Haines’ First Friday features historical exhibits, new artworks, and an art auction for a local family

First Friday is back in Haines, after some took a month-long pause due to the COVID outbreak in the community. The October 1 events will feature historical exhibits, brand new works, and a community auction fundraising for a local family. KHNS’ Corinne Smith has this preview.

This First Friday, a wide variety of original art works are on display in Haines, and this month there’s also a mission. More than 50 local artists, and a few from across Southeast Alaska, donated pieces for a silent auction to benefit Willow Bryant, a Haines youth who is currently in treatment for anorexia. All proceeds will go toward her medical expenses. 

The auction is organized by co-owners Amelia Nash and Andrea Nelson of Ampersand AK, an art gallery and gift shop on Main Street. 

“We initially reached out just on social media and by phone to a couple people,” Nash said. “And then as word spread, we got a lot of unsolicited donations, that continue to roll in through yesterday even. So we have new items that people may not have even seen, that’ll be out on the floor tonight. So its just been a huge outpouring of generosity from artists and business owners, and that’s been lovely.”

Co-owner Andrea Nelson points out a few pieces, which are displayed in the front window, where ‘Bid for Willow’ is stenciled across the glass. 

“We have a very popular chicken painting, it’s a hot item,” Nelson said with a laugh. “I mean there’s everything from knit hats to enamel cups, to garden art and weather vanes.”

A full auction item list is available online now on the Ampersand AK social media pages, and the bidding is open until 7 p.m. Friday night.  A GoFundMe set up by the family has already raised over $33,000 toward their $85,000 goal as of Friday afternoon. Nelson says the level of response has been inspiring. 

 “I feel like because of the seasonal shift, and going into winter, that’s approaching a tough anniversary for a lot of people, and just a difficult couple of years with COVID, we all run out of motivation and energy,” Nelson said. “And to put a call out for action, and see the response, really is inspiring and fuels the engine….and really the idea that artists and community can rally to help somebody, who needs help.”

Next door at the Bookstore, on top of owner Amy Kane’s piano, the grandmother of Willow Bryant, Debi Knight Kennedy is exhibiting a collection of driftwood carved and stylized figurines, also going toward the fundraiser. 

Talia’s Treasures on Main Street is also donating 10% of its daily sales to the fund through the month of October. 

Down Main Street, Larry Johansen is one of several Haines artists exhibiting at the Alaska Arts Confluence, an art gallery and non-profit. He just moved  to Haines from Juneau. Originally from Ketchikan, he says he’s been photographing Alaska since he was 17. He says he has over 100,000 photos, and he’s showing some of the best. He points to one looking across the water at Yakutat Glacier.

“It’s of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been,” Johansen said. “It was such a moment when we arrived, it was like a holy moment. We all sat down, looked at it, didn’t say a word to each other, we were all just humbled by the beauty we saw.”

The Haines Sheldon Museum will showcase selected items from its own collection, called ‘Treasures from the Vault II: Nature’s Mixed Media.’

“We wanted to do a sequel to the last ‘Treasures from the Vault.’ And that had a focus on art acquisitions from the community,” said Zachary James, the museum’s collections coordinator. Along the organic materials theme, the new exhibit features items dating back to the early 1900s, including Chilkat baskets, beaded slippers, and a carved walrus tusk. James says there are a few items that will be displayed for the first time. 

“There’s a cedar rope that was part of someone’s regalia. And so it was made in Klukwan the record say, and you see it this worn over around someone’s neck and then off a person shoulder. And the cedar rope is woven in a way, it’s joined to itself. And that connection that that loop always needs to kind of be maintained. I thought that was a pretty good metaphor, you’ll always see people tucking the strands of the ends back in because it resists being placed into a loop with itself.”

The Haines high school students postponed showcasing their skate park mural project due to weather, but there will be a community event from 4 to 6 p.m. this Tuesday, October 5 with food, skating and music.