An exhibit of paintings by Avery Skaggs, titled “Kinetic,” is on display at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum during the month of February. On Saturday, Feb. 20, from 10:30 to noon, Skaggs and his support team will talk on the topic of his art making and life as an exhibiting artist.
Skaggs experiences cerebral palsy and is quadriplegic and is supported in his art making by the staff of the Canvas Art Studio and Gallery who provide the materials and tools to facilitate his process, The goal of Avery’s support team is to ensure that the final pieces capture the exuberance and immediacy of his mark making.
“When Avery paints he is totally in the present. He is not concerned with what he just did; he is not planning his next step. Avery’s creative process, and his final product, is a reminder to me to live in the moment,” says Lou Auger, who owns a Skaggs painting and is familiar with the way he works.
Skaggs was born and raised in Juneau and began exploring paint as soon as he could sit upright, an undertaking he has continued throughout his life. Since joining the Canvas in 2009, he has worked in many mediums, including paint, glass, monoprints, and ceramics. His style has evolved and become more dynamic over the years as the Canvas staff has learned how to best capture his movement. Skaggs has shown work many times in a gallery setting including a solo-show at the Canvas, “Synergy,” in 2010. Most notably, Skaggs showed two of his ceramic platters in a REACH Artist group show at the Alaska State Museum from May through October of 2013 and had a solo show of his acrylic paintings, “Synergy II,” in December 2014 at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center
The public is invited to learn more about Skaggs and his life as an artist with disabilities at this free program. The Coffee & Collections series at the City Museum is supported by Heritage Coffee Company, who supplies the hot coffee.
For information regarding this program or exhibits and other events, visit: www.juneau.org/museum or call 586-3572. The Juneau-Douglas City Museum is located at 4th & Main Streets. Winter hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm. Admission is free during the month of February in memory of Bob and Dick Pegues.
