State of Art

This week on State of Art we’re hearing from Jovell Rennie and Young Kim from Akela Space. The local photographers and long-time friends are the driving force behind the spot’s mission to showcase new artistic talent and provide an inclusive community space. We hear about what they look for when collaborating with an artist, past shows and events, and how they want the spot to be a blank canvas of...

This week on State of Art we’re hearing from O’Hara Shipe. She took over as managing editor of the Anchorage Press in March after being a long-time contributor to the alt-weekly. She is also the state director for cannabis magazine Alaska Leaf and has her own photography business Shipe Shots. We discuss her professional hockey career, her work as a journalist and her goals for the paper.

This week on State of Art we’re diving into what’s been happening at Cyrano’s this month. We hear from the theater’s Producing Artistic Director Teresa K. Pond about the play “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” and how social repression and dread of nuclear war in the 1950s helps influence the period comedy. We also hear from painter Elizabeth Belanger about her work on display in the theater’s gallery a...

This week on State of Art we’re hearing from three creatives that make up August’s diverse International Gallery of Contemporary Art exhibits. Rachael Juzeler has a love for rust and incorporating found objects into her sculptures, Ronald Viol examines human expression with his clay work, and Robert Werner engineers objects using 3D printing and computer processors. We find out more about the arti...

This week on State of Art we’re joined by local singer-songwriter Emma Hill who tells us about her project “Park Songs.” Hill spent months travelling around the U.S. and Canada visiting national parks, recording notes and melodies along the way. The project is a combination of music, travelogue and advocacy for parklands. In this episode we also learn about Galway Days which takes place August 13...

The music and arts festival runs from August 5 through 7 at the Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds in Ninilchik. Headliners include Umphrey’s McGee, Shakey Graves, Rising Appalachia and California Honeydrops. We learn about the old days, the festival’s salmon-centric mission, and what’s new this year.

In her collection of essays called “All the Colors We Will See,” Patrice Gopo examines her experience of being raised by Jamaican immigrant parents and growing up Black in Alaska. Now she’s helping others tell their stories in a free writing workshop. The class takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on July 28 at the Anchorage Museum. Gopo will be leading a discussion and providing writing prompts to hel...

Dan McElrath spent the last three decades living and making a name for himself in Alaska through his jazz combo The Dan Mac Band, collaborations with local artists and through is work as the state’s premier piano technician. He’s moving on to warmer climes, but won’t be leaving quietly. The Dan Mac band, which has been active since 1995, will play at Jack Sprat in Girdwood on June 18 as part of th...

Wild Shore New Music is a New-York based chamber music collective that features Alaska-raised musicians with a focus on the relationship between art and our environment. For their eighth season in Alaska, the group is performing the music of featured composer Joseph C. Phillips Jr., who brings a diverse background of musical influences to the table. Wild Shore New Music is performing in Kenai, Hom...

This week on State of Art we’re hearing about Anchorage Community Theater’s production of “The Claw.” The show tells the story of toys stuck in a out of order claw machine and what happens when it’s turned on. We’re joined by “The Claw” director Justin Stewart and music director Annika Merkel to find out about the musical, working with youth and the play’s theme of facing the unknown. The musical...

This week on State of Art we’re learning about Turnagain Ceramics. The studio occupies the former Fire Island Bakery Location on G Street in downtown Anchorage and promises memberships, one-off classes and more. Co-founders Max Kubitz and Evan Fried grew up in that area and after reconnecting in California, and returning to Alaska, they decided to take their love of ceramics to the next level. On...

This week on State of Art we’re learning about Anchorage Opera returning to the stage after a two-year hiatus. After postponing twice, their production of Puccini’s “Tosca” is happening this weekend. The opera is considered one of Puccini’s masterpieces and has all the passion, intrigue and death you’d want from a dramatic performance. We’re joined by Anchorage Opera’s principal conductor Brian De...

This week on State of Art we’re hearing about the upcoming Dave Brubeck Centennial Celebration 2.0 concert from Anchorage Festival of Music. The performance will feature pieces from across Brubeck’s career, including genres outside of jazz great’s well-known work. The concert takes place on Wednesday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the Discovery Theater at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts. A li...

This week on State of Art we’re hearing about Out North‘s Fringe Festival. The multi-week fest consists of performances, workshops, and film. We’re joined by three guests who tell us about coming back to the stage after a long hiatus, how the fest has been going and what else we can expect. Fringe Festival runs from March 26 – April 14.

Anchorage Community Theater’s production of “Ordinary Days” starts this weekend and runs through April 3rd. It follows the lives of four average people as they navigate life in New York City and is driven by the music of renowned theater composer Adam Gwon. This week on State of Art we’re hearing from “Ordinary Days” director Warren Weinstein. He’s been involved with ACT since the early 90s, but t...

Seafood is a major aspect to Alaska’s economy and culture. There are the standards – salmon, halibut, crab – but what about other options and how can we spruce up those old favorites? That’s where the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) comes in. #alaskaseafoodhacks launched earlier this year and features chefs and other seafood experts giving tips on how to make the most out of Alaska seafo...

This week on State of Art we’re hearing about RKP Productions‘ upcoming presentation of “Tiny Beautiful Things.” It’s based on the book “Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life From Dear Sugar” by author Cheryl Strayed. She compiled selections from her time writing anonymously for the brutally honest “Dear Sugar” advice column. The book was later adapted for stage by “My Big Fat Greek Weddi...