PRATT MUSEUM

Pratt Museum Hosts Workshop Session as Part of Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center and Bristol Bay Foundation Project

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Pratt Museum Hosts Workshop Session as Part of Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center and Bristol Bay Foundation Project

Homer, Alaska (September 27, 2024)
Pratt Museum Curator of Botanical Exhibits, Yarrow Hinnant, and Head Gardener and Ninilchik Tribal Member, Shawn Jackinsky, collaborated with the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center to participate in and facilitate multiple sessions of this project

Recently, Pratt Museum Curator of Botanical Exhibits, Yarrow Hinnant, and Head Gardener, Shawn Jackinsky, collaborated on the project Woven Together: Taperrnat Research and Art, organized by Dawn Biddison, Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center in Alaska, in collaboration with the Bristol Bay Foundation and Alaska Native community members. The goal of this project is to support teaching and learning about Indigenous knowledge and techniques of harvesting and working with taperrnat (beach wildrye grass in the Yup’ik language) by connecting Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, Indigenous students, and local learners.
In August, Emily Johnston, a Yup’ik knowledge keeper and weaver, accompanied learners on an outing to collect local beach wildrye. Emily (wearing a red jacket in photos above) led the group in identifying grass that is ideal for weaving, and taught them how to harvest it properly. She then instructed the group on how to braid and hang the grass for drying.
Ninilchik Tribal Member and Pratt Museum Head Gardener Shawn Jackinsky also collected wildrye grass (Leymus mollis) specimens that will go to herbarium collections, two for the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, Alaska and two for the U.S. National Herbarium at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. Herbarium samples harvested from seven locations for the Woven Together project were collected and documented by Indigenous community members of these lands, which has not been the practice of herbariums and scientists generally in the past.
Shawn harvested the herbarium samples, under the guidance of Emily Johnston. With a goal of collecting samples with traits desired by Indigenous weavers, Emily showed him examples of good weaving grass. His description and notes on the samples will accompany the specimens to the herbariums, along with contextual photographs, where they will be part of the official scientific record.
 In September, the Pratt Museum hosted a second workshop for the Woven Together project, on weaving taperrnat. Alutiiq and Iñupiaq weaver June Simeonoff Pardue led the workshop, sharing her knowledge of techniques for processing taperrnat and weaving it into mats. The photos below include the workshop in progress, as well as a selection of items from the Pratt Museum Collection that are made from the same grass.
Information gathered, shared, and documented during this project will be added to the Smithsonian Learning Lab Platform, a website that is free to access by the public. The Learning Lab sites for the Arctic Studies Center in Alaska can be found here https://learninglab.si.edu/ and features information about Alaska Native cultures and educational resources created in collaboration with Alaska Natives.

About Woven Together: Taperrnat Research and Art This project was co-developed by Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center Museum Specialist, Dawn Biddison, the Bristol Bay Foundation, and Alaska Native participants. It has been reviewed and approved by the Alaska Native Museum Sovereignty group and by tribal representatives in areas where the work is taking place: The Native village of Eklutna, Ninilchik Village Tribe, and Naknek Native Village Council.
“Woven Together will be based on work with Yup’ik, Sugpiaq, and Dena’ina community members – whom the Bristol Bay Foundation serves – as partners, participants, educators, learners and content-creators, along with other Alaska collaborators, for: 1) researching and harvesting taperrnat (beach wildrye grass in the Yup’ik language); 2) teaching how to prepare and weave taperrnat; and 3) creating and sharing resources for educators and learners. Alaska Native Knowledge-Keepers will be at the center of each element, and Alaska Native cultural protocols, values and expertise will be honored and shared throughout the project and in the co-created educational resources.” (Biddison, “Woven Together: A ‘Together We Thrive’ Project”, ASC Newsletter, May 2024, p. 17).
Information about a related project can be found here https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/weaving-a-yupik-issran-grass-carryingbag/sbmuMYcg9n5Gv0QC
About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to strengthen relationships between people and place through stories relevant to Kachemak Bay. It fulfills its mission by facilitating engagement between community members and strengthening understandings of our shared place. Through these activities, the unique relationship between the people and places of Kachemak Bay will be sustained far into the future. The Museum is open daily from 10am-6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day and Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-4pm the rest of the year. Visit the Pratt Museum at 3779 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at http://www.prattmuseum.org/.
CONTACT Whitney Harness, Visitor Services, Store & Communications Manager, tel (907) 435-3328, email communications@prattmuseum.org
Download a printable PDF of this press release, here.

Kodachrome Ritz Celebrates Vibrant Homer Community

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Kodachrome Ritz Celebrates Vibrant Homer Community

Homer, Alaska (October 10, 2024)
The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. Hosts Signature Benefit Event at the Pratt Museum

On Saturday, October 5th, The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. Board of Directors and the Pratt Museum staff were proud to once again bring people together for Kodachrome RITZ. “As a community museum, this was a special opportunity to bring people together in support of our facility and our educational exhibits and programs,” said Pratt Museum Executive Director, Patricia Relay, who was thrilled to be part of this year’s event.
Each gallery in the Museum held something special for attendees to experience while they sipped their wine and enjoyed hearty hors d’oeuvres. The Main Gallery featured special exhibition Rarefied Light 2023, a series of award-winning photographs from across the state of Alaska, as well as enchanting piano pieces performed by local musician, Erica Ono Hasche. Online and Live Auction items were displayed in the Marine Gallery. A live-art demonstration featuring local artist Sharlene Cline was held in the Gallery Kachemak Bay: An Exploration of People and Place, culminating in the creation of Japanese Shikishi rice paper panels painted with delicate fireweed blooms.
The event was a tremendous success thanks to the widespread support from sponsors, from the 44 businesses and individuals who donated auction items, and from the 110 community members who participated in the event. This vibrant community celebration helped raise nearly $17,000 in support of the Museum’s critical efforts to explore and preserve the traditions, cultures, science, and art of Kachemak Bay.
About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to explore and preserve the culture, science, and art of the Kachemak Bay region. Our vision reflects our sense of place within our community; collaborative and inclusive. We strive to strengthen the interconnected relationships between people and place by sharing and preserving stories and materials relevant to the communities we serve. The Museum is open daily from 10am-6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day and Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-4pm the rest of the year. Visit the Pratt Museum at 3779 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at http://www.prattmuseum.org/.
Contact Whitney Harness, Communications Manager, tel (907) 435-3328, email communications@prattmuseum.org
Download a printable PDF, here.

Pratt Museum Receives Scholarship Grant for Staff to Attend Museums Alaska 2024 Conference in Fairbanks

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Pratt Museum Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Receives Scholarship Grant to Attend Museums Alaska 2024 Conference in Fairbanks

Homer, Alaska (August 8, 2024)
Olivia Wisnewski, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at the Pratt Museum, is the recipient of a $775.00 scholarship grant from the Donna Matthews Professional Development Fund

Pratt Museum Curator of Collections and Exhibitions, Olivia Wisnewski, is grateful be the recipient of a $775.00 scholarship grant from the Donna Matthews Professional Development Fund. These scholarship awards are generously supported by individual donors and auction income. This grant will allow Ms. Wisnewski to attend the Museums Alaska 2024 Conference beginning September 25th in Fairbanks, Alaska. The theme of this year’s conference is Building Community and will be a great opportunity to forge connections with museum professionals from across the state, experience hands-on learning, and expand the impact of the Pratt Museum in the Kachemak Bay Community.
About Museums Alaska In 1983, Museums Alaska became an official non-profit organization, after serving as a committee of the Alaska Historical Society since the 1970s. For over four decades, their commitment to strengthening museums and cultural centers in Alaska has grown, propelling them into a new era of growth and impact. More information is available at https://museumsalaska.org/
About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to strengthen relationships between people and place through stories relevant to Kachemak Bay. It fulfills its mission by facilitating engagement between community members and strengthening understandings of our shared place. Through these activities, the unique relationship between the people and places of Kachemak Bay will be sustained far into the future. The Museum is open daily from 10am-6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day and Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-4pm the rest of the year. Visit the Pratt Museum at 3779 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at http://www.prattmuseum.org/.
Contact Whitney Harness, Visitor Services, Store and Communications Manager, tel (907) 435-3328, email wharness@prattmuseum.org

Download a PDF of this press release, HERE.

Pratt Museum to Host Rarefied Light Exhibition

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Pratt Museum to Host Rarefied Light 2023

Homer, Alaska (July 17, 2024)

The Pratt Museum will host Alaska Photographic Center sponsored Rarefied Light 2023 Exhibition

Our final special exhibition of the year will open in our Main Gallery on October 1st, 2024 and be on display through January 5, 2024. A First Friday opening reception will be help at the Pratt Museum on Friday, October 4th, 2024 from 4-6pm.

Rarefied Light is Alaska’s largest annual fine art photography exhibition. Each year the Alaska Photographic Center seeks out a nationally recognized artist to jury the Rarefied Light show and present a public lecture and workshop. This year guest juror, Jennifer Spelman, selected 46 photographs by 35 artists for inclusion in this year’s exhibition, from a field of 391 entries by 65 artists.

About the Alaska Photographic Center Formed in 1983, the Alaska Photographic Center (APC) is a statewide organization with a mission to promote fine art photography in Alaska.  More information is available at http://akphotocenter.org/.

About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to strengthen relationships between people and place through stories relevant to Kachemak Bay. It fulfills its mission by facilitating engagement between community members and strengthening understandings of our shared place. Through these activities, the unique relationship between the people and places of Kachemak Bay will be sustained far into the future. The Museum is open daily from 10am-6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day and Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-4pm the rest of the year. Visit the Pratt Museum at 3779 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at http://www.prattmuseum.org/.

Contact Whitney Harness, Visitor Services, Store and Communications Manager, tel (907) 435-3328, email wharness@prattmuseum.org

Download a PDF of this press release, here.

Pratt Museum Harbor Tours To Begin May 31

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Pratt Museum Harbor Tours to Begin May 31  

Homer, Alaska (May 24, 2024) – Pratt Museum

The Long-Running Pratt Museum Harbor Tours Will Begin for the Season on Friday, May 31 and Run Through August 31

The Pratt Museum is excited to announce that weekly Historic Walking Tours of the Homer Small Boat Harbor will begin for the season beginning Friday, May 31 through Saturday, August 31. Tours will occur every Friday & Saturday at 3pm, rain or shine. Tour goers will join a Pratt Museum Docent for a historic walking tour of the Homer Small Boat Harbor and learn about the Spit, the Harbor, historic buildings and different vessels.

About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to strengthen relationships between people and place through stories relevant to Kachemak Bay. It fulfills its mission by facilitating engagement between community members and strengthening understandings of our shared place. Through these activities, the unique relationship between the people and places of Kachemak Bay will be sustained far into the future. The Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 11am to 4pm. Beginning May 5, 2024, the Museum will be open daily from 10am – 6pm. Visit the Pratt Museum at 379 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at https://www.prattmuseum.org/.

Contact Whitney Harness, Visitor Services, Store and Communications Manager tel (907) 435-3328, email wharness@prattmuseum.org

Anyone interested in participating in the Harbor Tours may purchase a ticket for $10 and meet at the Boat House Pavilion near the top of Ramp Two at 3pm (click HERE for Google Map). Tickets may be purchased at the time of the Tour, or in advance at the Pratt Museum Admissions Desk and online using the secure registration form below.

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Pratt Museum Receives Strengthening Organizations Grant from the Alaska Community Foundation

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Pratt Museum Receives Strengthening Organizations Grant from the Alaska Community Foundation

Homer, Alaska (April 17, 2024) – Pratt Museum

The Pratt Museum, which is governed by The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc., is the Recipient of an $8,000 Strengthening Organizations Grant from the Alaska Community Foundation

The Pratt Museum is incredibly grateful to be the recipient of an $8,000 Strengthening Organizations Grant from the Alaska Community Foundation to conduct a Strategic Planning Retreat. This will be a great opportunity to bring existing and new team members together to discuss a full range of opportunity and challenges. The retreat will assist Board and Staff members in understanding our strengths and weaknesses as an organization. Sustainability not only requires sufficient funds, but talented and dedicated individuals to carve a path forward.

In 2023, the Museum underwent a transformation after facing challenges such as closures and high staff turnover. The Board of Directors hired a new Executive Director with years of experience leading arts and museum organizations. The Museum’s top priority at this time is to get their house in order and take action with their new team. After investing in many of its foundational organizational elements, including by-laws and development structure(s), revisiting and revising its strategic plan to reflect the current realities and perspectives within the organization is a critical next step.

The Pratt Museum strategic plan will guide all aspects of the organization’s focus and activities, from its mission, education, collections, and exhibits, to fundraising, operations, and community engagement. As such, the plan needs to reflect the full wisdom of the organization. It also needs to be readily accessible and understandable to everyone. Strategic planning will take place in person in Homer, ideally in early summer 2024.

About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to strengthen relationships between people and place through stories relevant to Kachemak Bay. It fulfills its mission by facilitating engagement between community members and strengthening understandings of our shared place. Through these activities, the unique relationship between the people and places of Kachemak Bay will be sustained far into the future. The Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 11am to 4pm. Beginning May 5, 2024, the Museum will be open daily from 10am – 6pm. Visit the Pratt Museum at 379 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at https://www.prattmuseum.org/.

Contact Whitney Harness, Visitor Services, Store and Communications Manager tel (907) 435-3328, email wharness@prattmuseum.org

Download PDF of this press release here.

Pratt Museum to Host Book Release Event, Portraying the Wide, Open Spaces, with author Michael Engelhard

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Pratt Museum to Host Book Release Event, Portraying the Wide, Open Spaces, with author Michael Engelhard

Homer, Alaska (May 4, 2024) – Pratt Museum

On the First Friday of June, the Pratt Museum will Host Author Michael Engelhard as he Presents His New Release, “What the River Knows: Essays from the Heart of Alaska”

The Pratt Museum is proud to host Portraying the Wide, Open Spaces as a free First Friday event on June 7th. Longtime wilderness guide, anthropologist, and Fairbanks author Michael Engelhard will be presenting Arctic Travers: A Thousand-Mile Summer of Trekking the Brooks Range and What the River Knows: Essays from the Heart of Alaska, which is a new release. Readings and video clips will be followed by a question-and-answer session and book signing. Engelhard’s books will be available for purchase at the event, which begins at 4pm at the Pratt Museum.

Local artist and longtime Pratt Museum Patron Rika Mouw will also present some of her wilderness-centered artworks during the event.

About Michael Engelhard A cultural anthropologist and longtime outdoor instructor, Engelhard specialized in land use, subsistence, and symbolic aspects of landscapes. He is the recipient of several literary awards, including a Rasmuson Individual Artist Award and three Alaska Press Club Awards. His writing has been featured in Outside magazine, Alaska magazine, and Earth Island Journal.  He is the author of over six books, including No Walk in the Park, Ice Bear, and American Wild. More information and contact information is available at https://michaelengelhard.com.

About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to strengthen relationships between people and place through stories relevant to Kachemak Bay. It fulfills its mission by facilitating engagement between community members and strengthening understandings of our shared place. Through these activities, the unique relationship between the people and places of Kachemak Bay will be sustained far into the future. The Museum is open daily from 10am – 6pm during the summer months. Visit the Pratt Museum at 379 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at https://www.prattmuseum.org/.

Contact Whitney Harness, Visitor Services, Store and Communications Manager tel (907) 435-3328, email wharness@prattmuseum.org

Download PDF of this press release here.

Pratt Museum Receives General Operations Grant from the Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation

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Pratt Museum Receives General Operations Grant from The Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation

Homer, Alaska (April 8, 2024)

The Pratt Museum, which is governed by The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc., is the recipient of a $10,000 General Operating Grant from The Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation

The Pratt Museum is extremely grateful to be the recipient of a $10,000 General Operations Grant from The Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation. This contribution will allow the Pratt Museum to engage visitors with dynamic exhibits and programs in the arts, sciences, and humanities from the very beginning of each visitors experience at our facility. Operation expenses are a large part of our overall budget, and this contribution will bolster our ability to ensure customer satisfaction for continued support of program of work.

About The Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation Founded in 1987, The Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation is a family foundation that supports nonprofit organizations in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. The Foundation is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of nature, including wildlife and their required habitats. It also supports the institutions that present nature and our rich cultural heritage to the public. More information is available at https://hughandjanefergusonfoundation.org/.

About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to strengthen relationships between people and place through stories relevant to Kachemak Bay. It fulfills its mission by facilitating engagement between community members and strengthening understandings of our shared place. Through these activities, the unique relationship between the people and places of Kachemak Bay will be sustained far into the future. The Museum is open daily from 10am-6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day and Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-4pm the rest of the year. Visit the Pratt Museum at 3779 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at http://www.prattmuseum.org/.

Contact Whitney Harness, Visitor Services, Store and Communications Manager, tel (907) 435-3328, email wharness@prattmuseum.org

Download PDF of this press release, here.

The Pratt Museum Announces Upcoming Exhibit: Inner Stellar by Marjorie Scholl

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The Pratt Museum Announces Upcoming Exhibit: Inner Stellar by Marjorie Scholl

Homer, Alaska (April 8, 2024) – Pratt Museum

The Pratt Museum is excited to announce our summer exhibition, Inner Stellar, featuring the work of American painter Marjorie Scholl. This exhibition will be on display from May 17 through September 20 in the Main Gallery at the Pratt Museum.

Inner Stellar is a series of painted portraits that honors the experience of reacquainting with one’s ‘inner child.’ Marjorie Scholl has painted people in her community and co-created story-like text to accompany each piece. Each portrait illustrates someone in their bright essence, holding the weight of their unique ancestry – hardships, healing, and all – with an authentically determined outlook. The figure’s posture and gaze convey their true history and committed future and suggests the intergenerational whisperings that lead to insight and strength. Each painting is set in a forest of birch trees, using light and shadow to allude to the adversities and resilience, as well as the loneliness and triumph, that comes from developing the whole self.

Each subject has actively participated in the creation of their portrait and the related personal anecdotes. As part of the series, Scholl includes a self-portrait to share her own journey that continues to reckon with generational trauma while reconnecting with her inner child.

Marjorie Scholl is an American painter interested in depicting human relationships to our changing Earth. Through engaged portraiture and visual storytelling, she examines complex social issues and shifting landscapes to challenge systemic inequalities and explore experiences of belonging.

Marjorie’s work has been exhibited throughout Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. She has created murals in public and private settings. She also teaches dance and has organized numerous performances with the youth of her community. Originating from the San Francisco Bay Area, she now lives in Homer, Alaska, with her husband and has three wonderful children.

A Opening Exhibition will be held Friday, May 17th beginning at 5pm. The artist will be in attendance, and celebratory refreshments will be served.

Digital Gallery Guide available here.

About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to strengthen relationships between people and place through stories relevant to Kachemak Bay. It fulfills its mission by facilitating engagement between community members and strengthening understandings of our shared place. Through these activities, the unique relationship between the people and places of Kachemak Bay will be sustained far into the future. The Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 11am to 4pm. Visit the Pratt Museum at 379 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at www.prattmuseum.org/.

CONTACT Whitney Harness, Visitor Services, Store and Communications Manager. (907) 235-8635 or wharness@prattmuseum.org

The Pratt Museum to Host Exhibit, “Celebrating Our Sister City: 40 Years of Gifts From Teshio, Japan”

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The Pratt Museum to Host Exhibit, “Celebrating Our Sister City: 40 Years of Gifts From Teshio, Japan”

Homer, Alaska (April 6, 2024) – Pratt Museum

In May, the Pratt Museum will host an exhibit featuring works from the City of Homer’s Municipal Art Collection. 2024 marks the City of Homer’s 40th anniversary as a Sister City with Teshio, Hokkaido, Japan. Established April 7, 1984, Teshio and Homer have enjoyed a profound camaraderie and sharing of families, student exchanges, ideals, and memorabilia. This exhibit provides an opportunity to learn more about our Sister City, foster a stronger connection with Teshio, and view these cherished pieces that are part of the City of Homer’s Municipal Art Collection.

As part of our communities 40-year celebration, eighteen pieces of art that Teshio has generously gifted the City over the years will be on display in the Main Lobby of the Pratt Museum from May 1 to September 7.

A First Friday Exhibition will be held Friday, May 3rd beginning at 4pm and will be free to the public.

More information on the Sister City Program and the Municipal Art Collection can be found on the City of Homer website.

About the City of Homer Long known as the “Halibut Fishing Capital of the World”, Homer is also nicknamed “the end of the road”, and more recently, “the cosmic hamlet by the sea”.  Homer was incorporated in 1964 as a first-class city and is located four hours south of Anchorage. A popular destination for tourists, Alaskans and folks from the “lower 48” alike enjoy being surrounded by the majesty of beautiful mountains, volcanoes, the ocean, and a bustling harbor along with all there is to offer. Homer City Hall is located at 491 E Pioneer Avenue in Homer and is open Monday through Friday from 8am – 5pm. Tel (907) 235-8121. More information is available at https://www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/.

About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to strengthen relationships between people and place through stories relevant to Kachemak Bay. It fulfills its mission by facilitating engagement between community members and strengthening understandings of our shared place. Through these activities, the unique relationship between the people and places of Kachemak Bay will be sustained far into the future. The Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 11am to 4pm. Visit the Pratt Museum at 379 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at www.prattmuseum.org/.

CONTACT Whitney Harness, Visitor Services, Store and Communications Manager. (907) 235-8635 or wharness@prattmuseum.org