5/29: Cultural Programs, First Friday Art and More
May 29, 2009 | Tags: Alaska Native Culture, Art, Audio
We have a terrific list of events and attractions scheduled at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center this summer. 101 Dunkel Street should be a required stop on any visit to Fairbanks. Play or download this non-exhaustive overview:
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Download the 5/29 Midday Update
1/2: Another First Friday, New Visitors Guide
January 2, 2009 | Tags: Art, Audio
We’re very excited to be involved in our second First Friday Art Exhibition, and equally excited to announce the release of our 2009 Fairbanks Visitors Guide. All the details when you play or download below.
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First Friday at the Morris Thompson Center
December 3, 2008 | Tags: Alaska Native Culture, Art
First Friday is an art exhibition held in several different venues simultaneously around Fairbanks on the first Friday of every month. Join us for our inaugural First Friday event at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center (101 Dunkel Street downtown) this Friday, December 5, from 5 to 8 pm.
- Visit with exhibit mural artist Jan Vriesen.
- View Alaska Native art.
- Visit with building architects about the new structure.
- See story knives showcased by local artist Marty Hintz.
- Browse through the Alaska Geographic bookstore.
The Morris Thompson Center is home to the Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau, Alaska Public Lands Information Center, Alaska Geographic, Denakkanaaga and Tanana Chiefs Conference Cultural Programs. For more information, please call us at 456-5774 or (800) 327-5774.
Come Hear the Song of the Earth
June 26, 2008 | Tags: Art, Music, UAF
Fairbanks musician John Luther Adams was recently profiled by The New Yorker magazine in an article from Alex Ross titled Song of the Earth. The piece focuses largely on an Adams creation for the University of Alaska Museum of the North.
On a recent trip to the Alaskan interior, I didn’t get to see the aurora borealis, but I did, in a way, hear it. At the Museum of the North, on the grounds of the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, the composer John Luther Adams has created a sound-and-light installation called “The Place Where You Go to Listen”—a kind of infinite musical work that is controlled by natural events occurring in real time.
You’ll find both artist and creation fascinating, as Ross first describes the place:
The first day I was there, “The Place” was subdued, though it cast a hypnotic spell. Checking the Alaskan data stations on my laptop, I saw that geomagnetic activity was negligible. Some minor seismic activity in the region had set off the bass frequencies, but it was a rather opaque ripple of beats, suggestive of a dance party in an underground crypt…
When I arrived the next day, just before noon, “The Place” was jumping. A mild earthquake in the Alaska Range, measuring 2.99 on the Richter scale, was causing the Earth Drums to pound more loudly and go deeper in register. (If a major earthquake were to hit Fairbanks, “The Place,” if it survived, would throb to the frequency 24.27Hz, an abyssal tone that Adams associates with the rotation of the earth.) Even more spectacular were the high sounds showering down from speakers on the ceiling. On the Web site of the University of Alaska’s Geophysical Institute, aurora activity was rated 5 on a scale from 0 to 9, or “active.” This was sufficient to make the Aurora Bells come alive.
And the man who made The Place Where You Go to Listen a reality:
Adams blends in well with the proudly scruffy characters who populate the diners and bars of Fairbanks. Tall and rail-thin, his handsomely weathered face framed by a short beard, he bears a certain resemblance to Clint Eastwood, and speaks in a similarly soft, husky voice. He’s not unworldly—he travels frequently to New York, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, and other cultural capitals—but he is happiest when he goes on extended camping trips into the wilderness, especially to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He exudes a regular-guy coolness that is somewhat unusual in contemporary composers.
Be sure to visit our world class Museum of the North on your trip to Fairbanks.
Expanded Schedule: Museum of the North
Visitors will now have more time to explore the galleries at the University of Alaska Museum of the North. Closing time this summer will be 9pm, providing extra time for catching the auditorium shows called Dynamic Aurora and Winter, which have been moved forward one week this year. Daily show times for Dynamic Aurora will be 10am, 2pm and 7:30pm. Winter can be seen at 11am and 3pm. Additional showings may be added based upon visitor demand. Details on other new items for this summer can be found on the Museum homepage.
Alaska Book Festival 2008
April 30, 2008 | Tags: Art, Literature, UAF
Poetry, natural history, science fiction, history, photography and cooking are among the dozens of topics to be discussed at the second annual Alaska Book Festival. The three day event brings together a diverse group of Alaska authors, meeting all over the Fairbanks area June 12-14, 2008. Events will be held on the UAF campus, as well as at coffee shops, book stores and other venues around town. All the details can be obtained on the official Alaska Book Festival website.
Drawing Contest Winners
January 8, 2008 | Tags: Art
We handed out prizes for our annual drawing contest recently during Holidays at the Cabin. Kindergarten through sixth grade students from around the Fairbanks area participated, showing their enthusiasm for Winter in Fairbanks.
The grand prize went to a second grade student, Elena.
In category 1, second graders Connor and Lars were winners, along with first grader Elias.
Juliana, third grade, and fourth graders Clara and Sadie took home prizes for category 2.
Sixth graders, Ciarra and Chris won in category 3. Fifth grader Blessing was also a winner.
The winning drawings are on display at our Log Cabin Visitor Information Center, located at 550 First Avenue in downtown Fairbanks. Our champions were from local schools including Woodriver, Joy, Denali, Badger Road and Fairhill Christian. Congratulations to everyone! Make sure you drop by the cabin for extensive information about Fairbanks and Interior Alaska. While you’re there, take a closer look at these drawings, and perhaps be inspired to have your own Alaska winter adventure!
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