July First Friday in Homer

Summer is in full swing, and Homer’s galleries and public art spaces celebrate with new and ongoing exhibits. During First Friday, stroll the galleries, meet the artists and enjoy the variety of mediums on display.

Art Shop Gallery

202 W. Pioneer Ave.

“Postcards from Paradise: Homer Through the Lens,” photographs by Edson Knapp

Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.

Art Shop Gallery presents “Postcards from Paradise: Homer Through the Lens,” photography by Edson Knapp. For the past nine years, Knapp has captured what he considers to be the everyday magic of Homer. From the snow-capped mountains that frame the horizon to the graceful sandhill cranes that call this place home, these images celebrate the postcard-perfect beauty of this community. This collection of photographs showcases life along Kachemak Bay, including the iconic Homer Spit with its boardwalk shops, the dramatic peaks that rise from the water and the vibrant peonies that flourish in Homer’s unique climate. Living on a peony farm, Knapp captures both the grand landscapes and intimate blooms that make Homer a place where alpine beauty meets unexpected floral beauty. Visit the gallery online at artshopgallery.com.

Bunnell Street Arts Center

106 W. Bunnell Ave.

Paintings by Gail Priday and pottery by Jeff Szarzi

Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m. Artist talks, 6 p.m. with ASL interpretation

Bunnell Street Arts Center presents a collaborative exhibit of paintings by Fairbanks artist Gail Priday and ceramics by Homer potter Jeff Szarzi. Painting the Alaskan landscape, Priday strives to capture the quiet beauty of a land revered for its grandeur. Rather than seeking out awe-inspiring vistas and dramatic scenery, she chooses to represent the ever-changing treasures up close and underfoot, like the blooming and decaying forest floor, lichen and berries, easily overlooked features. With a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting and printmaking, a Master of Education degree in art education and a Bachelor of Arts degree in art, Priday’s work has been featured in exhibits, public spaces, and private collections throughout Alaska and beyond.

Szarzi’s background includes work as a field biologist, carpenter and science teacher. He began working with clay 14 years ago after taking a ceramics class at his local college. After retiring from teaching, he deepened his commitment to the craft by attending the Penland School of Craft and today continues to expand his skills and artistic vision by participating in workshops and engaging with the broader ceramic’s community. Using his passions for both carving and drawing, Szarzi hand carves his images that are then combined with glazes chosen to complement and enhance the carving. The result is pottery that not only serves a functional purpose, but also tells a visual story of the places he lives and explores. Visit Bunnell Street Arts Center at bunnellarts.org.

Fireweed Gallery

475 E. Pioneer Ave.

“Simply Peonies,” oil paintings by Gerri Martin and “Conglomerate,” mixed media by Ingrid McKinstry

Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.

Fireweed Gallery hosts Homer artists Gerri Martin and Ingrid McKinstry. Martin’s “Simply Peonies” is a series of oil paintings that blend her journey as an artist and a peony farmer, with the landscapes and natural beauty of the peonies creating a constant inspiration. Martin’s background in watercolor was the foundation for painting, but shifted to oil painting 10 years ago which allowed for richer colors and textures. McKinstry’s “Conglomerate” is a collection of mixed media work that brings together her old favorites and fresh new works inspired by nature. From textured layers of plaster and tissue to digital play in Photoshop, McKinstry’s art is all about curiosity, experimentation and finding joy in the creative process. Visit the gallery online at fireweedgallery.com.

Grace Ridge Brewing

870 Smoky Bay Way

“Everyday Details,” oil paintings by Jen DePesa

Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.

Grace Ridge Brewing presents “Everyday Details,” a collection of oil paintings by Homer artist Jen DePesa that celebrate everyday details, from rainy days to fireweed and peonies in bloom to mushrooms on a forest floor. A Homer resident since 2013, DePesa paints in oil and watercolor. This will be her seventh exhibit at Grace Ridge Brewing, with her work typically including Alaskan landscapes, seascapes and wild edibles. The brewery will also unveil their annual Peony Celebration beer that features one of DePesa’s original works of art on the label.

Homer Council on the Arts

355 W. Pioneer Ave.

“Scattering of Light,” oil paintings by Kayla McGrath

Opening Reception, 5-7 p.m.

Homer Council on the Arts presents “Scattering of Light”, an exhibit of oil paintings by Wrangell St. Eilas artist Kayla McGrath that explores Alaskan landscapes and the atmospheric phenomenon that create dramatic light within these landscapes. Using color and value to define space, she strives to showcase the details that make a moment unique, moments in time that are fleeting, like the last light on the mountains before the color is driven away. McGrath works with oil paints, watercolor, pen and ink or handcrafting birch bark jewelry and was influenced by her artistic family, surrounded by the Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve where she lives in a small off-grid cabin with her husband and two daughters. Visit HCOA at homerart.org.

Kindred Spirits Weaving Studio

Wildberry Homestead Cabin on Pioneer Ave.

Open Studio 4-7 p.m.

Kindred Spirits Weaving Studio is the working studio of Homer weavers Lisa Talbott and Bonita Banks. They invite community members to stop by and to see their individual works in progress, including Talbott’s table runners that were inspired by the Shorebird Festival’s signature bird, the surf bird, and Bank’s colorful shawls that may remind visitors of the delicate and delicious flavor of sherbet on a hot day. They will also introduce Kindred Spirits Handwovens, their new retail space on Pioneer Avenue. Visit the weavers online at ravenfeddesigns.company.site and sbwhandwovens.com.

Pratt Museum

3779 Bartlett St.

“Connected: A New Installation” by Sharlene Cline

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

The Pratt Museum continues its current exhibit, “Connected: A New Installation” by Sharlene Cline. In this immersive exploration of our shared humanity, the artist asks, “Do we carry more than genes? Do we carry memory, resilience, and hope too?” New this month is the opportunity for visitors to watch a live recording of the dance performances from June’s First Friday event, with an audio overlay of the women in the installations sharing their stories. All three galleries of the museum will be open, as well as the museum store. Visit the museum online at prattmuseum.org.

Ptarmigan Arts

471 E. Pioneer Ave.

New members’ work

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

Ptarmigan Arts showcases work by two new members, Heather Mann and Eliana Fye. Mann paints acrylic on canvas and experiments with mixed media, including incorporating objects from nature like tree bark and conk mushrooms into her work. While her style is mostly impressionistic realism, she also enjoys dabbling in fantasy and surrealism. Fye creates bead and porcupine quill earrings that she learned to make from her older sister and enjoys using porcupine quills for the unique, natural look they provide. Visit the gallery online at ptarmiganarts.com.

South Peninsula Hospital

4300 Bartlett St.

“Between Two Mountains,” oil paintings by Kellie Kekich

Ongoing exhibit

The SPH Gallery continues its current exhibit of landscape oil paintings by Homer artist Kellie Kekich. After living in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and now Alaska, Kekich has garnered a deep appreciation for the mountains, local ecology and communities that choose to live in close proximity to wilderness and nature. In addition to oil painting, Kekich’s creativity includes design, illustration, digital art and landscape design and fine gardening. Find the gallery wall through the main hospital entrance and on display in the hallway by the lab.

The Dean Gallery

40374 Waterman Road

“New work & 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 progress on one of Jeff’s current commissions, “Four Worlds,” an exterior 48-foot-long cutout and painted aluminum wall piece for the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation. Visit them online at deangallery.com.