Stream artist talks by our February exhibitors, Olena Ellis and John Hagen, right here on our website!
OMGoddess! – an exhibition by Olena Ellis
Olena Ellis’ OMGoddess! Is currently on exhibit at the Bear Gallery through February 26, 2021. Olena is a ceramic sculptural artist living and working in Fairbanks, AK. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and was an artist-in-residence at the Beatrice Wood Center in Ojai, CA. Olena’s work has been featured in the publications Ceramics Monthly and Mosaic Art Today.
Work in her exhibition was created in response to 2020, as society was pushed into the uncomfortable and uncharted territory between politics, pandemic, loss, and isolation. When the pandemic arrived, Olena’s over-scheduled calendar and never-ending to-do list came to a screeching halt. Part of the slow down included a tiny kiln, an intentional process, and an inner journey resulting in OMGoddess!
The Sound of Wind and Grass: Images from Ugashik, AK – an exhibition by John Hagen
John Hagen’s The Sound of Wind and Grass: Images from Ugashik, AK is currently on view in the Bear Gallery through February 26, 2021. John is an Unungan and Iñupiaq photographer; he studied photojournalism at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and earned his BFA degree from the Institute of American Indian Arts.
The body of work in this exhibition was created over two summers in the village of Ugashik in Western Alaska, in Bristol Bay, the land of his ancestors.