jenkins, joins us to tell us all about it.

The 1923 film "Scaramouche" is a story of love and revenge during the French Revolution. Director Rex Ingram' 100-year-old masterpiece is filled with historic details, massive sets and action that holds up today. Anchorage Festival of Music will host a screening of the film and will be scoring the film live with period correct instruments. The event takes place at Bear Tooth Theater on Sunday, October 1 at 4 p.m. This week on State of Art we're joined by Anchorage Festival of Music Artistic Director and musician Laura Koenig. She tells us about the legacy of "Scaramouche," locating the original music cue sheets and what it takes to perform along with a film.

This week on State of Art we're joined by the founders of Wild Shore New Music. The group performs modern chamber music that explores place and environment while collaborating with a variety of other artists. Founders Andie Tanning, Katie Cox, and Conrad Winslow might live elsewhere, but they all still consider Alaska home. The group will be performing in Anchorage on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in the UAA Recital Hall and will be joined by UAA professor of viola Miriam English Ward.

On this episode of State of Art we're discussing the Alaska Writers Guild and their upcoming conference. The guild connects Alaska writers and provides educational opportunities for things like business and marketing. Their annual conference for writers and illustrators will be held on Friday and Saturday the last weekend of September at UAA's Rasmuson Hall. We're joined by Alaska Writers Guild board members Laura Carpenter and Brooke Hartman to find out more about the guild, what to expect from the conference and more.

This week on State of Art we're joined by "Arsenic and Old Lace" director MaryAlice Larmi to discuss the fast-paced farce. It centers on Mortimer Brewster and his maniacal family including spinster aunts who have a habit of murdering lonely old men, a brother on the run from the law and one who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt. She tells us about what to expect, casting the right performers, and acting icon Boris Karloff's contribution to Anchorage Community Theater's 1957 production of the play.

This week on State of Art we're hearing from filmmakers Kendrick Whiteman and Logan Smith. They're both products of Alaska Teen Media Institute and are peer mentors with the youth media training organization. Whiteman was featured at the Anchorage International Film Festival in 2022 and leans toward a surreal atmosphere with his work while Smith likes to blend the weird with comedy. We discuss what got them into film, their previous work and what comes next.

This week on State of Art we're discussing an upcoming benefit concert helping out the Qargi Academy Tribal School in Wainwright. We're joined by longtime musician and Marketing Manager for the Arctic Slope Community Foundation, James Dommek Jr. who is organizing the show. He tells us about what makes the Qargi Academy unique, including indigenous performers as the opening act and more.

This week on State of Art we meet an Anchorage winner of the "Hamilton" creative competition organized by the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts and BroadwayBoundAK. Students from across Alaska going into grades 7 through 12 were invited to make and submit an original creative piece that was inspired by the hit musical. Winners were chosen from across the state and get to see "Hamilton" for free in September. Sam Beesley is starting his freshman year at West High and was chosen for his song called "Don't Wait For It." The song was a therapeutic response to a friend losing their father unexpectedly and features Beesley on piano and vocals. We're joined by Beesley and Alaska Center for the Performing Arts Community Engagement Manager, Lauren Rice.

This week on State of Art we're hearing all about Galway Days Irish Festival. It takes place on Saturday, August 12 at Town Square Park. There will be vendors, food, music and more. Irish Club of Alaska President Dawn Berg joins us to tell us about the festival, the club and she even sings us a song.

Ketch Secor first visited Alaska when he was 14 and it made a lasting impression on him. He traveled the Alaska Railroad, bought chewing tobacco in Sitka and kissed a girl in Fairbanks. The singer and fiddle player for the long-running, high-energy folk band Old Crow Medicine Show joins us this week ahead of the group's Salmonfest appearance. He tells us about their upcoming album "Jubilee" that celebrates a quarter century as a band, the finer points of playing street corners and more.

This week on State of Art we're joined by Corky Parker. She was an original staff member of KSKA nearly 45 years ago, but she's added many chapters to her life since then. Her memoir “La Finca: Love, Loss, and Laundry on a Tiny Puerto Rican Island” tells her story of running a rustic eco-lodge and what she learned along the way. The book is filled with sketches, images and other artwork that won her a 2023 University Press Award for Book & Cover Design along with her 2023  Pacific Northwest Writers Association Nancy Pearl Award for Memoir. She will be in Alaska in August for readings and other events. She tells us about falling in love with a place, searching for authenticity and more.

This week on State of Art we're hearing from Salmonfest director David Stearns. The festival runs from August 4 through the 6 at the Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds in Ninilchik. Headliners include Old Crow Medicine Show, Sierra Farell, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and Leftover Salmon. Stearns tells us about what to expect from the festival, this year's groovy artwork, zero waste efforts and more.

Last Tuesday, Antiques Roadshow came to film in Alaska for the first time ever in the show’s nearly 30-year history. The popular program travels around the country hosting events where people can bring items to be appraised and get more information about the object’s history. Shooting took place at the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage. Attendees were bussed from the Bartlett High School parking lot to the venue where they went through a sorting process that sent them to various experts located in and around the Heritage center’s facility. From there, the appraisers work with show producers to determine who will get on the show. Only a small fraction of the nearly 2,500 attendees will make the cut, so here are some of the people who were there that day.

Former city mayor and the library’s namesake, Zachariah Joshua Loussac, left his collection of paintings by the famous landscape artist to the city of Anchorage. Now, the library is giving away prints for free.

This week on State of Art we're hearing from the Anchorage Chamber Music Festival's co-founders and artistic directors Christine Harada Li and Nathaniel Pierce. The two started the festival right out of college to share a style of classical music they love with the city and are now in their 11th season. They tell us about what makes chamber music unique, what to expect from this year's festival and more.

A short walk up the narrow, winding path through the lush forest reveals miniature structures made from natural materials. Some look like fancy animal burrows and others look like mouse-sized houses adorned with moss and bark, but these homes are intended for fairy-folk.

Seward-based folk band Blackwater Railroad Co. has seen its share of lineup changes over the years, but they've maintained their mission of good vibes and good times. The band is playing dates across the state and will be performing in Anchorage at Williwaw on Saturday, July 1. We're joined by lead singer and guitarist Tyson Davis, keyboardist Kyle Comeau, and bassist Ben Sayers as they reflect on the last decade and what comes next.

This week on State of Art we're checking out some of the free concerts and events that Anchorage Downtown Partnership is putting on this summer. We're joined by ADP Executive Director Radhika Krishna who breaks down what's happening every Wednesday through Sunday. We also visit downtown to sample ADP's Music in the Park and Live After Five.

This week on State of Art we're talking about the Sundown Solstice Festival. The three-day concert features a mix of well-known, up-and-coming and local artists whose music ranges from hip-hop, electronic and rock. The festival starts Friday, June 16 and runs through Sunday the 18 at Cuddy Park. We're joined by Hellen Fleming, co-owner of Showdown Productions, the organizers of the festival. She tells us about the artists, what it takes to put on an event this big and being caught up in city drama.

This week on State of Art we're take a trip downtown to the Anchorage Museum to learn about their new exhibit "All Aboard: The Alaska Railroad Centennial." It covers the history, impact and people that made the railroad what it is today. We're joined by The Anchorage Museum's Aaron Leggett, senior curator and of Alaska history and indigenous cultures, who gives us a tour of some of the exhibits highlights. We hear about contributions of indigenous workers, Leggett's personal connections to the railroad and more.

This week on State of Art we talk about a creative competition for students to see the hit musical "Hamilton" and speak with John Damberg, founder of the Alaska Jazz workshop and a recent winner of a Governor's Arts and Humanities Award. The Alaska Center for the Performing Arts created an engagement program meant to connect the community to the Broadways shows that come to town. They are hosting a statewide creative competition for students from grades 7 through 12 to enter a two-minute video or two-page piece of writing inspired by "Hamiliton." The deadline for submission is June 20. We also speak with musician and educator John Damberg. His resume is filled with legendary musicians and productions he's played with, but one of his main focuses is the Alaska Jazz Workshop where he's trained the next generation of jazz musicians.

Indra Arriaga Delgado’s talents can be difficult to describe. Among other things, she’s an artist, writer, filmmaker and researcher. Originally from Veracruz, Mexico her new book “Opaque Etymologies: Fifteen Moons” examines decolonization, identity, and language through art, poetry and other media. She says the project required five years of work, three languages across two countries and the collaboration of more than 30 individuals. On this episode of State of Art, we hear from her to find out more about her book and we meet artist Diane Dunn who has an exhibition at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art called "2000 Journals: Filling the Void."

This week on State of Art we're talking about the stage thriller "Wait Until Dark." The Anchorage Community Theater production tells the story of a blind woman who gets caught up in a tension-building game of cat and mouse with dangerous criminals. We're joined by show director Krista Schwarting and lead actor Kaichen McRae to talk about the technical challenges, character choices and the unique lead role.

This week on State of Art we're discussing a play about the reality of friendship and an indigenous artist who looks to the resources that fed her ancestors. First, we hear from Erin Gingrich and Alaska Pacific University Gallery Manager James Temte. Gingrich's show "Kaviqsaaq Qivliaq-taaq Siññaktut (Red Silver Dreams)" includes photography and carving representing her experiences during the 2022 salmon fishing season. We're also joined by director Jill Bess and actor Gigi Lynch who tell us about Cyrano's Theater Company's upcoming production of "Dog Park."

This week on State of Art we're discussing two shows happening the weekend of May 5. First off, we're joined by the leads of Anchorage Opera's upcoming production of "Carmen." Audrey Babcock (Carmen) and Ben Werley (Don José) talk about what makes the beloved opera stand the test of time and how they connect with their characters through movement or song. We also hear about Momentum Dance Collective's season finale "Rhapsody." The show combines the music of Queen and dance with the help of local musicians. Momentum Artistic Director Becky Kendall tells us about what to expect and talks about their partnership with the Alaska Aids Assistance Association.

This week on State of Art we're learning about media preservation with Summit Day Media's Bob Curtis-Johnson and Mike Martz. They both started their careers in media production, but later shifted to working with museums, libraries and other organizations to archive and preserve audio and video collections. They tell us about what goes into cataloging and preserving obsolete media, their current project digitizing a 7,500-piece tape archive for KYUK and the cultural heritage that disappears if these collections are left inaccessible.

This week on State of Art we're getting up to speed on what's happening at the Anchorage Public Library. We're joined by Director Virginia McClure, who was confirmed by the Anchorage Assembly back in December. She tells us about what she's been focusing on, upcoming events like Dino Day and projects like the "Library in a Box."

This week on State of Art we’re hearing about the Anchorage Community Concert Band’s spring performance “Going Places.” We hear from the band’s conductor Dr. Mark Wolbers to find out more about the concert and what makes it a “journey through time and place.”

This week on State of Art we’re hearing about Out North’s FRINGE Festival going on all of April. It features films, performance art and workshops meant to build community and push the boundaries of art. We’re joined by Out North’s Executive Director Erin Willahan and Fringe Artistic Director Indra Arriaga to find out more.

This week on State of Art we're talking about Anchorage Community Theater’s current production “They Promised her the Moon.” It centers on the real life of Jerrie Cobb, part of an all-women space program in the 60s, who not only completed the same tests and screenings as the first male astronauts, but ranked among the highest of both women and men. She never made it to space, but paved the way for the women who followed. The play opened on March 3rd and runs through the 26th. We’re joined by visiting playwright Laurel Ollstein, who wrote the story and is directing this run.

This week on State of Art we're learning about Anchorage Opera's upcoming production of "Missing" and its U.S. premier. The plot centers around the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and was written by First Nations playwright Marie Clements and Juno award-winning composer Brian Current. The story follows Native Girl, who was murdered and discarded by the roadside, and Ava, a white woman who discovers the girl's body and sets out on a path to find greater empathy and understanding. We're joined by Melody Courage, who plays Native Girl, and Kate Bass, who plays Ava, to find out more. "Missing" runs March 10, 11 and 12 at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. There will also be a free private performance for survivors & families of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls on Mar 8 to honor the victims.

This week on State of Art we hear from Matthew Burtner. He’s a composer, musician and sound artist who blends the arts and sciences into works meant to deepen our understanding and connection to the natural world. He is currently an artist in residence at the Anchorage Museum and his most recent album is called “Icefield.” We discuss his unique creative methods, "ecoacoustics" and more.

This week on State of Art we're hearing about Cyrano’s current production “First Date, The Musical.” It tells the story of a couple on a blind date in a New York City restaurant and all the humor and drama that happens along the way. The show opened February 10 and runs through March 5. We’re joined by director Warren Weinstein and lead actress, Abigail Smith.

This week on State of Art we're learning about the Sitka Fine Arts Camp. They're celebrating 50 years of providing immersive arts education to school-aged kids and teens from all over the state. There are summer sessions for elementary, middle, and high school students with a separate program for musical theater. We're joined by Sitka Fine Arts Camp Director Roger Schmidt to find out what camp is like, what makes it so popular and more. NOTE: At the time of this post there are still spots available for the middle school and musical theater camps, with waitlists for elementary and high school sessions.

This week on State of Art we're discussing Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Awards. Applications are open now to a wide range of creatives looking for some financial breathing room to focus on their work. We’re joined by Rasmuson Foundation Programs Officer Enzina Marrari, who oversees the awards, to get tips and advice on how to apply. She’s an artist and a two-time recipient herself, which gives her a unique perspective when helping others navigate the program. We also hear from artist Kendra Arciniega who received an award in 2021 for her work examining LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities in Anchorage.

Kathleen McCoy spent decades as a journalist before joining Alaska Public Media as an original host of Hometown, Alaska. After years behind the mic interviewing local leaders and community members, she’s stepping down to enjoy retirement. We look back at McCoy’s career and what comes after public radio.

This week on State of Art we hear about artist Garry Kaulitz's retrospective at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art. Kaulitz worked as a professor at the University of Alaska where he taught printmaking and his works have been featured in hundreds of exhibitions. The show features a diverse range of prints, paintings and drawings spanning six decades with a concurrent exhibition in Kaulitz's adopted home of Cuenca, Ecuador. The works will be on display at IGCA through January 27. We're joined by Kaulitz's friend and agent Bob Curtis Johnson to talk about Kaulitz's life in Ecuador, his work, and more.

This week on State of Art the Anchorage Folk Festival returns with in-person performances, workshops, and more. We hear from Johnse Ostman, president of the fest’s board of directors, to find out about the local and featured acts, volunteer opportunities, and what to expect.

This week on State of Art we meet artist Meg Anderson. Her show “Yellow Skies and Black Birds” will be on display at Cyrano’s Art Gallery from January 6 through February 26. Originally from Wisconsin, Anderson spent 24 years as an interpretive graphic artist and illustrator for Alaska State Parks. We discuss her work for the parks, her show and her many other creative projects. We also hear from RKP Production’s Audrey Weltman Kelly and Dick Reichman about the new original play “Out to Lunch: A Political Comedy.”

This week on State of Art we’re hearing from Juneau-based singer-songwriter Marian Call. As part of the Alaska Independent Musician Initiative and a new endeavor called MusicAlaska, Call tells us about the work being done to compile playlists of Alaska musicians to help paint a more complete picture of the state’s music scene. We hear about the working musician’s grind, the benefits of these playlists and plans use them.

This week on State of Art we’re hearing from Dr. Mark Wolbers, director of the Anchorage Community Concert Band. Their free winter performance, “Reverence,” will take place on Sunday, December 4 in the Discovery Theater in the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. Wolbers tells us about being in the band, managing the wide range of skill levels and what to expect from the concert.

This week on State of Art we’re hearing from local artist and the mastermind behind the Alaska BookMobile, Jimmy Riordan. His current work is focused on digitizing analogue Alaska music. He got his start working in Bethel and preserving recordings found around the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, but has branched out to more of a statewide focus. We hear about how he got started, what he’s found along the way and what comes next.

This week on State of Art we’re learning about Anchorage Museum’s Seed Lab. The black building covered in murals is located across from the main museum facility on the corner of 6th and A in downtown Anchorage. In addition to supplementing other museum programming, they hold a variety of workshops on topics ranging from climate to repair and reuse and other events and conversations focusing on community and the environment. They also support artists in residence in addition to things like housing a tool library and a newly built podcast studio. We’re joined by Anchorage Museum Public Programs and Audience Engagement Manager Rebecca Pottebaum and Communications Manager Hank Davis to find out more about what Seed Lab is, what they do and more.

This week on State of Art we’re hearing from the owner of Tent City Press, Bryce Fredrick. Along with the Anchorage Public Library and the Seed Lab, Tent City Press will be hosting a zine fair and swap on Friday, November 4. We also hear from Anchorage Community Theater’s Executive Director Matt Fernandez about their current production of spooky musical “Constance and Sinestra and the Cabinet of Screams.”

This week on State of Art we’re hearing from James Bartlett, author of true-crime book “The Alaskan Blonde: Sex, Secrets, and the Hollywood Story that Shocked America.” The book examines the murder of wealthy Fairbanks businessman Cecil Wells on October 17, 1953. We’ll also hear from the conductor and stage director/choreographer from Anchorage Opera’s production of “The Pirates of Penzance.” Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. in the Discovery Theater at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts.

This week on State of Art we’re hearing from Joy Harjo. She served as poet laureate of the United States from 2019 to this year. As the first Native American to hold the position, she made it her goal to lift up the voices of indigenous poets. We discuss her relationship to Alaska, her time as poet laureate and her new work.

This week on State of Art we’re hearing from Marrin Eighinger, director of Anchorage Community Theater’s production of “The Sensuous Senator.” The fast-paced comedy follows a presidential candidate running on a morality platform, his indiscretions and the fallout of his secrets. The final performances are Saturday, October 1 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 2 at 3 p.m.

This week on State of Art we’re hearing from Steph Johnson. She was an early hire when the Bear Tooth Grill was first opening, eventually becoming general manager of the Bear Tooth Theatrepub and Grill. After two decades with the company, she’s helping other restaurants find their way. We discuss her work as a consultant, what makes a good dining experience and the un-sexy side of the business. Reach Steph Johnson at [email protected].

When you walk into the International Gallery of Contemporary art in downtown Anchorage, you’ll be greeted by a painting of a woman. She’s sitting on a chair, wearing nothing but a sheer scarf and hat that says “Art Slut.” It’s a self-portrait by artist Linda Lucky, inspired by Alice Neel who painted herself in the nude at 80. Lucky’s show at IGCA called “Loose Ends” is a journey through a diverse selection of work showing the fun and whimsy of youth, the sophistication of midlife and the nostalgia of looking back. This week on State of Art Lucky tells us about her time as an art teacher and being a “fitness instructor for imagination,” the variety of her work and, of course, going nude to celebrate turning 80.

This week on State of Art we’re hearing from artist Scott Clendaniel. He combines his love of the outdoors, beer and positive vibes in his work. In addition to landscapes and other Alaska scenes, when scanning through his collection of paintings, you might find X-wings from Star Wars flying over Denali, an octopus hitting up some fresh powder on skis, or local beers in the foreground of an epic background. You can find his paintings on display at Turnagain Brewing until October 6. In this episode we discuss splitting his time between Anchorage and his cabin in McCarthy, being inspired by nature and his series of beer themed paintings.