Alaska’s Wild Palette: Creatures and Canvas
by Felicia Johnson
And
The Usual Auspex by Lacey Miller
On View: July 4 – 26, 2025
First Friday Opening Reception: Friday, July 4, 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 July for two colorful exhibitions. Alaska’s Wild Palette: Creatures and Canvas by Felicia Johnson and The Usual Auspex by Lacey Miller capture the natural world of Alaska in vibrant detail and present unique bodies of work that celebrate nature, personal reflection, and the creative spirit.
Alaska’s Wild Palette: Creatures and Canvas
by Felicia Johnson
Felicia Johnson is a self-taught painter whose vibrant oil paintings capture the essence of the animal kingdom and their natural habitats. Raised in New Mexico, Felicia came to Alaska two decades ago for an art project and has since been inspired by the raw beauty of the northern wilderness. Felicia began her artistic journey as a muralist, bringing color to homes and local spaces such as the surgery center and fire station.
Today, her canvas work showcases her love for oil paint—drawn to its “rich, buttery texture” and ability to hold bold, vivid colors. She finds joy in using color in unexpected ways, but with an overall harmonious feeling. “I love animals and am deeply inspired to capture their beauty and personalities,” she shares. This collection, born during the stillness of the pandemic, is a vibrant reflection of long-held ideas and the brightness found even in the darkest of winters.
I strive to create paintings that spark joy and invite viewers to connect with the beauty of nature.
Follow Felicia on Facebook or Instagram at @felicia.johnson.art and visit her website for even more information www.feliciajohnsonart.com
The Usual Auspex
by Lacey Miller
Lacey Miller is a lifelong Alaskan artist with a deep love for the therapeutic values of both art and nature. Though paint is her go-to, both acrylic and watercolor, she works in all mediums, never discriminating and always ready to fail or succeed, finding value in either outcome. This exhibition explores her not-so-secret obsessions: ravens, water, and the skies, and her belief in art as both therapy and truth.
Lacey’s journey as an artist is deeply rooted in her upbringing. Art runs through her family, and her early influences—including her parents and high school teacher, Margaret Donat—helped shape her creative voice. She went on to earn a degree in art from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, with a focus on painting and a minor in early childhood education. Much of her life has been spent raising her five children, work she calls her “most valuable.” Even now, with her kids grown, she continues to nurture childhood’s magic as a dedicated childcare provider.
“With my art and with my life, I hope to promote more genuine human connection and encourage the strange, real version that lives inside all of us. They are beautiful, and that’s where our value lies.”
You can follow Lacey’s work on Facebook or Instagram @pieces.work or her website http://www.LaceyMiller.Art
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