AGP Executive Report

Alaska Art: Cordova-born, Anchorage-based artist Rebecca Lyon received the Rasmuson Foundation’s Distinguished Artist award and a $50,000 grant. Her mixed-media work draws on her Dena’ina and Unangan heritage and explores Native and women’s rights and the environment. Spooky Sounds: Alaska Public Media’s Halloween special explored why eerie noises unsettle us, with audio engineer and producer Kurt Reimann demonstrating instruments including a waterphone. Young Musicians: Wrangell High School students joined peers from across Southeast Alaska in Haines for the Southeast Honor Music Fest, learning and performing with guest directors. Native Arts: An Anchorage market showcased work by 40 Alaska Native artists. Live Music: Bluegrass duo Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road are scheduled to perform at the Alaska SeaLife Center on Oct. 29. Alaska Music: The group Blackwater Railroad also discussed its music in a recent interview.

Alaska Native Arts: An Anchorage market showcased work by 40 Alaska Native artists, while Sealaska Heritage Institute announced dates for Celebration 2028. Performance: Haines is set to host 100 young musicians for the Southeast Honor Festival, and Blackwater Railroad shared the story behind its Alaska sound. Film & Community: Filmmaker Eden Marryshow brought Black cinema and a community event to Anchorage. Alaska History: A seasonal look back revisited Halloween parlor games once played in Fairbanks, when fortune-telling and spooky mirror rituals offered a different kind of holiday thrill.

Alaska’s Halloween Past: A Fairbanks history feature looks back at 1915 Halloween customs, when eerie mirror games and fortune-telling—not trick-or-treating—set the mood. Fairbanks Arts: Poems by Susan Campbell inspire a new artist-book exhibit at Gather Fairbanks, running Nov. 6–28. Live Music: Bluegrass duo Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road are set to play the Alaska SeaLife Center on Oct. 29. Film in Anchorage: Filmmaker Eden Marryshow is bringing a Black cinema and community event to the city. Young Musicians: Haines will welcome 100 young performers for the Southeast Honor Festival.

Indigenous Culture: Sealaska Heritage Institute set June 7–10, 2028, for Celebration, Juneau’s major Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian festival, and named Ḵéex̱’ Ḵwáan as lead dance group. Quyana’s opening night also brought ovations, tears and a surprise proposal. Books & Film: Two new poetry collections by Homer’s Ann Dixon and Carolyn Williams-Noren explore grief and the changing natural world. Anchorage filmmaker Eden Marryshow is bringing Black cinema to a community event. Music & Performance: Alaska music group Blackwater Railroad is featured in a new Q&A, while fiddler and writer Ken Waldman visits Big Sky as an artist-in-residence. Anchorage’s Oct. 22–31 arts and nightlife calendar offers more ways to catch local shows.

Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian Culture: Sealaska Heritage Institute set Celebration 2028 for June 7–10 in Juneau, naming Kake-based Ḵéex̱’ Ḵwáan as lead dance group. The biennial festival draws more than 5,000 people. Books & Poetry: A review highlights two new collections for fall: Homer poet Ann Dixon’s The Brilliant Beyond, about grief and remembrance, and Carolyn Williams-Noren’s Oil Courses, which considers environmental loss. Anchorage Arts: An Alaska Native Artist Market featured work by 40 artists downtown, while filmmaker Eden Marryshow brought a Black cinema event and community gathering to Anchorage. AFN Celebration: The first night of Quyana drew ovations, tears and a surprise proposal during the Alaska Federation of Natives convention. High School Sports: South Anchorage made history with a 14–6 win over West Anchorage, becoming the first Division I football team since 2001 to repeat as state champion.

Film: Filmmaker Eden Marryshow brings his film Caged in the Rain to Anchorage for a screening and community gathering at Loussac Library, in partnership with the Alaska Black Caucus. Indigenous Performance: Quyana drew standing ovations at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention, where 14 dance groups performed; Barrow Dancer Susan Patkotak shared a song about reclaiming tradition. Community Theater: Kenai’s Triumvirate Theatre revives It Had to Be You, a local production celebrating the role of theater in bringing a community together. Visual Arts: Anchorage’s Alaska Native Artist Market spotlights work from 40 artists downtown.

Alaska Arts: Anchorage’s Alaska Native Artist Market is showcasing work by 40 artists, bringing Indigenous creativity to a downtown audience. Documenting Alaska: Bethel photographer and filmmaker Katie Baldwin Basile received the Denali Award at the Alaska Federation of Natives convention, recognized for supporting Native communities and helping preserve decades of KYUK programming. Remembering Mr. Whitekeys: The longtime Spenard entertainer, known for the Whale Fat Follies, is being remembered for his songs, humor and lasting mark on Alaska’s performance scene. Live Music: Haines is set to welcome 100 young musicians for the Southeast Honor Festival.

Alaska Native Arts: The Alaska Native Artist Market in downtown Anchorage features work by about 40 artists, cultural demonstrations and a photo booth alongside the Alaska Federation of Natives convention. Anchorage Events: Halloween celebrations, AFN performances and the artist market are among this week’s local picks; the market continues Friday. Live Music: Bluegrass duo Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road play the Alaska SeaLife Center on Oct. 29, while Haines prepares to host 100 young musicians for its Southeast Honor Festival. Remembering an Alaska Entertainer: Mr. Whitekeys, the Spenard icon behind the Whale Fat Follies, is being remembered for his songs, smiles and satire.

Anchorage This Week: The AFN convention brings dance performances, Native art and an artist market to the Dena’ina Center, alongside Halloween events around town. Live Music: Bluegrass duo Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road play the Alaska SeaLife Center on Oct. 29, while 100 Southeast high school musicians gather in Haines for an honor festival ending with a public concert Oct. 27. Alaska Arts & Culture: Alutiiq Museum staff earned statewide honors for preserving and sharing Sugpiaq history. In Fairbanks, fiddler and writer Ken Waldman visits as an artist-in-residence. Local Legacies: Anchorage’s Skateland, a family entertainment fixture since 1981, is for sale as its owners prepare to retire. Alaskans are also remembering Spenard entertainer Mr. Whitekeys, known for his songs, smiles and satire.

Alaska’s Arts Legacy: Anchorage is remembering Mr. Whitekeys, the musician, satirist and Spenard icon behind the Fly By Night Club and “Whale Fat Follies,” who died at 79. On Stage: Alaska writer and fiddler Ken Waldman brought Far North stories, poems and music to a free performance during his artist residency in Big Sky, Montana. Around Anchorage: This weekend’s lineup includes stage shows and the NSAA Ski Swap. Community Arts: Sitka’s second American Documentary and Animation Film Festival drew support from local venues, volunteers and hosts. Sports Spotlight: Dimond volleyball rallied past Colony in five sets, extending its winning streak to 24 matches.

Alaska Film: Two Wrangell freshmen are taking their documentaries to major festivals. Quinton Davies’ “Standing Tall in Wrangell” screens at the Red Nation International Film Festival Nov. 6–14, while Erika Jabusch’s film about her family’s Russian heritage is set for the Anchorage International Film Festival Dec. 4–13. In Memoriam: Alaskan entertainer Mr. Whitekeys, known for the “Whale Fat Follies,” has died at 79. This Weekend in Anchorage: The Alaska Federation of Natives convention brings cultural performances, exhibits and an art fair to the Dena’ina Center Thursday through Saturday. New Native Theatre presents “The Blind Bird,” by Inupiaq playwright Kira Apaachuaq Eckenweiler, with free performances Thursday and Friday; seats must be reserved. Alaska Photography: Wasilla photographer Colter Broadwell is drawing thousands of social media views with images of Alaska’s northern lights, wildlife and cityscapes.

Native Arts & Culture: Anchorage’s 60th Alaska Federation of Natives convention brings traditional dance, music and a 200-vendor arts bazaar to the Dena’ina Center, with about 5,000 attendees expected. Community Arts: EasyPark is offering $100,000 in grants for downtown Anchorage projects, including public art and cultural events; applications are open through Nov. 30. Alaska Entertainment: Veteran Iditarod musher Aliy Zirkle is speaking publicly about the head injury that ended her racing career, alongside her induction into the Iditarod Hall of Fame. In Memoriam: Mr. Whitekeys, the longtime Alaska entertainer known for the “Whale Fat Follies,” has died at 79. Books & Music: Cordova’s Belle Mickelson, a science teacher, Episcopal priest and fiddler, is featured in a chapter of Michael Engelhard’s new book, “Northerners: Alaskans Yesterday and Today.”

Native Arts & Culture: The Alaska Federation of Natives convention runs Thursday through Saturday at Anchorage’s Dena’ina Center, with cultural showcases, performances and public discussions; admission is free. Alaska Entertainment: Mr. Whitekeys, the beloved entertainer behind Anchorage’s “Whale Fat Follies,” has died at 79. Music & Community: Salmonfest is expanding its community giving with a $15,000 monthly pledge as it marks 15 years of service. Alaska Day: Fairbanks celebrated the state holiday with a parade and traditional events.

Alaska Entertainment: Mr. Whitekeys, the comic, musician and creator of the Whale Fat Follies, has died at 79. Douglas Haggar entertained generations with irreverent Alaska humor and performances that skewered local public figures. Music & Wilderness: Composer Comet Smith found inspiration in Denali National Park during a three-day retreat without phones or Wi-Fi, saying the landscape’s quiet helped him discover his compositional voice. Onstage: Down to Chance, a two-hander about Anchorage radio journalist Genie Chance and the 1964 earthquake, is bringing Alaska’s history to audiences in Newbury, England. Festival News: Salmonfest is marking 15 years of service with autumn “Season of Giving” awards.

Alaska Music: Salmonfest marked 15 years of community service with a new autumn giving campaign, extending the festival’s impact beyond its live-music season. State Traditions: Alaska Day celebrations brought parades and local customs into the spotlight. Native Stories: Yaaruin Collective has launched a monthly magazine for Alaska Native children and families. Mushing Heritage: The Iditarod Hall of Fame’s new class honors champions and women who helped shape the sport.

Alaska Sports: Lathrop won its third Division II football title, beating Soldotna 35-14 behind Wilson Lawson’s 287 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Kenai Central also claimed a state crown, defeating Homer 28-13 for its eighth small-schools title. Local Color: Alaska Man Monday brings Halloween-season oddities, including a bear raiding candy at an Anchorage-area hospital. TV Nostalgia: A look back at the Anchorage airport’s 1990s Cheers-themed bar recalls its robotic regulars, Bob Johnson and Hank Gifford. Arts & Community: Salmonfest marked 15 years of service with a new monthly giving pledge, while the Iditarod Hall of Fame announced a class honoring champions and women’s mushing pioneers.