Shadow
©Kesler Woodward 2007
Acrylic on canvas
42" x 54" (image)
43 1/2" x 55 1/2" (framed)
This a Denali National Park scene, but it is not of "The Mountain" itself, nor of any other popular or prominently named locale in the Park and Preserve. It is just one of many vistas of peaks, ridges, foothills, and valleys that Missy and I have not only admired, but tromped around in during recent sojourns there.
In this view, passing clouds out of view high overhead cast dramatic shadows on the tundra and the mountainsides. Sometimes I find myself overwhelmed by the way such fleeting, ethereal forms can combine with light to paint the land itself so boldly, and yet so ephemerally, on such a grand scale.
Barry McWayne
©Kesler Woodward 2007
Acrylic watercolor
9" x 6 1/2" (image)
Home in Fairbanks, Missy and I attended on Sunday a retirement party at the University of Alaska Museum of the North for Barry McWayne, along with about 100 of his other friends. It was a great delight to be able to pay some small tribute to his more than 36 years of service to the Museum and to the Alaskan arts community.
All of us got to enjoy the fine food brought by so many friends and the fun powerpoint presentation put together by museum staff with images of Barry over those almost four decades. Several of us got to say a few words in appreciation of him and his work. Aldona Jonaitis, the museum director, presented him with a plaque designed by Wanda Chin, recognizing his contributions, along with the permanent title of Curator of Fine Arts Emeritus. Scott Nacke, the new Fine Arts Collections Manager who is already ably tending and continuing to build that collection, detailed some of Barry's long list of accomplishments and honors. I tried to say just a few things about his importance to the art community.
Charles Mason told great stories about traveling on photographic expeditions with Barry and about how important Barry's encouragement was to him early on as an artist and photographer. Frank Soos talked about Barry's commitment to quality in everything he does, and added his perspective on, and his artist wife Margo Klass's thanks for, the important encouragement Barry has given to new and emerging Alaskan artists over the years. Finally, Wanda Chin, who masterminded the whole event, added her own thanks and surprised him with a presentation box filled with personal tributes crafted by dozens of individual artists, colleagues, and friends on 8 1/2" x 11" pages. It was a nice event that only began to express the appreciation felt not just by those of us there, but by the arts community throughout Alaska, for his work as an artist and a curator and for his character as a friend.
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