Members of the Wrangell Art Gallery are, from left, Michael Bania, Mary Fredrichs, Joan Benjamin, Loretta Rice and, seated, Olga Norris. The group, along with other members Chris Ellis, Jacquie Dozier, Linda Fabrello and Roberta Floyd, gather at the gallery on Thursdays to work on projects, get feedback and socialize.
For more than 50 years, members of the Wrangell Art Gallery have come together once a week to work on projects, give each other feedback, and to spend time with artistic-minded friends.
Along with creating one-of-a-kind artwork, they've also created a lot of memories.
One of the members who has been with the group since the beginning, Olga Norris, still strives to learn new artistic mediums to work in, even at 93 years old.
"There was a group of us that painted together for years, and the main person that started (it) was Lavon White," Norris said. "Her daughter owns this building (where the gallery is located on Front Street). She promised Lavon that we would have a place to display our art and to do painting or whatever."
Before the group became a gallery, Norris said, White would take them out camping, creating plein air paintings (landscapes, painted outdoors) through the day and playing cards at night. They would also travel together to learn from other artists or bring people into Wrangell to teach them.
"Originally, it was just paintings, but then after we got in here (to the gallery) it sort of blossomed out," said Joan Benjamin, who has been with the group since the 1970s. "Everybody started thinking, 'Well, I can do this.'"
"This" being different mediums of artwork, whether watercolors, acrylics, quilting, reclaimed art or even children's books, which member Michael Bania creates.
"Everybody has their own little niche," Bania said.
"(Olga) just started beading," said Loretta Rice, another member of the group. "She just finished making me an awesome pair of moccasins. Olga and I took a class on moccasins."
Norris has tried her hand at painting, basket weaving, photography and, most recently, beadwork. Just like the others in the group, she will bring in the items she's working on to get feedback, see what's working and what isn't.
"Here you can say, 'What do you think, how's this look?' And you get real, helpful comments." Mary Fredrichs said. Both Fredrichs and Bania were elementary school teachers in "another life," and art played heavily into their teaching. Bania said she built her curriculum around hands-on activities.
"When we were elementary teachers, back in the day, we got to do a lot of creative things in the midst of our teaching," Fredrichs said.
The art gallery isn't just a place for artists to gather and exchange critiques, ideas, knowledge or gossip, it's also a place for residents and tourists to stop by to peruse the ever-changing collection and buy a piece of art. Though there are several large pieces, the artists try to create smaller prints with tourists in mind for travel purposes. If somebody wants a painting or another piece of art that might be too big to take back on a cruise ship or flight, the gallery will mail the item.
Along with original works of art, the gallery sells quilt patterns, some of which are unique to Wrangell, Fredrichs said.
Most of the art is inspired by Wrangell, such as Benjamin's paintings, which are based on photos she's taken from trips up the Stikine and around the island.
Whatever medium each artist uses they'll keep learning and creating.
"There are so many mediums to work with," Bania said. They'll keep doing it "till we're pushing up daisies."
The Wrangell Art Gallery, at 208 Front St., is open to new members for a monthly membership fee. It is open on Thursdays, when cruise ships are in town, and by appointment.
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