Arts and entertainment
"Funky and charming -- an art town on the rise,"

Homer arts events sponsored by nonprofit organizations generate $2.6 million, according to an Americans for the Arts study -- an example of the economic strength of the arts on the lower Kenai Peninsula.

"Funky and charming -- an art town on the rise," John Villani, author of "The 100 Best Art Towns in America," called Homer when he visited here.

Whether it's writers reading at coffeehouses, musicians jamming at intimate bars, art lovers prowling galleries on First Friday or actors strutting the stage at Pier One or the Mariner Theatre, art comes alive in Homer.

Art Galleries

Homer's art scene gets recharged every First Friday, when galleries change exhibits and hold receptions for local, Alaska or Outside artists. Many galleries have juried exhibits, so the competition to show can be tough -- and the art of high quality. Other galleries welcome emerging artists. Media include traditional Native arts, fiber and glass, jewelry, painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics and found objects.

First Friday can be a happening social scene as artists mingle, talk shop and share new ideas. Galleries are always changing and expanding, but they include Bunnell Street Arts Center and the Ring of Fire Meadery on Bunnell Avenue in Old Town, and Art Shop Gallery, Picture Alaska art gallery, Ptarmigan Arts Gallery, Fireweed Gallery and the Homer Council on the Arts, all on Pioneer Avenue. The Pratt Museum on Bartlett Street also has exhibits, as do many local restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses.

Head to the Spit or out of town for other galleries. The Sea Lion Fine Art Gallery, owned by local artist Gary Lyon, is on the Homer Spit. Check out High Tide Arts, Inua and other galleries, too.

The Ben Firth Studio at Mile 161 Sterling Highway highlights sculptures in antler, wood and bronze, glass etchings and paintings by this very talented family of artists. Access to Norman Lowell Gallery is across Sterling Highway from Ben Firth Studio. Lowell and his wife, Libby, homesteaded this area in 1958. The gallery showcases Lowell's lifetime collection of 250 original works.

Theater and film

Pier One Theatre, Homer's best little theatre, keeps rolling along at the red metal barn on the Homwe Spit next to the Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon. It presents everything from Shakespeare to the latest off-Broadway productions, and sometimes includes only-in-Homer plays by local playwrights, such as Shirley Timmreck.

All of them are made possible by a small, talented and dedicated crew of directors, actors, musicians, and volunteers who create the props, adjust lighting, fashion costumes, sweep the floor and pop the popcorn.

Reserve tickets in advance by calling 235-7333. For a schedule of upcoming events, visit Pier One's Web site at PierOneTheatre.org.

Bunnell Street Arts Center periodically offers small stage performance art pieces, such as Amy Caron's "Waves of Mu" or TeAda Production's "Refugee Nation." Theater on the cutting edge, Bunnell's performances expand the notion of theater and bring to Homer art often seen only in larger cities.

Films and the art of filmmaking are of growing interest on the southern Kenai Peninsula. The first documentary film festival was organized by the Homer Theatre in 2004. This year, the Homer Documentary Film Festival held the Alaska premier of Michael Moore's "Slacker Uprising." The Homer Theatre brings an eclectic mix of action-adventure Hollywood movies and obscure independent films. For more information, visit HomerTheatre.com.

The Homer Film Society provides an avenue for local filmmakers to perfect their art and film lovers to benefit from their work. With the Bunnell Street Arts Center, every First Friday the film society shows short films at Cinema 127 on Bunnell Avenue.

The Homer High School music department puts on amazing productions every year, such as the annual musical, like "The Mikado," "Les Miserables," and "West Side Story."

Now in its 20th year, the annual December production of "The Nutcracker Ballet" has drawn huge holiday crowds when 100 young cast members bring Tchaikovsky's much-loved story to life. The costumes, sets and lighting are magical, and the performances of area youngsters repeatedly bring cheering audiences to their feet.

Music

From homegrown to international talent, local musicians can be enjoyed almost every weekend at area coffeehouses and bars, including Alice's Champagne Palace, Duggan's Waterfront Pub, Down East Saloon, the Alibi and Kharacters. Hobo Jim serenades with ballads; Three Legged Mule and Elders on Fire pour out crowd-pleasing rhythms; Cento Nova offers mellow bossa nova melodies; Ray-Jen Cajun spices up the scene with bayou flavors; the Old Time Fiddle and Banjo Association inspires crowds to play along or get up and dance.

Local promoters such as Downward Dog Productions, the Homer Council on the Arts and Bunnell Street Arts Center bring in many of the acts playing in Anchorage or Fairbanks to the area -- often at prices less than the big city.

The Seldovia Solstice Music Festival, June 18-20, is a great time to visit Seldovia, on the south side of Kachemak Bay. Be immersed in a weekend filled with music, meet the performers and enjoy on a workshop or two. For more information on this and other events sponsored by the Seldovia Arts Council, visit the Web at seldoviamusicfestival.org.

Concert on the Lawn, held the weekend of the last Saturday in July, July 31 - August 1, and organized by public radio station KBBI, offers an open-air setting that takes advantage of long Alaska summer days, with entertainment starting early and continuing long after the sun goes down in other parts of the world. Food, crafts and local businesses join with musicians to make this a weekend of fun for the family. For updates on acts, check KBBI.org.

The Kenai Peninsula Orchestra holds an August music festival with performances in Homer, the central peninsula and "Champagne, Chocolate and Chopin," a very special afternoon performance on the deck of Tutka Bay Wilderness Lodge.

The Pacific Northwest Zimbabwean music scene has spread to Homer, with four active marimba groups in town. Walk past the Arts Council on Pioneer Avenue on weekday summer nights, and you might catch some of the groups playing on community instruments. Catch marimba music at the annual Street Fair in late July or -- well, who knows where it will show up? Musicians of all varieties play at venues like the Farmers' Market.