Sculpting an arts scene in Palmer

Arts council plans to promote theater, literature, visual media within the city

December 11, 2005

JOEL DAVIDSON\Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - As the Valley matures, residents with an artistic bent are forging more ways to express the artistic side of Mat-Su culture.

On Thursday night, a group of artsy movers and shakers gathered in a Palmer home to launch the Palmer Arts Council, a group seeking to promote theatrical, visual and literary arts in the Valley.

The group first formed four years ago when retired Palmer pastor Howard Bess and others decided Palmer needed to bolster its artistic offerings. The group, however, never really took off until Valley Performing Arts pulled &#8220Proof” from its season lineup because some VPA members objected to what they considered rough language.

PAC spokesman John Fairfield, in a release Friday, said that incident revived the group, which elected a six-member board of directors.

PAC's first effort may be to launch a performance of &#8220Proof” early next year. Fairfield said the new council is considering promoting and sponsoring several performances of the play in Palmer.

Future projects could include art displays, literary events and more theater performances. Fairfield said the group differs from VPA in that its goal is to support a variety of artistic endeavors . not just theater. He added, however, that working with existing arts groups such as VPA is one of the PAC's goals.

Fairfield said artistic groups are on the rise in the Valley due to population growth that is influencing local demographics. &#8220In every group there is a percentage of the population that really pursues artistic endeavors,” he stated. &#8220As the population grows, the population of artists also grows. The Valley has now reached a critical mass.”

For now, PAC is meeting in private homes until it can secure money for a building.

&#8220We are hoping for some original founders to contribute money to launch the council,” said PAC board member Mimi Pippel. &#8220We have a few people who've stepped forward. Also, all of the board members have good organizational skills, good access to the community for fund-raising.”

Other PAC board members include Carmen Summerfield, David Cheezem, Pat Chesbro, Howard Bess and David Parks.

Pippel said Palmer is ripe for an organization like PAC, which can promote and offer outlets for artists. She reiterated, however, that an official building is critical for success. &#8220Right now we have the Palmer Depot, but it is used for so many things,” she said. &#8220It is booked up all the time and it's not as large as what we need.”

One idea floated at Thursday's meeting was to renovate and use the old Matanuska Maid Creamery as a cultural center.

Ultimately, Pippel said she hopes Mat-Su's many artistic groups can work together. In the last year, various Mat-Su residents have created a painting group, opened a new art gallery and established the Palmer Museum of History and Art.

Other people are working to launch a Palmer community radio station, which could feature, among other things, radio theater.

&#8220We have an incredible number of artistic people that live in this Valley,” Pippel said. &#8220Palmer is ripe for this.”