SHOP
Art at the
Heart of Sitka
love of the land with vibrant watercolors. She has lived and If you continue down Lincoln Street, Cabin Fever Gallery
worked on a commercial troller in Southeast Alaska for over and Gifts provides another opportunity to connect with
30 years, and her paintings depict day-to-day life in Sitka. local artists and buy their work. You’ll find six artists
Auriella Hughes’s bold, meditative pottery, meanwhile, featured in this cozy, colorful space that has its own
is evocative of seascapes and sky. And other artists, like mascot—Grace and Tracie Harang’s dog, Tango, who
Roberta White, use the power of photography. White has likes to welcome visitors out front. Tango is featured in
been exploring photography since 1974 and spends most of Grace and Tracie’s books, which can be found inside the
her time outdoors fishing, hiking, and camping. store. The artists here have an eclectic and impressive
Many of the artists featured also tap into their heritage. body of work, always exploring new media. Tracie also
White, for example, has been living in Alaska since before it
was a state, and she grew up in a multicultural background
with Tlingit, Inupiat, Irish, Scottish, and German heritage.
Helen Mercado is another Alaska Native artist. She was
born in Juneau to a Tlingit and French-Canadian mother
and a Filipino father. Her works range from beaded
sells paintings, antler baskets, and jewelry. Sandy Greba’s
work includes everything from light catchers to stained
glass. And whether she is making children’s “I spy” toys or
fabric baskets, Kelly Goeden takes a playful approach to
each piece. Kay McCarty's dreamy watercolors or Dustin
Ward's hand-forged knives would also make for beautiful
necklaces and medicine bags to hand-painted drums and keepsakes to remember your trip to Sitka.
herring egg earrings. If you are looking for a piece of Sitka art to wear home,
Cass Pook, who also goes by the name Yaxthlaahaat stop by Galanin + Klein to find hand-carved Tlingit
Daxthlawadi, is a local bead artisan. Her intricately beaded
earrings are displayed alongside the work of her daughters,
Chloe Turner and Cayla Pook. “You can see the subtle
differences between their styles,” says Cayla, pointing out
SITKA IS BRIMMING WITH LOCAL ARTISTS whose unique work lines the walls a pair of Cass’s and Chloe’s earrings side by side. Both have
and tables of downtown Sitka, maintaining the integrity and charm of the
downtown shopping experience. beautiful a pair of those earrings would look when worn.
bracelets in copper, silver, or gold. The shop also features a
selection of artwork and goods from around Alaska. And be
sure to visit Goldsmith Gallery to commemorate your visit
to Sitka with beautiful handblown glass and Alaskan gold
nugget, “Glacier Ice,” or natural gold in quartz jewelry.
an eye for attention to detail, and it’s easy to imagine how
Cayla started out in a different direction from her mother
and sister, with woven macramé wall hangings. Most of her
materials are sourced from Alaska—like alpaca fleece and
When you walk into the Island Artists Gallery, the giant dragonfly
qiviut—the soft underwool of a musk ox, while others are
“Stewart” looms above the counter. Stewart is the creation of local
made from reused materials. “Being able to buy something
artist Keith Gibson, made of 100% recyclable materials. His wings
and say the name of the person who made your stuff is
were cut from boat windshields, and Gibson melted down old vinyl
really sweet,” Cayla adds, mentioning the sight of her
records for the veins webbing across them. Beautiful, whimsical, and
earrings around Sitka. “And so is being able to walk around
painstakingly handcrafted, Stewart makes a great first impression for
town as an artist and see your work hanging on someone’s
this dynamic creative space.
wall.”
Run and owned by artists, you’ll find everything here from metalwork
One exciting feature of Island Artists Gallery is the artists
and jewelry to lively paintings. Island Artists Gallery features over 20
working behind the counter. You might hear about their
local artists and artisans, with each artist’s section labeled in the hand-
artistic process, cultural background and inspiration, or
lettered calligraphy of pen-and-ink artist Norm Campbell.
community involvement. Hughes, for example, co-founded
“The coolest thing is that you have this whole group of artists you
the Sitka nonprofit volunteer hospice and caregiving
belong to, whom you can bounce ideas off of,” says Amy Sweeney, who
association, Brave Heart Volunteers, and White volunteers
creates colorful wood paintings, mosaics, and mixed media inspired
with the Sitka Fire Department.
by Sitka’s marine wildlife. “It’s been really great for me as an artist.”
Her husband, Jay, is also a member of the co-op, with a line of elegant
lathe-turned wood pens.
Everywhere you look, you’ll find a deep appreciation of Sitka’s
landscape and those who call this island home. Pat Kehoe captures this
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Galleries
Artist Cayla Pook
»
Island Artists Gallery islandartistsgallery.com / Cabin Fever Gallery and Gifts cabinfeveralaska.com / Goldsmith
Gallery alaskajewelry.com / Galanin + Klein galaninklein.com
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