1st Friday of fall

Fall is in the air and Homer’s galleries and public art spaces showcase work by local and visiting artists. Stroll the galleries during First Friday, meet the artists and enjoy the wide variety of mediums on display.

Art Shop Gallery

202 W. Pioneer Ave.

“Summer Re-Cap” of work by Ashley Story, Dan Coe, Edson Knapp and Felicity Jones Bechtel

Opening reception, 5-7 p.m.

Art Shop Gallery presents a “Summer Re-Cap” of work by Homer artists who showed during the past several months. These include original acrylics by Ashley Story, Dan Coe and Felicity Jones Bechtel as well as photography by Edson Knapp. The exhibit space will feature a mix of the artist’s work, an opportunity to see their original pieces again, or for the first time. Visit the gallery online at artshopgallery.com.

Bunnell Street Arts Center

106 W. Bunnell Ave.

Paintings by Lynn Larsen and ceramics by Jenny Nakao

Opening reception, 5-7 p.m. Artist talks, 6 p.m.

Bunnell Street Arts Center presents paintings by Lynn Larsen and ceramics by Jenny Nakao. Larsen is a Fairbanks-based artist who was raised in Arcata, California and developed a love for the outdoors early on. After earning a bachelor’s degree in art from San Diego State University and a teaching credential from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Larsen taught art and English in California and London for many years. A 1988 trip to Alaska’s Brooks Range profoundly influenced her art, leading her to paint landscapes. She continued to visit the Brooks Range annually, purchasing land for a cabin in 1998. After retiring in 2009, she moved back to Alaska to paint full-time. Today, she and her partner, Ron Yarnell, continue to visit their Brooks Range cabin and the Arctic Refuge, where she finds inspiration for her mountain paintings.

Nakao is a Japanese American ceramic artist, instructor and commercial fisherwoman based in southcentral Alaska. She explores functional ceramics with playfulness and perspective. After earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in ceramics in 2007 and teaching English in South Korea for five years, she settled in Alaska in 2013. Since then, she has completed a pottery apprenticeship, received a grant for promoting ceramic education and attended residencies. She participates in the Seward Artists in Schools program and teaches community pottery classes from her Seward home studio. Visit Bunnell Street Arts Center at bunnellarts.org.

Fireweed Gallery

475 E. Pioneer Ave.

“Behind the Mask-Our Stories,” photography by Christina Whiting

Opening reception, 5-7 p.m. Artist talk, 6 p.m.

Fireweed Gallery hosts “Behind the Mask-Our Stories,” a debut showcase of photos, videos and recorded interviews captured between 2020 and 2025 by Homer writer, photographer, artist and adventurer Christina Whiting. A documentary project created during the early days of the pandemic, Whiting set out to maneuver through that time by capturing everyday life using her creativity, love of travel and passion for storytelling. This body of work is the result of five years of wandering that included driving 40,000 miles across 50 states and six provinces with her Maine Coon cat Sneaky by her side, as well as explorations of three international destinations by car and on foot. 489,000 photographs, 73,119 videos and 576 recorded interviews later, this exhibit represents just a glance into this time and her view from the road. Featured images and videos include portraits, landscapes, cityscapes, rural life, wildlife and more, while recorded interviews include impromptu moments shared with hundreds of individuals she met along the way. With a goal to take this exhibit, or some iteration of it, on the road, Whiting is currently working on a coffee table book and documentary film, both to be completed in 2026. Visit the gallery online at fireweedgallery.com.

Grace Ridge Brewing

870 Smoky Bay Way

Acrylic paintings by Rozzi Redmond

Opening reception, 5-7 p.m.

Grace Ridge Brewing presents acrylic paintings by Rozzi Redmond. In this body of work, Redmond showcases the excitement of being on the water and the thrill of the fishing experience.

Homer Council on the Arts

355 W. Pioneer Ave.

“Fabricated: A Fiber Arts Showcase”

Opening reception, 5-7 p.m.

Homer Council on the Arts presents “Fabricated,” a fiber arts showcase that celebrates that fiber and textile artists of the South Kenai Peninsula. Featuring work by more than a dozen artists and more than 40 individual pieces, work on display ranges from quilts and macrame wall hangings to wearables, needle-felted sculptures and more. Visit HCOA at homerart.org.

Pratt Museum

3779 Bartlett St.

“Connected: A New Installation,” by Sharlene Cline

Ongoing exhibit open during museum hours, 4:30-6:30 p.m., with free admission to all galleries

The Pratt Museum continues its exhibit, “Connected: A New Installation,” by Sharlene Cline for the final month. In this immersive exploration of our shared humanity, Cline asks, “Do we carry more than genes? Do we carry memory, resilience, and hope too?” All three galleries of the museum will be open, as well as the museum store. Listen to women’s stories of ancestry and connection while taking in the unique visual elements (sculpture and video) of this installation. Be sure to check out the interactive world map and mark from where your family ties originated. Visit the museum online at prattmuseum.org.

Ptarmigan Arts

471 E. Pioneer Ave.

Member work

Gallery hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Sunday. Open until 7 p.m. on First Friday

Ptarmigan Arts invites community members to stop by and see what is new in the gallery. Even as the summer season winds to a close, Ptarmigan artists have been diligently working to keep the gallery stocked. Mark your calendar for later in the month when Wasilla printmaker and drawing artist Rhonda Horton presents a pop-up show, Sept. 19-21. Visit the gallery online at ptarmiganarts.com.

South Peninsula Hospital

4300 Bartlett St.

“Color-Texture-Shape-Lines,” paintings by Michelle Michaud

On display at South Peninsula Hospital’s gallery is “Color-Texture-Shape-Lines,” an ongoing exhibit of paintings by Homer artist Michelle Michaud. Michaud’s art journey started for a brief period during her early years and then took a long hiatus until after she retired and moved back to Alaska eight years ago. At that time, she started painting with acrylics, then moved on to watercolors and, most recently, oil and cold wax, focusing primarily on abstracts. Inspired by spontaneity and the natural environment, she is an intuitive abstract painter, although some of her paintings are loose representations of landscapes or flowers. Michaud enjoys playing with colors, textures, shapes and lines. Her use of color ranges across the spectrum, although she is partial to blues finding them soothing. Her shapes tend to be more organic and oftentimes very subtle, while at other times incorporating geometric shapes. She is fascinated by the textures in nature that add depth to a painting. Michaud also utilizes lines in her paintings, actual or implied. Find the gallery wall through the hospital’s main entrance and on display in the hallway by the lab.

The Dean Gallery

40374 Waterman Road

New work and open studio

Open 5-7 p.m.

The Dean Gallery is family-owned and features contemporary art by M’fanwy, Ranja and Jeff Dean. In the gallery are also intricately carved wood panels, bronze sculptures, metal and wood wall art, seed bead jewelry and specialty prints on metal, wood, and paper. On First Friday, the gallery will host an open studio where visitors can see new wood prints by M’fanwy as well as the ongoing progress on one of Jeff’s current commissions, “Four Worlds,” an exterior 48-foot long brushed and painted aluminum wall piece. Visit them online at deangallery.com.