Current Exhibits
A Stitch in Time: Embroidery by Kirsa Hughes-Skandijs October 31st – December 20th, 2025
Exhibit runs through 1212/2121/25252525
A Stitch in Time Embroidery by Kirsa Hughes-Skandijs
Exhibition Dates: October 31st – December 20th, 2025
Opening Reception: First Saturday, November 8th 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
A Stitch in Time is a fiber art exhibition of embroidery pieces depicting a broad array of the everyday sights of our city’s streets juxtaposed with the natural sights of our shores and trails. The exhibition aims to examine our local surroundings and the “footprints” we leave on the timeless rainforest that offers refuge to humans and pets. Artist Kirsa Hughes-Skandijs says, “I find centering the medium of needle and thread especially apt as our individual lives are woven together by daily life here, rooted in the springy soil under the spruce boughs.”
Kirsa has enjoyed drawing and painting as long as she can remember but several years ago the thought of using needle and thread popped into her head. Kirsa started out with little knowledge of embroidery technique but figured it out along the way.
“I wouldn’t call myself an expert as there are lots of finer points and techniques yet to master, but I’ve become adept enough to start playing around with different materials and mixing media to push my boundaries and the scope of my vision,” says Kirsa.
Like so many Juneau artists, Kirsa is continually inspired by our natural surroundings. For this exhibition, however, she chose to include pieces which depict the human touches on local landmarks and dwellings, as well as some “cheeky” nods to our less-beautiful footprints.
Kirsa will be offering an embroidery workshop for beginners at the City Museum on Saturday, November 22nd from 10:30 a.m. to noon. She will demonstrate some of the basic techniques and stitches and then participants will combine them to create forget-me-nots. The workshop will be limited to 12 people.
Switch and Exchange: A Brief History of Telephones in 20th Century Juneau
Exhibit runs through 1212/0101/25252525
Opening Reception: January, 5th, 4-7pm
Telephones, switchboards, and the lines that connected them were once signifiers of a thriving modern community in the 20th Century. Juneau, as the first city in Alaska to have an established telephone system, exemplified a modern community in this way. This mini exhibition explores the history of landline telephones, Juneau’s early telephone company, and why Juneau has a community named Telephone Hill through interactives, phones, photographs, and art.
Unleashed: Paintings & Poems Exploring the Dog Culture of Juneau and Douglas November 7th – 29th, 2025
Exhibit runs through 1111/3030/25252525
Unleashed: Paintings & Poems Exploring the Dog Culture of Juneau and Douglas
Featuring: Artist Elise Tomlinson & Poet Emily Wall
Exhibition Dates: November 7th – 29th, 2025
Opening Reception: First Friday | November 7th 4:30– 7:00 p.m.
Artist Elise Tomlinson and Poet Emily Wall have collaborated to create original paintings and poems that explore their relationship with their dogs and Juneau/Douglas dog culture. Both Elise and Emily live in Douglas and have recently adopted rescue dogs. Unleashed explores how dogs create a sense of joy and safety for women who walk them, and how they connect dog owners to the rich and diverse community of local dog people with a special focus on Sandy Beach and historic Treadwell trails.
Elise and Emily invite the communities of Douglas and Juneau to join the visual and written conversation about how we live with dogs. Please bring a small piece of work to contribute to a collage that will be created and displayed as part of this month-long show. Any work of art (drawing, painting, weaving, photo, etc.) that can be pinned up, and any small piece of writing (poem, short memoir, flash fiction) is welcome. Please keep your work to a half page or smaller and sign your work. Small cards and pencils will be available at the opening reception on November 7th for those who would like to create something while viewing the show.
Elise Tomlinson is an artist and librarian. She holds a BFA and two master’s degrees (M.L.I.S and M.P.A) and currently serves as Library Dean at the University of Alaska Southeast. She has exhibited across Alaska, including solo shows at the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council Gallery, the Juneau Douglas City Museum, and at the Kimura Gallery and the International Gallery of Contemporary Art in Anchorage. Her work has appeared on book covers and in numerous publications. She has sold paintings and prints to collectors around the country and overseas. Elise lives and works on Douglas Island with her rescue dog Freddie, and can be found online at: https://www.elisetomlinson.com/
Emily Wall is a poet and Professor of English at the University of Alaska. She holds an M.F.A. in poetry from the University of Arizona. Her poems have been published in journals across the US including in Alaska Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, and Prairie Schooner. She has six books of poetry, including her most recent books Breaking Into Air and Fig. She has won two Rasmuson Individual Artist awards, two Juneau Arts & Humanities Council Artist Grants, and an Alaska Literary Award. Emily lives on Douglas Island with her rescue dog Nani, and she can be found online at www.emily-wall.com.