Alaska has more than 17,000 residents who work in the arts and creative industries, according to the Alaska State Council on the Arts. These five cities in Alaska deserve a look by painters, musicians, and artisans seeking a supportive, inspiring place in Alaska to call home:
This tranquil seaside town claims a population of 5,310 and once you've spent some time there, it seems like everybody but 310 of them is an artist! Brightly embellished homes, cars, and businesses are scattered like gems all around town. Stained glass windows, life-sized murals, blown glass and hand-thrown pottery are a part of everyday life, and music is everywhere—from the fireside guitar player on the Homer Spit, to the visiting minstrel at the Salty Dawg Saloon.
Homer's respect and support for the arts is apparent by the sheer number of artists who live here, and the number of organizations that actively support their creativity and market their work. One of the largest is the Homer Council on the Arts, which promotes the opportunity for everyone in town to not only experience the arts, but to participate as well. More experienced artists are nurtured with the help of the Bunnell Street Arts Center, which hosts an annual artist in residence, a program for arts in schools, and numerous shows throughout the year. Visual artists in Homer enjoy the vibrant support of a variety of studios and galleries in which to create, show and sell their work.
Writers are just as integral to Homer's art scene as are visual artists. The town hosts the annual Kachemak Bay Writer's Conference with an impressive roster of Pulitzer Prize-winning authors and Poet Laureates. Traditional skills grounded in Homer's seafaring tradition include an active group of wooden boat builders, who keep the old ways alive with help from the Kachemak Bay Wooden Boat Society.
Anchorage's 300,950 residents live in a community with vibrant support for local artists and musicians, while providing patronage for its own opera, dance and theater groups. The Alaska State Council on the Arts is based here, supporting the creative pursuits of artists in all disciplines. Galleries and studios abound. Many of them host well-attended openings that are included in the hugely popular Anchorage First Fridays art walk.
Musicians, writers, and filmmakers all thrive here. The University of Alaska's Department of Creative Writing has a low-residency Master of Fine Arts program whose alumni include many published authors. The school's Department of Music is recognized internationally by the National Association of Schools of Music. The Alaska Center for the Book supports poetry and literature in the community. For musicians, Anchorage boasts a variety of live music venues, in addition to programs such as the Anchorage Folk Festival. Independent filmmakers from across Alaska and Outside are featured at the Anchorage International Film Festival—"Films worth freezing for"—which plays to mostly sold-out crowds every December.
Situated 359 miles north of Anchorage, the Interior Alaska city of Fairbanks counts an active and diverse group of artists, writers and musicians among its 32,324 residents. With 24-hour daylight at the height of summer, the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival features exhibits and workshops in the visual arts, dance, theater, and writing. The Fairbanks Folk Fest has two major music festivals each year—one each in summer and winter. They also host a bluegrass music camp for kids. Visual and literary artists enjoy support from the Fairbanks Arts Association, which also hosts an annual film festival and a summer-long live public music series.
Fairbanks is a winter city, and the cold month of February yields perfect temps for the most stunning and unusual public art exhibit anywhere—the World Ice Art Championships. If you think "ice sculpture" means the dripping swan on the buffet table, you'll be blown away by fantastic and imaginative creations sculpted by over 100 ice artists from around the world.
Situated near the southern tip of Alaska—and like many Alaska towns accessible only by air and sea—Ketchikan has deep roots in fishing and maritime commerce. The Ketchikan Area Arts and Humanities Council helps bring artists and the community together, promoting the creation of all types of art. Local artists are able to show and market their work in Ketchikan's many museums and galleries, which are promoted in part through the community-driven Art Lives Here organization.
Music and theater play a role in the local art scene, which includes the Ketchikan Theatre Ballet whose slogan is "Raising the Barre in Southeast Alaska." Even fashion gets a nod in this town of 8,214 people, which each year hosts the Ketchikan Wearable Art Show.
The former capital of Russian America prior to 1867, today Sitka (population 9,020) enjoys its place as one of the best cities in Alaska for artists. The Greater Sitka Arts Council promotes visual and performing arts in the community, which supports dozens of local galleries, dance groups, museums, and Native Alaskan visual and performance artists. The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology hosts workshop and exploration intensives on both artistic and natural science topics. The Sitka Fine Arts Camp offers youth arts programs, as well as the popular Summer Teacher Arts Institute.
