On View: April 3–25, 2026
First Friday Opening Reception:
Friday, April 3rd, 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 Monday–Saturday from 12–6 p.m.
The Fairbanks Watercolor Society Spring Show celebrates the places that inspire us. Every piece in this show was created by a Fairbanks Watercolor Society member — artists who live, work, and paint across our community and beyond, bringing their love of water media and their deep connection to place into everything they make.
The theme is simple and personal: inspired by where we live. That means something different to every artist in the gallery. For some, it’s the view out their window, the light on a familiar hillside, the particular stillness of a landscape they know by heart. For others, it’s somewhere further — a place lived in and left behind, a home carried in memory that keeps showing up in their work. Together, these paintings tell the story of a community that finds meaning in place, belonging, and the act of looking closely at the world around them.
The Fairbanks Watercolor Society has been doing this for over twenty-five years — gathering to paint, to learn, and to share the results with the community. Founded in 1999 when fourteen hardy artists braved –40° temperatures to attend that very first meeting, FWS has grown into a thriving community of over a hundred members. Their ranks include beginners finding their footing in watercolor, lifelong painters who have been at it for decades, professional artists and instructors, and everyone in between. What brings them together is a shared love of the medium — and a commitment to showing the world what they see.
Come to the First Friday opening reception on April 3, 5–7 p.m., and experience the show at its most alive. Meet the artists, spend time with the work, and find yourself somewhere in what they’ve made. The exhibition runs through April 25. The gallery is open Monday–Saturday, 12–6 p.m. Admission is always free.
About the Fairbanks Watercolor Society
The Fairbanks Watercolor Society is a not-for-profit affiliate of Fairbanks Arts Association, founded in 1999. With over a hundred members, FWS offers a full year of exhibitions, workshops, paint-outs, and monthly educational meetings on the third Wednesday of each month — featuring guest speakers, demos, and lessons covering everything from new materials and painting techniques to the business of art. Membership is open to anyone interested in water media painting at any skill level. Learn more at fairbankswatercolor.com, or follow @fairbanks.watercolor.society on social media.
About Fairbanks Arts Association
Fairbanks Arts Association is the local arts agency for the Fairbanks community. Since 1966, Fairbanks Arts has worked to connect, support, and showcase the artists and audiences who make creativity a defining part of life in the Interior.
From the Bear Gallery in Pioneer Park to community events and educational outreach, Fairbanks Arts exists to make the arts accessible to everyone and to strengthen the creative ecosystem that sustains local culture, wellness, and connection.
Learn more about Fairbanks Arts Association programs, exhibitions, and membership opportunities at FairbanksArts.org, or follow @fairbanksarts on social media.
Fairbanks Arts Association programs are made possible in part by support from the Fairbanks North Star Borough, National Endowment for the Arts, Alaska State Council on the Arts, Lotto Alaska, the Richard L. and Diane M. Block Foundation, corporate contributions, and individual donors and members like you. Learn more about how you can get involved with supporting your local arts council’s programs by clicking here.
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