May in the Bear Gallery:

Published on by fairbanksartsassociation

May in the Bear Gallery:
Silver Salmon Cycle by Christine Kleinhenz of Tide Watcher
& My Floating World  by Don Decker

On View: May 2 – 31, 2025
First Friday Opening Reception:
Friday, May 2, 5 – 7 p.m.

(Gallery opens at noon on First Fridays)

The Bear Gallery is located on the third floor of the Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts building in Pioneer Park, 2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks, Alaska. 
Admission to the Bear Gallery is free of charge and open to the public.
The Bear Gallery is open Monday – Saturday from 12 – 6 p.m.

Join Fairbanks Arts in the Bear Gallery this May for two exhibitions featuring new work by Christine Kleinhenz of Tide Watcher and pieces by Don Decker that explore the Buddhist concept of Ukiyo-e, or the Floating World.

Silver Salmon Cycle,  
Christine Kleinhenz of Tide Watcher

Juneau-based artist and gallery owner Christine Kleinhenz of Tide Watcher presents a vibrant and immersive exhibition that brings together her love of fishing and children’s book creation. Christine’s peaceful place is waist-deep in ocean water with a rod in hand, and this passion shines through in each of the large, boldly colored paintings on display. To create this show, she began by researching teaching materials from her local NOAA facility, then wrote poems and gathered factual information about the silver salmon’s life stages. Each painting tells a part of the salmon’s journey, capturing its environment, surrounding fauna, and predators in rich detail. Quilted patterns evoke the flow of water and the passage of time, while prisms within the paintings reflect only the colors around them and follow a light source throughout.

Christine Kleinhenz of Tide Watcher lives and plays in Juneau, Alaska, where she and her family explore the wild places that inspire her work. In recent years, she has illustrated children’s books, taught art in schools, and created work for exhibitions and public spaces. Her signature style blends pop art and painterly techniques, using bold colors and design to invite viewers into her world. With this exhibition, Christine shares her sense of wonder for the natural world and invites viewers to follow along the silver salmon’s journey—and to reach out with questions or curiosity about her work.

Behind the scenes of Christine Kleinhenz of Tide Watcher

My Floating World,
Don Decker

Don Decker’s upcoming exhibition, My Floating World, draws inspiration from the Buddhist concept of Ukiyo-e, or the Floating World—a vision of life that embraces its fleeting, transient nature. “As I age, the realization of the ephemeral nature of the world, and of myself in it, is more acute. I see in the landscape the constant daily, seasonal, and lifelong changes, which then inspire my art.  I use those impressions as points of departure, working in the studio to experiment and develop ideas into complete works.” Decker reflects on how this historical idea parallels his own approach to drawing. His work explores the sculptural qualities of drawings that rise above or fall below the picture plane, evoking a sense of motion and impermanence. Decker views each blank page as a fresh start and a new challenge, knowing well that the artistic perfection he seeks will always be beyond reach, and fleeting.

With a career spanning more than 50 years, Don Decker has participated in over 250 exhibitions across Alaska and 22 other states. His solo exhibitions have been featured at institutions such as the Anchorage Museum, Alaska State Museum, and the International Gallery of Contemporary Art. Decker has worked across numerous media, including painting, drawing, collage, photography, sculpture, printmaking, and found objects. In 2016, he was named Distinguished Artist of Alaska by the Rasmuson Foundation, and in 2023, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Alaska Anchorage. His deep commitment to drawing and teaching—most recently as Adjunct Professor at UAA—continues to inform a practice rooted in observation, reflection, and the quiet persistence of daily creation.

Don Decker, Self Squared

Opening Reception
Join us for the First Friday opening reception to meet the artists and experience the work firsthand. This exhibition is free and open to the public, thanks to contributions from our members and donors. Learn more about how you can get involved in supporting Fairbanks Arts programs here!