Two large group shows opening this Friday offer chances to see the breadth and depth of Alaska art. At the Homer Council on the Arts, its Member Showcase exhibit invited arts council members to submit up to two works a piece. At Bunnell Street Arts Center, Alaska and Kachemak Bay regional artists explore themes of social justice, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and cultural survival.
The fine art of landscape photography gets attention in two shows. At Grace Ridge Brewing, Lynn Liebers demonstrates how she uses her camera as a paint brush, as she describe it, to make well composed, striking images. At Fireweed Gallery, amateur geologist Tim Davis takes another approach, looking at the stories about the history of the earth that can be told in photographs.
Sculpture also is featured in exhibits. At his Creative Fires Studio, Jeff Dean demonstrates “The Art of Heat Colored Steel Engraving,” samples from his upcoming online course in metal techniques. Retired engineer Kim Nielsen uses her skills to create functional, practical and beautiful pottery and other works.
Art Shop Gallery
202 W. Pioneer Ave.
New work by Ed Hutchinson
5-7:30 p.m., First Friday Opening Reception
Homer artist Edward Hutchinson, known as “the Shadow Painter,” paints white oil paint on white canvas and creates images that interact with the light through shadows. He shows new originals using this technique with a splash of color added.
Bunnell Street Arts Center
106 W. Bunnell Ave.
Circle of Protection: Body, Land and Spirit, invitational exhibit by various artists
5-7 p.m., First Friday Opening Reception, with 6 p.m. artists talk
Visitors are required to wear masks indoors, with capacity limited to 50% and overflow on the porch. A Virtual Artist Talk will be available on Facebook and Bunnell’s YouTube channel.
“Circle of Protection: Body, Land and Spirit” is an invitational exhibition featuring Alaska artists concerned about social justice, pandemic, climate change and cultural survival.
“Central to the intention of this exhibition is healing, elevating protective practices and relationships to the land, the body and cultural property — basic rights which continue to be violated by systemic colonization,” according to Bunnell’s description of the exhibit. “… ‘Circle of Protection’ is an interdisciplinary exhibition that draws upon traditional and global, customary and innovative approaches.”
Participants include Annette Bellamy, Qacung Yufrican (Steven Blanchett), Beth Blankenship, K’asheechtlaa (Louise Brady), David Brame, Carla Klinker Cope, Jo Going, Lily Hope, Air Jazz (Arias Hoyle), Carol Hughey, Bobby Lynn Qalutaksraq Itta, Abigail Kokai, Marla Kvasnikoff, Amy Meissner, Rika Mouw, Sheryl Maree Reily, Jimmy Riordan, Ryan Romer, Nathan Shafer, Susan Joy Share, Qatilguq Kimberlyn Sheldon, Hanna Sholl, Charlie Skultka, Ricky Tagaban, Colleen Firmin Thomas, Amber Webb, Sarah Whalen-Lunn and Peter Paul Kawagaelg Williams.
Creative Fires Studio and Dean Gallery
40374 Waterman Rd.
The Art of Heat Colored Steel Engraving, by Jeff Dean
5-7 p.m. First Friday Reception
The Dean Gallery shows “The Art of Heat Colored Steel Engraving,” including lesson samples, tools and abrasives from Jeff Dean’s upcoming online course designed to help artists learn a range of decorative grinding and heat coloring techniques. Masks are required in the gallery.
Fireweed Gallery
475 E. Pioneer Ave.
Earth Art: A Set of Beautiful Clues, photography by Tim Davis
5-7 p.m., First Friday Opening Reception
“Earth Art: A Set of Beautiful Clues,” photography by Tim Davis, shows a series of varied landscape photography with images spanning four continents and billions of years of geologic time.
An amateur geologist based in Anchorage, Davis writes, “We live on a beautiful planet. The story of how it was formed is the mystifying alchemy of observation, science, and philosophy called geology. Leaving a record marked by changes across the span of the cosmos and billions of years, Mother Nature and Father Time give us beautiful, humbling clues in our attempt to make sense of the world around us.”
Grace Ridge Brewery
3388 B. Street off Ocean Drive
Landscape photography by Lynn Liebers
5-7 p.m., First Friday Opening Reception
Lynn Liebers is a landscape photographer who also enjoys composing pictures of almost anything. A retired nurse of 30 years, she has always had a passion for photography.
Her formal training includes film and digital photography courses at the University of Alaska Anchorage as well as workshops at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography in Missoula, Montana.
Homer Council on the Arts
355 W. Pioneer Ave.
Members Showcase
5-7 p.m., First Friday Opening Reception
For the Homer Council on the Arts Members Showcase features works, artists were invited to submit up to two works in any medium. Art includes photography, sculpture, various painting media, stained glass and fiber art.
Masks are required and gallery capacity is limited.
Ptarmigan Arts Back Room Gallery
471 E. Pioneer Ave.
New work by Kim Nielsen
5-7 p.m.
Kim Nielsen shows her ceramic art. A ceramics hobbyist since her first pottery lesson in 1998, her educational training has included several years of ceramics classes at the University of Alaska Anchorage. She is currently making high-fired functional and sculptural porcelain pottery.
A retired engineer, Nielsen writes of her work, “I use my engineer problem-solving skills to create pottery forms that are structural and in many ways pushing the limits of the materials by altering and carving the clay — often to the point of failure.”
“Tern Lake,” a photo by Susan Johnson, is part of the members showcase exhibit opening Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at the Homer Council on the Arts in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Homer Council on the Arts)
“Goober Lake, ” painting by Kimberly Cooper, is part of the members showcase exhibit opening Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at the Homer Council on the Arts in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Homer Council on the Arts)
“Sky Clan Nesting Dolls,” by Argent Kvasnikoff, is part of the members showcase exhibit opening Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at the Homer Council on the Arts in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Homer Council on the Arts)
This photograph is part of Lynn Liebers’ exhibit opening Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at Grace Ridge Brewing in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Grace Ridge Brewing)
A photograph from “Earth Art: A Set of Beautiful Clues,” by Tim Davis, is part of his exhibit opening Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at Fireweed Gallery in Homer, Alaska. (Photograph courtesy of Fireweed Gallery)
A photograph from “Earth Art: A Set of Beautiful Clues,” by Tim Davis, is part of his exhibit opening Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at Fireweed Gallery in Homer, Alaska. (Photograph courtesy of Fireweed Gallery)
Kim Nielsen’s pottery goes on exhibit Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at Ptarmigan Arts in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Ptarmigan Arts)
Kim Nielsen’s pottery goes on exhibit Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at Ptarmigan Arts in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Ptarmigan Arts)
This photograph is part of Lynn Liebers’ exhibit opening Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at Grace Ridge Brewing in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Grace Ridge Brewing)
Beth Blankenship’s bead work is part of the Circle of Protection exhibit opening Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at Bunnell Street Arts Center in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Bunnell Street Arts Center)
Kimberly Sheldon’s “Land Back” is part of the Circle of Protection exhibit opening Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at Bunnell Street Arts Center in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Bunnell Street Arts Center)
Ricky Tagaban’s photograph is part of the Circle of Protection exhibit opening Friday, Sept. 3, 2021, at Bunnell Street Arts Center in Homer, Alaska. (Photo courtesy of Bunnell Street Arts Center)