Celebrate spring by adopting a flower
Every year, the City and Borough of Juneau relies on the generosity of local citizens to add beautiful flowers to Juneau’s landscape through the Adopt-A-Flower program. All donations go to funding 200 hanging baskets, 60 flower barrels, and 50 flower beds and planters seen throughout town, from the Juneau International Airport to Downtown Juneau.
Donate online through the Parks & Recreation registration catalog (look under Special Events). All donations received by April 30 will be recognized on an Adopt-A-Flower sign displayed at Marine Park Plaza.
Most of the flowers that CBJ plants around town start as seedlings in CBJ’s Mendenhall Valley greenhouse. In preparation for the summer season, Parks & Recreation Landscape Division staff members plant and care for more than 16,000 seedlings. The flowers are planted in May.
Donations for the Adopt-A-Flower program come in various funding levels: Seedling Sponsor $15 – $99; Flower Bed Sponsor $100 – $249; Flower Barrel Sponsor $250 – $499; Hanging Basket Sponsor $500 and up.
The first five people who donate $500 or above will receive a hanging basket from the landscape crew.
For more information, call Parks & Recreation at (907) 586-5226.
Officials to test tsunami warning system in Alaska
NOAA’s National Weather Service and the National Tsunami Warning Center, the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the Alaska Broadcasters Association will conduct a test of the tsunami warning communications system on Wednesday, March 27, at approximately 10:20 a.m. Alaska Daylight Time. Coastal communities from Southeast Alaska, the Gulf of Alaska, Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak Island, to the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands will participate in the test.
The emergency test message will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, local television and radio stations. Residents in some communities may hear warning sirens. Some television systems are programmed to scroll a standard emergency alert text message, and, in some cases, the message may not contain the word “TEST.” An audio message will state that the message is only a test, but if the audio is unheard, viewers may not realize the message is only a test.
To avoid confusion with an actual alert, the test will be canceled if there is excessive seismic activity or an ongoing tsunami event within 24 hours prior to the test.
The test is scheduled as part of Alaska’s Tsunami Preparedness Week (March 24-30, 2024), and on the 60th anniversary of the Great Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami of 1964, which killed over 120 people in Alaska, Oregon, and California.
Test organizers ask coastal Alaskans to provide feedback after the test at ready.alaska.gov.
Kindred Post hosts 4th biannual postcard art contest
Kindred Post’s 4th biannual postcard art contest for Alaskan artists is accepting submissions until April 19. The contest, which is open to artists of any age or experience level, encourages art submissions of any works suitable for printing on a postcard.
Kindred Post is a local post office and gift shop that has been a staple in downtown Juneau for a decade. Thousands of locals and tourists visit the shop for its collection of local art, handmade jewelry and impressive stationery and sticker collection.
“We really love supporting local artists and our community,” says Tressa Furner, who recently purchased Kindred Post. “Each year we send tens of thousands of postcards all over the world, so having the chance to get your work out there could be a valuable stepping stone for new or seasoned artists. I honestly can’t wait to see what people come up with.”
Artists may submit up to two works for consideration.
Top 10 submissions will be selected by a panel of judges composed of Kindred Post staff and community members. Those 10 will be voted on by the public online to pick the top 3 winners.
Ten winners chosen by judges will receive $100 dollars, 10 of their postcards, and have 1,000 printed postcards in the shop (non-exclusive rights). First place by popular public vote will receive $350 cash, a $100 KP gift card, KP swag and a social media feature. Second place will receive $200 cash, $50 KP gift card and a KP notebook. Third place will receive $150 cash and a $25 KP gift card
The contest is open to all Alaskans and those who have a strong connection to Alaska. In commitment to social justice, a preference is also given to artists who identify as ALAANA (African, Latino, Asian, Arab, or Native American), women, LGBTQ, or a person experiencing a disability. Winners will be announced at the end of May 2024.
Full contest details and application can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/5x654ryk.
JAHC gallery program calls for proposals
The Juneau Arts and Humanities Council is now accepting proposals from artists to exhibit new works during season 51 as part of JAHC Gallery Program.
The program supports both established and emerging Alaskan artists showcasing new works, while representing the broadest spectrum of visual art media. Individuals, groups, and organizations are invited to apply; preference will be given to applicants currently living in Alaska. JAHC welcomes original artwork created within the last three years and not previously exhibited in Alaska. Artists who have previously been awarded a solo exhibition in the JAHC Gallery Program should wait two years after the date of their exhibition to apply again. Artwork should not violate city, state, or federal laws, or endanger viewers.
An application fee of $40 will be charged to applicants and will be applied to a year-long JAHC membership. Application fees will be waived to members in good standing. Applicants who may be experiencing financial hardship are encouraged to inquire about a scholarship.
Submit a proposal online at https://airtable.com/appaonIQ57HoNqjRT/shrtrAIKjyg2kbYHE. To request a paper application contact JAHC Gallery Manager Rachelle Bonnett at emailing rachelle@jahc.org or (907) 586-2787.
The deadline to submit proposals is May 1.
TMHS student among 25 finalists for $25,000 National Honor Society scholarship
Elizabeth Djajaliel a senior at Thunder Mountain High School, is among 25 finalists chosen from nearly 17,000 applicants for a $25,000 National Honor Society scholarship.
Born and raised in Juneau, she founded the Alaska Science and Engineering Fair Student Spokespersons Board, raising over $15,000 for the statewide STEM nonprofit. The “Future Women of STEM Podcast” she launched, produced, and hosted aired on public radio and has reached listeners on four continents via Spotify.
Djajaliel has conducted graduate-level research on environmental biotechnologies, and she most recently studied using environmental DNA metabarcoding and qPCR to detect, quantify, and conserve various Pacific salmon species. This project was recognized by the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Defense, and Taiwan International Science Fair, among others.
She has sung the national anthem for numerous community commemorations, performed with her orchestra at Carnegie Hall, and received several art and writing awards. She is also a U.S. Senate Youth delegate, Regeneron STS Scholar, AIME qualifier, Distinguished Young Woman of Alaska, public radio guest host, and tennis state champion.
“Winning the NHS Scholarship showed me that my leadership was making a real impact. It gave me not only hope but certainty that my service was significant and would be carried on by countless students moving forward,” Djajaliel said.
The scholarships recognize students who exemplify the four pillars of NHS membership: scholarship, service, leadership and character. One national winner will receive $25,000 while four others will receive $10,625 for embodying each pillar at a gala on April 5. In addition, 20 finalists each earn $5,625 scholarships and 575 semifinalists receive $3,200 scholarships.
Nordic film “Hilma” screening at Gold Town Theatre
The Sons of Norway and Friends of Scandinavia, Svalbard Lodge of Juneau, is sponsoring the third film in the Nordic Film Festival at the Gold Town Theatre called “Hilma.” The “Hilma” film will be showing at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Gold Town Nickelodeon Theater at 171 Shattuck Way.
“Hilma” (2023) is the Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallstrom’s biopic starring Tora Hallstrom as the young artist Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) and starring Lena Olin as the mature Hilma. We follow the artist from her early life through her rising artistic career and spiritual awakening after the loss of her beloved younger sister Hermina. Hilma af Klint was a Swedish artist and mystic whose paintings were amongst the first abstract art in Western art history. This film delves into the fiery and sometimes messy personal story as well as celebrating the singular fusion of nature and spiritual mystery that drove her.
Suggested donations to cover the costs of showing the films and theatre rental are: $12.00. For further information please go to: https://goldtownnick.com.
