Arts and Culture

This December 2021 photo shows Erin Heist on stage in Juneau. Heist's debut album "From the Land of Rusted Dreams" is set to be released on April 8. The album is heavily shaped by connections Heist has made through the Alaska Folk Festival, which is held annually in Juneau. (Courtesy Photo / Annie Bartholomew)

Roots music: New album draws from memories and connections made in Southeast Alaska

Steel (pedal) yourself for new music.

This December 2021 photo shows Erin Heist on stage in Juneau. Heist's debut album "From the Land of Rusted Dreams" is set to be released on April 8. The album is heavily shaped by connections Heist has made through the Alaska Folk Festival, which is held annually in Juneau. (Courtesy Photo / Annie Bartholomew)
The Wooshkeetaan Kootéeyaa totem pole was re-installed at its new home in the attrium of the State Office Building on Friday, March 11, 2022. Workers from Alaska Electric Light and Power helped install the pole. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

Totem pole rededication ceremony emphasizes tradition, togetherness

“It represents history.”

The Wooshkeetaan Kootéeyaa totem pole was re-installed at its new home in the attrium of the State Office Building on Friday, March 11, 2022. Workers from Alaska Electric Light and Power helped install the pole. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)
Michael S. Lockett / Capital City Weekly Sarah Davidson and Kevin Jeffrey, Annie Kaill’s featured artists for the March 2022 First Friday, stand by a display of their work at the store on Wednesday.

The feel of water: Artists work to rethink mental health and waterways

In addition to being cofounders of the project, they’re featured artists this First Friday.

Michael S. Lockett / Capital City Weekly Sarah Davidson and Kevin Jeffrey, Annie Kaill’s featured artists for the March 2022 First Friday, stand by a display of their work at the store on Wednesday.
Courtesy Photo Juneau Artists Gallery will hold a Unique Boot-Ique that feature a silent auction fundraiser for local nonprofits for the month of March.

Here’s what’s happening for First Friday

A boot-ique, new exhibits and more

Courtesy Photo Juneau Artists Gallery will hold a Unique Boot-Ique that feature a silent auction fundraiser for local nonprofits for the month of March.
Delia (Vivian Melde) is illuminated by a flashlight's beam following a frightening encounter with a ghost during a rehearsal for Perseverance Theatre's "The Brothers Paranormal." (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Review: ‘The Brothers Paranormal’ blends frights and fun

O, ‘Brothers’ scare art thou.

Delia (Vivian Melde) is illuminated by a flashlight's beam following a frightening encounter with a ghost during a rehearsal for Perseverance Theatre's "The Brothers Paranormal." (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
Arias Hoyle, a 20-year-old Afro-Indigenous musician from Juneau, makes music as Air Jazz. "I feel like there’s instances where even the Afro-Indigenous people themselves feel like they have to choose one to move towards more than the other," Hoyle said. "And I don’t think that’s necessary. If you want to really embrace your full self, for as long as you shall live, just let it all be known." (Courtesy Photo)

Resilient Peoples & Place: Arias Hoyle on Afro Indigeneity, rap, and the ‘new wave’ of Indigenous expression

“From Oppression to Expression.”

Arias Hoyle, a 20-year-old Afro-Indigenous musician from Juneau, makes music as Air Jazz. "I feel like there’s instances where even the Afro-Indigenous people themselves feel like they have to choose one to move towards more than the other," Hoyle said. "And I don’t think that’s necessary. If you want to really embrace your full self, for as long as you shall live, just let it all be known." (Courtesy Photo)
Max (Mike Rao), Felix (Eddie Jones) and Visarut (Phai Giron) consult a book containing information that attempts to rationalize an apparent uptick in sightings of “Asian-looking” ghosts. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Perseverance prepares ‘Paranormal’ play

A ghost story is born.

Max (Mike Rao), Felix (Eddie Jones) and Visarut (Phai Giron) consult a book containing information that attempts to rationalize an apparent uptick in sightings of “Asian-looking” ghosts. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
African-American soldiers of Company L, 24th Infantry, famously known as "Buffalo Soldiers" on parade on 5th Avenue in Skagway, between Broadway and State streets, in front of the Daily Budget newspaper on July 4, 1899. A recent book from a University of Alaska Anchorage history professor traces the long history of Black Americans in Alaska. (Courtesy image / Alaska's Digital Archives)

Book traces over 150 years of Black history in Alaska

Before the gold rush.

African-American soldiers of Company L, 24th Infantry, famously known as "Buffalo Soldiers" on parade on 5th Avenue in Skagway, between Broadway and State streets, in front of the Daily Budget newspaper on July 4, 1899. A recent book from a University of Alaska Anchorage history professor traces the long history of Black Americans in Alaska. (Courtesy image / Alaska's Digital Archives)
Vladimir Alexeev in Norway while teaching summer school in 2017. Alexeev is a climate scientist who recently worked with local composer Michael Bucy to create a song about climate change. (Courtesy photo/Vishnu Nandan)
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Sounding a warning

Local composer writes song about climate change

Vladimir Alexeev in Norway while teaching summer school in 2017. Alexeev is a climate scientist who recently worked with local composer Michael Bucy to create a song about climate change. (Courtesy photo/Vishnu Nandan)
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Siblings Lea Skaggs, left, and Drake Skaggs, right, show off work by their brother Avery Skaggs at the opening night of a show at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum featuring a selection of work Avery Skaggs created during the pandemic lockdown. The exhibition is titled “Home: Disability Creativity in a Pandemic Lockdown.” (Dana Zigmund / Juneau Empire)

Creating without community

‘Capitvating’ new exhibit contains artist’s lockdown work

Siblings Lea Skaggs, left, and Drake Skaggs, right, show off work by their brother Avery Skaggs at the opening night of a show at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum featuring a selection of work Avery Skaggs created during the pandemic lockdown. The exhibition is titled “Home: Disability Creativity in a Pandemic Lockdown.” (Dana Zigmund / Juneau Empire)
This picture shows the playbill for "A Tlingit Christmas Carol", which is presented by Perseverance Theatre and is now streaming online at https://www.ptalaska.org/. (Screenshot/Perseverance Theatre)

Tlingit-themed holiday classic streaming on a screen near you

Free, holiday offering from Perseverance Theatre

This picture shows the playbill for "A Tlingit Christmas Carol", which is presented by Perseverance Theatre and is now streaming online at https://www.ptalaska.org/. (Screenshot/Perseverance Theatre)
Franz Felkl, concertmaster and artistic director for the Juneau Symphony, leads a rehearsal at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé on Dec. 7. (Dana Zigmund/Juneau Empire)

Juneau Symphony prepares to share holiday cheer

‘I hope it becomes a staple’: Concertmaster

Franz Felkl, concertmaster and artistic director for the Juneau Symphony, leads a rehearsal at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé on Dec. 7. (Dana Zigmund/Juneau Empire)
Courtesy Image / Former Ladies of the Supremes The Former Ladies of the Supremes will perform a benefit concert on New Year’s Eve at Centennial Hall.

Former Ladies of the Supremes to headline NYE event

Tickets are now available

Courtesy Image / Former Ladies of the Supremes The Former Ladies of the Supremes will perform a benefit concert on New Year’s Eve at Centennial Hall.
Residents walk Seward Street during Gallery Walk on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. Gallery Walk returns in-person to downtown in 2021 with events and live music on Dec. 3, 2021. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file)

Gallery Walk returns to Juneau with zest

Nearly forty seperate events, live music, and more will dominate Friday night and Saturday.

Residents walk Seward Street during Gallery Walk on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. Gallery Walk returns in-person to downtown in 2021 with events and live music on Dec. 3, 2021. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file)
This photo shows the album cover for Whiskey Class’ new self-titled EP being released on vinyl. The album artwork was done by Kelsey Lovig. (Courtesy Photo)

Whiskey business: Band with Southeast roots puts out new EP on vinyl

License to vinyl.

This photo shows the album cover for Whiskey Class’ new self-titled EP being released on vinyl. The album artwork was done by Kelsey Lovig. (Courtesy Photo)
Wilson Valentine (right) and John Staub rehearse ahead of the Juneau Symphony’s return to in-person performances in October. Earlier this month, Christopher Koch was named music director of the symphony. He will conduct his first concert in that role in late January. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

Making beautiful music together

Meet the symphony’s new music director

Wilson Valentine (right) and John Staub rehearse ahead of the Juneau Symphony’s return to in-person performances in October. Earlier this month, Christopher Koch was named music director of the symphony. He will conduct his first concert in that role in late January. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
Haines-based author and Alaska’s current writer laureate will be at Hearthside Books Nugget Mall location on Sunday, Nov. 7, to read from her latest book “Of Bears and Ballots: An Alaskan Adventure in Small-Town Politics.”

Heather Lende, Haines writer, to read from latest book in Juneau

Alaska’s writer laureate reflects on ‘difficult’ writing.

Haines-based author and Alaska’s current writer laureate will be at Hearthside Books Nugget Mall location on Sunday, Nov. 7, to read from her latest book “Of Bears and Ballots: An Alaskan Adventure in Small-Town Politics.”
Liyuan “Sunny” Zhang, whose art is shown in this photo, will be Juneau Artist Gallery’s featured artist for November. (Courtesy Photo / Liyuan Zhang)

Here’s what’s scheduled for First Friday

Plays, lectures, art exhibits, and the opening ceremony for Juneau’s first Indigenous music festival.

Liyuan “Sunny” Zhang, whose art is shown in this photo, will be Juneau Artist Gallery’s featured artist for November. (Courtesy Photo / Liyuan Zhang)
Sarah (Erin Tripp) talks to Carl (Jared Olin) while the two low-level NASA workers work to make the 1970s Voyager project happen in a dress rehearsal for Perseverance Theatre’s “Voyager One.” (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)

New Perseverance Theatre season is ready to launch

In-person plays return with “Voyager One.”

Sarah (Erin Tripp) talks to Carl (Jared Olin) while the two low-level NASA workers work to make the 1970s Voyager project happen in a dress rehearsal for Perseverance Theatre’s “Voyager One.” (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
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