First night in Anchorage

Margot's friend Lila was kind enough to pick me up at the airport and put me up for my 2 nights alone in Anchorage. She found me immediately which was something that worried me a little. She had all kinds of plans to showing me the baby mooses as they were going to bed, but I voted instead to see some urban life since the rest of my Alaska vacation would probably provide plenty of opportunity for mooses while my days in Anchorage were limited.

It was the first Friday which, like most places in the world, means the art galleries are open late and serving drinks. I arrived at 8:30; so, even though it isn't getting dark here until 1a, most of the parties had already ended. She had found one that closed at 10p. So, that is where we went.

The party was different than most gallery parties since the artist were actually painting there rather than available to discuss their work. I didn't see any evidence that they intended to sell their work, and it didn't seem to be in sellable form. Lila said the organization was funded by grants to engage young people in the arts.

These young people appeared to all be in their 20s. One high school boy lurked around. The organizer told us that he was a hot shot graffiti artist at his school but had had no exposure to real art until now.

The event included break dancers too. I'm getting that break dancing is back in style because there were a couple break dancers on The Bachelorette this season too. I wonder if when things like that come back, they come back in greater force. When I was a teenager (and pre-teen) white people didn't break dance. The guys on The Bachelorette were white, and now I'm witnessing break dancing in an art gallery. Have the affluent decided this art is cool 20 years later?



I love printmaking. So, I was particularly excited to see this installation outside the gallery. It appears they carved on plywood and put them through a steam press (whatever that is). I have only carved on incredibly soft wood. So, I don't envy these artists' efforts. It looks like they may have only made one print too. It would require a huge piece of paper!

This was in the parking lot. I don't know what it is, but it looks cool, and I see them all over Anchorage.

After all this excitement, we went back to Lila's where I slept long and hard in the sun-lit night.