Alaska News

Arts Scene: Winter tunes, Meet Mr. Pickles, and 'Blacks in Alaska'

Winter tunes

This weekend brings a bunch of live music events. The Anchorage Community Concert Band will present its Winter Concert at 7 p.m. Saturday in the East High Auditorium. It's a great program for families with children; admission is $6, $3 for military and children age 12 and under. The University Singers and Sinfonia will present "A Winter Sing and String" featuring festive classical pieces at 7:30 p.m., also on Saturday, in the UAA Fine Arts Building Recital Hall. General admission is $10, purchased in advance by calling 786-4849. And at 2 p.m. on Sunday, the annual community performance of Handel's "Messiah" will be performed at the West High Auditorium. Tickets are $10. Word is that three past and present Alaska lieutenant governors are singing in the choir.

Meet Mr. Pickles

Friday's round of First Friday art openings includes a special appearance by two guests from the Alaska Zoo at 2 Friends Gallery, 341 E. Benson Blvd. -- an owl and a porcupine, the latter named Mr. Pickles. (Watch out for his prickles!) The zoo is the gallery's adoptive nonprofit for the month of December, sharing in a portion of the sales. Accordingly, critters and birds in paintings and decorations will be featured at the opening, which includes mulled cider and yummy treats starting at 5 p.m.

Documentary debuts

A big documentary film project, "Blacks in Alaska," will have its public premiere at the Wilda Marston Auditorium in Loussac Library. The first part, "Pioneers," will start screening at 11 a.m. on Saturday, with segments about the contributions of living African-Americans to Alaska, and the generation now coming of age will follow. A donation of $10 is requested.

Compiled by arts reporter

Mike Dunham

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