Free fossil fun at the state museum

In association with this summer’s exhibit, “Cruisin’ the Fossil Coastline,” the Alaska State Museum will offer a free fossil activity for kids ages 6-12 on Saturday, June 29, from 10 a.m.- noon. Local geologists Sonia Nagorski and Cathy Connor will be present while kids get hands-on with fossils and dinosaur bones from the University of Alaska Southeast and the University of Alaska Museum of the North teaching collections.

[Dig this: Art and science collide in new exhibition]

Registration is required.

Call the museum at 465-2901 to save a spot.

This program is partially funded by the citizens of the City and Borough of Juneau through sales tax revenues. It is sponsored by the Friends of the Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museum.

Six Alaska museums awarded grants

Six of Alaska’s collecting institutions, including Sealaska Heritage Institute, have been awarded a total of $33,350 in state grants.

The awards will support the acquisition of artwork through a fund created by Rasmuson Foundation and administered by Museums Alaska.

SHI, which is a nonprofit that perpetuates and protects Alaska Native art and culture, was awarded $12,000 for “Catcher of Souls” by John Hudson III. Hudson is a Tsimshian carver and art instructor and will create a carved and painted wooden mask depicting the face of a shaman.

The Art Acquisition Fund invites museums and culture centers to submit proposals to purchase recent works by contemporary Alaskan artists.

Museums Alaska is a statewide professional organization supporting Alaska’s collecting institutions and their staff members and volunteers. The nonprofit organization supports the improvement of museum services and promotes public awareness of the value of the state’s museums and culture centers. A nine-member volunteer board governs Museums Alaska with funding from memberships, grants, gifts and sales.

STAR half-day camp registration deadline is close

This is the last week for families to sign up for our Perseverance Theatre’s Summer Theatre Arts Rendezvous half-day camps June 24-28. Tuition is $200 for the half-day camps and Finale week.

The official scholarship deadline has passed, but not all scholarship slots have been filled, so interested students are encouraged to reach out to STAR director Julie Coppens for a late application: juliec@ptalaska.org, 796-9031.

Programs that run 9:30 a.m.-noon and include: PT Peewees: Creative drama for ages 5-7, Pillow Fight!: Safe stage combat basics for ages 10 and up, PT Next Level: Theatre games and more for ages 7-11

Teen Scene: Acting intensive for ages 12 and up is scheduled for 1-4 p.m.

From July 1-21 there will be production experiences for children ages 10 and up.

Both shows run Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. with a midday lunch break, and they will be performed July 19-21 on the theater’s mainstage.

Shows include “Bloody Blackbeard” and “The Intergalactic Adventures of the Prince (or Princess) of Tyre.”

Finale week will be July 22-26 and feature PT Peewees: Creative drama for ages 5-7, Pillow Fight!: Safe stage combat basics for ages 10 and up, PT Next Level: Theatre games and more for ages 7-11 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Teen Scene: Acting intensive for ages 12 and up is scheduled for 1-4 p.m.

Food writing class coming to Juneau

Julia O’Malley, a food writer, will explore how an important recipe can lead to a story about personal history and identity. The class is open to anyone with interest in food or writing. It will be Sunday, June 23 from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Juneau MakerSpace, 3915 North Douglas Highway. Attendees are encouraged to bring a meaningful recipe, a pen and a notebook.

Registration can be done online at https://49writers.org/jom. General enrollment costs $69.

Ray Troll speaks in front of a statue of a pachyrhinosaurus made by Gary Staab on Thursday, May 2, 2019. The statue is part of the “Cruisin’ the Fossil Coastline” exhibition at the Alaska State Museum. There will be a dinosaur-themed fun day at the museum later this month. (Ben Hohenstatt | Juneau Empire File)