As rain falls on the central Kenai Peninsula, June’s week-long stretch of sunny, 70 degree weather may seem like a distant memory. The lupine was abundant and dandelions blanketed the central Kenai Peninsula’s grassy fields.
A walk around the Kenai Art Center, though, is like stepping back into that moment. On view in one section of the gallery are watercolors of Alaska wildflowers in a show titled, “Wildflower Whimsy.”
The pieces are created by dropping paint over real wildflowers picked this summer. Artist and beekeeper Ashlee Oliver-Frey says the window for harvesting and creating this type of wildflower art is brief. In some cases, she only has one day to paint before her blooms begin to lose their deep color.
“I’m trying to capture what we see in the summer so we can enjoy it all winter long, because it is so short,” Oliver-Frey said.
Most of Frey’s wildflower pieces were made this summer and have never been displayed in a gallery. For much of her work, she makes her own paint by grinding locally sourced rocks and mixing them with other pigments.
Coupled with Frey’s art is a painting of a white raven that was spotted in Kenai last year. Frey used forget-me-nots, Alaska’s state flower, to color the elusive bird’s blue eyes. Frey says working with bees has opened her eyes to the emergence of all native flowers, and hopes others will see it too.
“I want them to pay attention to the wildflowers we have and how important native flora is to our region,” she said.
Also on view in the gallery is an installation highlighting the history of the Kenai Art Center. In addition to archival posters and flyers from past exhibits, more than 30 old and new pieces of art are on display. Murals, oil paintings, ceramics and more are accompanied by written testimonies from the artists about how the art center has amplified local artists and their work.
“As I’m looking at all these historical documents, I’m seeing so many people and their work that has helped build and create this art center,” said Charlotte Coots, the Kenai Art Center’s executive director. “That work sometimes goes unnoticed.”
One piece of artwork with deep ties to the center is a portrait, created by artist and Kenai Art Center board president Sandra Lewis, before she went off to college. The work was submitted to a scholarship competition hosted by the art center and won. Coots says it’s the first time that piece has ever been on view.
“To me, it is something that creates hope when we live in kind of a chaotic time right now,” she said. “To see something that has withstood so many years, and just keeps growing and growing, and getting more support, to me, creates a lot of hope. I hope that’s what people, when they come through the art center, they will see that.”
A short walk away from the art center is the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center. There, 40 eye-catching paintings of Alaska landscapes are on view in the conference room. The flamboyant, neon illustrations depict salmon, mountains, rivers and more.
“Most of my paintings are really brightly colored and exaggerations of the scenes that you’ll see here on the peninsula,” said Laura Dewey, the artist behind this month’s chamber exhibit. She says it’s the largest installation she’s ever had on view at the chamber.
“Mostly, I’m just inspired by what I see around me,” Dewey said.
Dewey’s favorite painting on display is a vivid rendition of Mts. Redoubt and Iliamna. The view is a favorite of hers, which is part of the reason she enjoyed painting them. Dewey hopes it shows off Alaska’s beauty, especially on rainy or snowy days.
“I just hope they get to see beautiful images of Alaska and kind of experience the world through my eyes a little bit,” she said.
Both Kenai Art Center and Kenai Chamber of Commerce art installations will be on view through the month of August.
Editor’s note: Hunter Morrison has work on display at the Kenai Art Center this month.
