Juneau Art for Juneauites

A few hundred years ago, broadsides were poster-like papers featuring advertisements, news, or, in 1776, even the U.S. Declaration of Independence. This weekend, however, they’re Juneau.

A First Friday event seeks to bring broadsides back to life through a celebration of artwork, calligraphy and poetry. The event will take place at KTOO during First Friday, May 6, from 4:30-7 p.m.

Last year poet Sarah Isto and her husband Gordon Harrison were invited to create broadsides for a 49 Writers fundraiser in Anchorage. Other poets and artists from Juneau participated in the event, like husband and wife combo Richard and Jane Stokes.

“We submitted our work last year for the 49 Writers fundraiser and really enjoyed the process,” said Sarah Isto. “We weren’t able to go to Anchorage to see the show, which was unfortunate. But we liked the idea of artists, calligraphers and poets working together, so we thought ‘Why not in Juneau?’ We have so much local talent that it made sense to want to.”

Stokes was able to attend the fundraiser and was impressed by what he saw.

“It was fun to see the exhibit. It really brought the pieces to life to walk around and look at them. Because of the talent in Juneau we decided to put a call out and see what kind of broadsides we could get to do something similar here. Also, Sarah and I are both poets and our spouses are into calligraphy, so it seemed like a good idea,” he said.

Stokes went on, “we didn’t know what to expect. But we were amazed by what we received. Local names like Emily Wall and Elise Tomlinson worked together to create a piece and this year’s featured writer for Tidal Echoes, Aleria Jensen, submitted a piece of her writing with her son as the illustrator. Those are only a few examples of popular locals who created broadsides.”

Local poets and artists created the broadsides by collaborating on a piece together.

The art on the pieces range from calligraphy to watercolors and photographs and the writing ranged from long and complex to single stanza poems.

The artists and poets who collaborated were asked to make four reproductions of their original piece. On top of seeing fantastic work displayed, locals will have the chance to buy the reproductions at the First Friday event.

“When you find someone as talented as Jim Fowler, the landscape artist, selling his work for $20, you want to jump,” said Stokes. “It’s not often we can buy local art, as locals, at an inexpensive price, and he willingly gave these to the community to enjoy.”

Isto added in, “The proceeds are going to KTOO. It isn’t a fundraiser. But rather, we are charging a small fee to reward KTOOs generosity in giving us their wall space.”

She went on, “We are lucky enough to have talented artists and poets in this town who took time to create broadsides for the locals, and give four copies to us free of charge. We want to be able to give back by thanking the people displaying the pieces.”

Each reproduction will be sold for $20 and the broadsides will be hanging in KTOO for the month of May.

“It’s Juneau art for Juneauites,” said Isto. “Not only that, but it is a great opportunity to have artists and writers work together collaboratively. The piece becomes something different when two people bring together their skills purposefully. The artist can inspire poets, or sometimes it’s the other way around. It challenges creative thinkers, in a good way.”

Stokes added, “There is a fairly clear connection between art and words. I think it should be collaborative.”

She went on, “My husband and I, and the Stokes, have enjoyed sponsoring this event. In the end, all we want to see is people taking the time to walk in the rain over to KTOO. The talent that comes out of Juneau is amazing. We want people to come in and walk around and read the work and enjoy it. After all, the whole point of these broadsides was local art for local people.”

To see the broadsides in person visit the KTOO building on Friday, May 6 from 4:30-7 p.m. or stop by KTOO during regular business hours.