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James Varsos, also known as “Hobo Jim,” poses for a photo during the August, 2016, Funny River Festival in Funny River, Alaska, in August 2016. (Peninsula Clarion file)

News

Hobo Jim, beloved Alaska balladeer, dies after battle with cancer

Just over two weeks ago Varsos went public with his terminal cancer diagnosis.

A wood-carved whale hangs in the Nikiski Senior Center on Sept. 23, 2021. (Photo courtesy of the Nikiski Senior Center)

Life

Whale of a job

Nikiski Senior Center gets addition to dining room.

Sheryl Maree Reily speaks last Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, about the Homer Drawdown Peatland exhibit showing at the Pratt Museum & Park in Homer, Alaska. Reily was a Bunnell Street Arts Center Artist in Residence who did an installation and video for the exhbit. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Life

Peatlands exhibit at Pratt merges art and conservation

The exhibit caps a yearslong effort to identify a locally sustainable way to reduce or capture carbon emissions

James Varsos, also known as “Hobo Jim,” poses for a photo during the August 2016, Funny River Festival in Funny River, Alaska, in August 2016. (Peninsula Clarion file)

News

‘Hobo’ Jim opens up about recent terminal cancer diagnosis

Varsos was named Alaska’s official “state balladeer” in 1994.

A still from "Fantastic Fungi," showing at the 17th annual Homer Documentary Film Festival. (Photo provided)

Life

Roll ‘em: DocFest returns for 17th year

Homer Documentary Film Festival returns with COVID-19 precautions and a solid line up of films.

“Reimagine,” the 17th annual Burning Basket, catches fire in a field on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, near Homer. Artist Mavis Muller intended to broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube the burning of the basket, but because of technical difficulties that didn’t happen. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Life

‘Recover’ brings Burning Basket back to Spit

Basket in a time of pandemic will seek to rebuild community, organizer says.

Members of the cast of Kenai Perfomers’ “The Beverly Hillbillies, the Musical” pose in September 2021. (Photo courtesy Terri Burdick)

News

Performers bring Clampetts to Kenai

“Beveral Hillbillies, the Musical” will premiere this weekend.

The “Reindeer Man” exhibit featuring work by Kenai Art Center Executive Director Alex Rydlinski can be seen on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021, in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo courtesy Alex Rydlinski)

Life

From birth to slaughter

Kenai Art Center exhibit chronicles a reindeer’s life

The cover to Dorothy Roberts Cline's book, "Fall to Flight: An Alaskan Eaglet's Story of Survival," uses a photo by the late Michael S. Cline. (Image courtesy of Dorothy Roberts Cline)

Life

‘Fall to Flight’ tells story of eaglet’s survival

Fourth book by Homer author Dorothy S. Cline considers hard truth about nature.

Sheila Wyne’s “Strata #3” is part of her show that opened Friday, Aug. 6, 2021, at Bunnell Street Arts Center. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Life

In new show, Wyne looks at time through ‘Strata’

Spenard artist chops, shears and welds decommissioned road signs to make art.

Two of Tracy Hansen’s more recent paintings, “Waves of Emotion: Anxiety,” left, and “Waves of Emotion: Peace,” right, are on display Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2021, at her shop, 59 North, in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Life

Homer artist starts shop to sell art

59 North Creations features work by Tracy Hansen and other local artists.

Ruth Ost Towner’s felt expression art hangs on display at the Soldotna Visitor Center on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

Life

The story of Alaska — told in felt

Visitor Center showcases fabric pieces by Alaska frontierswoman

A giant silver salmon is paraded through Salmonfest on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2019 in Ninilchik, Alaska. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)

Life

Salmonfest returns — cautiously and in expanded space

10th festival will be more spread out and completely outdoors.

Pieces are on display at the Kenai Art Center on August 4,2021 for this month's "Illuminations" exhibition. (Camille Botello / Peninsula Clarion)

Life

Exhibition brings the natural world inside

The Illuminations opening reception will be on Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Kenai Art…

Camille Botello / Peninsula Clarion Kathy Matta’s lacquer art pieces are seen on display Tuesday at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. Below, Kathy Matta discusses her artwork.

Life

Language of lacquer

Artist honors professor’s legacy with local exhibition

Joan Brown Dodd, left, and Doug Dodd pose for a photo at the Homer News on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)

Life

‘Hero Unaware’ based on author’s compilation of father’s war correspondence.

Letters home span the entire length of World War II from a Navy corpsman’s perspective.

The stage for "Grounded" is seen inside of the Kenai Performers’ black box theatre on Monday, March 15 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

Life

Presenting Little Mermaid

Kenai Performers youth drama camp takes center stage

Triumvirate Theatre President Joe Rizzo testifies before the Kenai City Council on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

News

‘It really could transform this community’

Kenai approves transfer of land to Triumvirate Theatre

A bouquet of yellow roses is seen at the Triumvirate Theatre on Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, in Nikiski, Alaska. The building burned in a fire on Feb. 20. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)

News

Country, a cappella artists perform benefit concert in Ninilchik

The Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds in Ninilchik is hosting a benefit concert for the Triumvirate Theater this Friday, featuring…

Rock’n the Ranch spectators listen to live music at the festival in 2017. (Photo courtesy of Carlos Pereira Jr.)

News

Rock’n the Ranch music festival to make noise this weekend

The annual festival raises funds for a sober living house.