Art walk offers all kinds of options

PALMER — Art lovers and patrons of small business should have more than enough to keep them busy this Saturday.

This month’s Palmer Art Walk (also known as “Second Saturday”) is Oct. 10 from 2 to 6 p.m., though as usual a few related events begin outside of that time frame.

Brand new to the Palmer Art Walk is AK Frayed Knot, a new store that sells yarn and fiber tools, as well as products made by local fiber artists such as Arts of the Apocalypse, Moose Wallow Yarns, Susan Designs, Ravenwing Designs, Stonekettle and Working Wood Productions.

At the store — located in the Palmer Business Plaza across from the Koslosky Center parking lot — the artists of AK Frayed Knot will demonstrate yarn coloring with acid dyes, Easter egg dye and even Kool-Aid during the art walk.

Business owner Becky Oviatt said she’s been in business for about a year, but only opened the shop at the encouragement of her husband and fellow artist friends.

“My husband said at one point, ‘you have so much stuff in your stash room, you could open a store,’” she said.

So far the store, open since Sept. 8, has been met with nothing but enthusiasm, Oviatt said.

Another newcomer to the art walk is Forever Endeavor, an art supply store located in the Koslosky Center next to B. Bella Hair Design. At B. Bella, acrylic, nature-themed pieces by Tanna Stanley will be on display during the art walk, and at the art store origami artist Alice Palin will do demonstrations throughout the event on Saturday.

Forever Endeavor is a family business run by artists Kelly, Tara and Dan Pollock. Tara and Kelly Pollock said they had always wanted to open up shop, and took advantage of the opportunity provided by the hair salon downsizing.

But “it’s not our first turn around selling cool stuff,” Tara Pollock said, as several family members have sold their work at the Alaska State Fair over the years.

In addition to their own work, the Pollocks (and the artists at Frayed Knot) do consignments, providing local artists with 65 percent of the proceeds from purchases of their pieces made within the store.

Radio Free Palmer is another special guest at the art walk this weekend, as they will branch out of the airwaves to display drawings by Mat-Su College students at their studio next to Fireside Books. The drawings will be on display during the station’s office hours through Oct. 21.

The bookstore at 720 S. Alaska St. is closing out their Alaska Book Week this weekend with book signings by Michigan native Heather Cooper Lehe, author of “Colony Kids, Adventures of the First Year in Alaska,” and Onesimus, the one-name editor of “Consuming Fire: The Inexorable Power of God’s Love.” Lehe will arrive at Fireside at 10:30 a.m. and Onesimus will appear at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Across the street at the Palmer Museum of History and Art (and Visitor Center), the main sponsor of the art walk, the October exhibit “Recuerdas, Reinterpreting Ofrendas” celebrates Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The museum will serve a variety of Mexican-style appetizers and host a free sugar skull decorating session from 2 to 5 p.m., while supplies last.

A few blocks down at Madd Matters (1088 S. Colony Way), art walkers can watch artist Bob Bates in action with a live painting demonstration, and peruse some new vintage items for sale by Fables Art and Décor at the store.

Back the other direction at Shane Lamb Gallery in the Downtown Palmer Plaza (550 S. Alaska St.), quilter Charlene Renz will be around from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to answer questions about her artwork on display (for sale) in the gallery on Saturday.

This month’s art walk is also a special occasion for Arkose Brewery (650 E. Steel Loop), as the weekend marks its fourth anniversary. As such, the brewery’s monthly “Beer Meets Canvas” event from 2 to 4 p.m. includes beer, all necessary art supplies, and a free anniversary glass to take home, for the regular $30 cost of the event. There will also be door prizes at the reservation-only event.

Out of town the other direction at the intersection of Hemmer Road and the Palmer Wasilla Highway, Magpie Clothing Exchange will host artist Laurie Lashlee, who specializes in multimedia art, with a focus on digital photography. Lashlee will conduct a raffle of an 11-by-4-inch print of one of her works that art walk participants can put in for until 6 p.m.

At the end of the evening (6 p.m.), the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce will host their annual Palmer on Parade dinner auction at Mat-Su Senior Services, 1132 S. Chugach St.

Finally, the Valley Arts Alliance’s annual Alaska Home Companion variety show begins at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry (MATI) in Wasilla at 7 p.m. Though not specifically affiliated with the Palmer Art Walk, the show incorporates all kinds of performance art by crowd favorites like AJ “Moosejaw” Seims and “The Roving Reporter,” often played by the arts alliance’s own president, Carmen Summerfield. Tickets are $15 and available at the door. A cash bar will be open during the event.

For more information about Saturday’s Palmer Art Walk events, visit the Palmer Museum at 723 S. Valley Way or online at palmermuseum.org/local-activities.

Contact reporter Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266.