By Jacqueline McDonough

Special to the Homer Independent Press

Welcome to the June paradox. The actual available daylight is  getting longer, yet the time to get all our summer preparations done seems to grow shorter. How is that possible? 

Rather than stress about it,  make the most of your Friday this week and squeeze in as much of this month’s art offerings as you can. Whether you prefer surreal painted visions or the tactile allure of wood grain and antler, your precious June hours will be well spent.

New iPad-created work on metal by Dan Coe.


Art Shop Gallery

202 W. Pioneer Ave.

“Round Things,” new works by Dan Coe

Opening reception 5 to 7 p.m.

New works by Anchor Point artist and OG signmaster Dan Coe include original acrylic paintings inspired by the southern Kenai Peninsula and iPad-created art on diamond-shaped metal. The gallery also has acrylics by Felicity Jones Bechtel, handcrafted wooden tables by Gerard Garland and an assortment of works by local artists.

Beaver Carving in Moose Antler by Ben Firth.

Ben Firth Studio

Mile 161 Sterling Highway, between Homer and Anchor Point

New works by Ben Firth

Opening reception 5 to 7 p.m.

The studio is open for the season with new antler carvings and scratchboard drawings by Ben Firth, as well as glass etchings, watercolors and drawings by other artists in this talented family.

Bunnell Street Arts Center

106 W. Bunnell Ave.

Exhibit by Alaskan artists Debra Lowney, Katelin Hiller and Leslie M. Robertson

Opening reception 5 to 7 p.m., artist talks at 6 p.m.

Artist Statements

Debra Lowney –

“I am a self taught wood sculptor who strives to create innovative art that inspires,

intrigues and challenges the viewer. I’m drawn to landscapes with a focus on drawing

attention to the environmental changes taking place and hopefully tempt the viewer to

contemplate this change. Wood and its vulnerability in landscapes are a bit of a

metaphor for environmental change. The majority of the wood in these pieces has

been harvested from fallen trees, then transformed into an image, in essence given an

opportunity to continue on by highlighting changes occurring in our environments.”

Katelin Hiller –

“I make drawings that regard the environment as a living shrine. They are made from

mixed materials applied in many layers onto boards from white spruce trees that grew

near where I live. The trees had a life before I made drawings on them, they

contributed to the atmosphere and everything here. I view, touch, inhale and ingest

the boreal forest so it can express itself through my eyes and hands. I do this so you

can be present among it too, imagining its current condition and future characteristics.

In this body of work, I point mainly at green-hued life and a single wooded setting, but

a closer look unveils variances: red, blue, yellow, overlapped vantage points and

hybridized horizons.”

Leslie M. Robertson –

“My altered books are rooted in mixed media and experimentation, shaped by my

ongoing relationship with nature and the materials themselves. I collect found objects

from the environment, recycling bins and pieces of my own past art work. Each piece

carries traces of time, memory and transformation. The process is immersive and slow.

The materials guide my decisions on what to do next, and the books develop gradually

through collecting, layering and reworking. I work with elements like tree bark, leaves,

encaustic wax, fabric and stitching, building surfaces through layers of pigment,

texture and found materials. These tactile qualities invite a closer look and

engagement. I hope the work encourages viewers to slow down, notice the details

and find their own sense of connection—to the materials, to place and to their own

experience of being present.”

The Dean Gallery

40374 Waterman Road

New engravings by Jeffrey Dean

Opening reception 5 to 7 p.m.|

New heat-colored steel engravings by Jeff include “Baffled by Brancusi,” a framed 16-inch-by-24-inch engraving from a quick sketch made in a New York gallery in 1984. Prints of Ranja’s new painting, “Fire Horse,” will be featured. The Dean Gallery is family-owned with a diverse collection of contemporary Alaskan art by Ranja, Jeff and M’fanwy Dean, from significant focal-point wood and metal wall art to bronze sculptures, intricately carved wood panels and specialty prints on wood, metal and paper.

Grace Ridge Brewing

870 Smoky Bay Way

Homer artist Cole Rickert shares new graphite and color pencil drawings.Opening reception 5 to 7 p.m.

Artist Statement

“My work focuses on the wildlife and scenery of Alaska. I strive to improve on details and textures in each piece. 

“Living in Alaska is a great inspiration for someone like me who has always been fascinated by wildlife. My drawings force me to consider what I’m actually looking at, instead of what I think I’m looking at. I find my idea of what fur or feathers should look like is often far different from reality.”

Homer Council on the Arts

355 W. Pioneer Ave.

“The Shape of Silence,” paintings by Musallam Youngblood

Opening reception 5 to 7 p.m., artist talk at 5:30 p.m.

Artist Statement

“This show explores the intersection of surrealism and material presence, where memory becomes tangible and emotion is embedded in oil on canvas. Emerging from a personal journey from the Middle East to Homer, Alaska, the paintings reflect an encounter with a landscape that is not merely seen, but deeply felt.

“In Homer, both nature and community unfold quietly—through silence, distance and subtle connection. This duality shapes the work, where forms exist between belonging and observation, and where the boundary between human and environment begins to dissolve.

“These paintings are not representations, but transformations—of place, memory and inner experience—inviting the viewer into a space where the visible and the unseen coexist.”

HCOA at South Peninsula Hospital (SPH)

4300 Bartlett St.

“HodgePodge,” a collection of works by Amy Komar, Counsel Langley, Jenna Gerrety, Corrina Pariyar and Lacie Triem

No opening reception

A collection of artwork by five local artists lines the SPH gallery hall. Each artist’s approach to artmaking is unique, and this collection offers a glimpse into their stunning portfolios.

Homer Public Library

500 Hazel Ave.

“Meander to Mustang,” photography by Taz Tally and Christina Whiting

Library hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday.

Through June 30, the library’s Fireside Lounge displays the brilliant color photography of Taz Tally and Christina Whiting. In September 2024, Tally and Whiting joined friend and fellow community member Ed Berg on a journey to Nepal. After a three-day layover in New Delhi, India, they flew to Kathmandu to meet up with another friend, Linda Reinke-Smith, before beginning their month-long trek through the remote Mustang Valley. This was the artists’ first trek in Nepal, and their awe is evident in the sweeping vistas, striking portraits and colorful details on exhibit. Tally and Whiting feature their individual perspectives from their shared journey and express their gratitude to Ed Berg for extending the invitation to join him on this adventure.

Pratt Museum

3779 Bartlett St.

“In a Time of Change: Boreal Echoes,” a multimedia exhibit developed through arts-humanities-science collaborative program ITOC

Opening reception 4 to 6 p.m.

“Boreal Echoes” is a new touring exhibit on display in the Main Gallery through September 20., 2026. Produced by the Alaska-based collaborative environmental arts-humanities-science program In a Time of Change (ITOC), it is the result of three years of learning, conversation and experimentation by a cohort of artists inspired and informed by the boreal forest, the scientists who study it and each other. Artists built relationships to the boreal biome and to one another through outdoor field trips, scientific presentations, artist craft talks and monthly group activities. The cohort then created original artworks to share their collaborative and individual investigations, inspirations and care about the boreal biome. The exhibition builds on ITOC’s former project “Boreal Forest Stories,” which was mounted at the Pratt Museum in 2023.

“Boreal Echoes” is directed by Mary Beth Leigh and includes artwork by Susan Campbell, Alyssa Enriquez, Nancy Hausle-Johnson, Mary Bee Kaufman, Margo Klass, Jennifer Moss, Ree Nancarrow, Oralee Nudson, Teresa Shannon, Todd Sherman, Marianne Stolz, Connie Stricks and Sara Tabbert. The artwork in the exhibit embraces many art mediums–from ceramics, moving sculptures, textiles, bookmaking and much more. 

The ITOC program was founded in 2007 by the Bonanza Creek Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) in Fairbanks, Alaska. It facilitates and produces collaborative arts-humanities-science exhibits and events focused on ecological themes important to Alaska.

Ptarmigan Arts

471 E. Pioneer Ave.

New works by new collective members 

Opening reception 5 to 7 p.m.

Ptarmigan Arts has been on a new member spree! Recent additions include jewelry artists, painters, fiber artists, mosaic artists and ceramicists. Stop in to see creations by the new members as well as all your usual favorites who have been stocking up for the summer season.