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Final Hours: Online Auction Opportunity!
 There are just a few short hours left to bid on items in the Pratt Museum’s online Summer Auction! Your purchases go directly towards helping the Pratt Museum fulfill its Mission of preserving stories and inspiring people about the culture, art, and science of the Kachemak Bay region. Proceeds from store and auction sales will help support programs in the schools and the Museum this fall, winter, and spring. Specifically, watch for a new series of Public Programs launching this winter, celebrating our 50th Anniversary as a Community Museum. With that anniversary in mind, we're also hoping to show the building a little love with some fresh paint, repairs, and renovations. Become a part of the 50th year celebration now!
Find the auction online, and get your final bids in as soon as possible! The auction ends today, August 31, at midnight!!
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Pratt Closed during Museums Alaska Conference
The Pratt Museum will be closed September 26-30 so that all Museum staff members can attend the 2017 Museums Alaska Conference in Anchorage. When we return, expect an energized and enthusiastic staff, ready to tackle anything October throws at us— including the 2017 Ritz!
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It's that time of year again! Keep an ear out for upcoming news and events surrounding the 2017 Ritz! Ritz will be a little earlier this year, taking place October 21, at the Pratt Museum. A thrilling evening of music, appetizers, and auction suspense, this year's theme will be Night at the Museum: A Film Noir Ritz.
This Ritz Noir returns the event to the Museum grounds, highlighting the drama that unfolds among the exhibits when it's night at the Museum. Event attendees will enjoy fancy finger food and libations, dance with the Devil's Club Orchestra, and be immersed in the mysteries of our auction packages.
Tickets will be on sale at the Pratt Museum and Homer Bookstore for $60 starting September 15.
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Call for Root-Themed Mail Art
 In conjunction with a site-specific installation by local artist Lynn Marie Naden, the Pratt Museum is excited to host the ROOT International Mail Art Exhibit. We are rooting out participants!
Artists from across Alaska and around the globe are invited to mail in original artwork via US Postal Service, on the theme of Roots. All works are considered a donation and will be auctioned for the Pratt Museum (a tap root of our community) at the December 30 closing, with starting bids set at the cost of postage.
All works will be exhibited; no size limits; no returns; no live organics; address/postmark may be directly on the work. Works must be received by October 13, 2017. Opening reception for this exhibit will be November 3, with a closing reception and auction on December 30.
The root of Mail Art is attributed to the New York artist Ray Johnson (1927-1995), correspondence artist founder.
Already have a piece ready to go? Send it via USPS to:
The Root
P.O. Box 620
Homer, AK 99603
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Thank you, Te'arama!
Between August 14 and 19, Te'arama (members of Te Fare O Tamatoa, a Seattle-area school of Tahitian dance, language, and culture) conducted cultural exchanges with communities around the southern Kenai Peninsula.
Coordinated by the Pratt Museum, Te'arama performed for and alongside members of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, Ninilchik Traditional Council, Nanwalek Village, and Port Graham Village. In each community, they presented short workshops on traditional drumming and dancing styles from Tahiti. Among the opportunities offered by generous Kenai communities, Te'arama members were invited to the Ninilchik Traditional Council's set net site, enjoyed extended stays and travel by skiff between Nanwalek and Port Graham, and visited the Kenaitze Indian Tribe's K'Beq Heritage Site.
In addition to pickup basketball games and riding four-wheelers in the woods, conversations overheard spanned the importance of language preservation, contemporary music, the impact of colonialism in urban and village settings, and cultural pride. A finale performance as part of the Homer Council on the Arts' Aerial and Dance Festival rounded out an exciting week.
Funding for Te'arama's tour was provided by the Rasmuson Foundation through a Harper Arts Touring Fund, administered by the Alaska State Council on the Arts. Additional sponsors include the Homer Foundation, Chugachmiut, Ninilchik Traditional Council, and Ninilchik Natives Association, Inc. In-kind partners include Kenaitze Indian Tribe, Nanwalek Village IRA, Port Graham Village Council, Port Graham Corporation, the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, and Homer Fish Processing.
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Volunteer Positions Open . . . .
Well...looks like summer is winding down. Time to find some fall/winter activities to keep you and your kids busy! Interested in volunteering, but not sure where you might fit in at the Pratt? Don't worry, we can surely find something for you to do! As you are probably aware, volunteering is a great way to support and to get involved with your community Museum. Please let your friends, family and neighbors know how rewarding it is to share the culture, art and science of this place we call home. Encourage them to volunteer at the Pratt, and hint that if they work enough hours, they, too, could earn their very own Museum Membership!
Some essential volunteer positions include (but are never limited to!):
Front Desk Greeter
 Are you naturally good at smiling? Are you a fan of persuading people to love the Pratt as much as you do? Help whisk visitors into the magical world of the Pratt Museum. Invite them to explore the deep secrets of exhibits. Volunteer at the front desk, and your time will be wisely spent. If you can spare an hour or two, send a well-worded haiku. Or, contact the Museum via phone or email as soon as possible.
Trail Groomer/Botanical Gardener
 Are you more of an outdoors type of volunteer? Don't worry-- not everything that goes on at the Pratt happens inside! We need assistance with grounds maintenance, including (but, as ever, never limited to!) trail grooming and upkeep of the botanical gardens. Check in with Art Koeninger or call (907) 435-3323 to hear the latest needs for these areas!
Octonaut/Aquaria Assistant
 Working along the trails or with the sea life at the Pratt, you'll become a critical part of one of our most popular exhibits and programs. One to two hours per week, this person will help care for the Pratt's fleet of aquatic holding vessels: cleaning tanks, changing water, making sure that the critters have a healthy environment. Art Koeninger has these projects and more to choose from, so contact him for details.
Collections Inventory Assistant
 Do you have Collections Hands? Do you like old documents, flat plants, historic photos, birds, jars with stuff in them, bones, or rocks? Would you be interested in preparing a bird skeleton for Museum study collections? The Collections Manager needs a group of detail-oriented volunteers to help take inventory of Collections and protect majestic and mysterious artifacts: recording object numbers, organizing drawers, and other tasks as needed. Email Savanna Bradley for more details, or call (907) 435-3338.
Audio Transcriber
 The Pratt Museum exhibits department is still in need of audio transcription! Scott Bartlett is hoping to make use of digital audio files from a number of recent and historic recordings, but needs your help listening and transcribing what you hear. This is volunteer work that you can do either at the Museum or at home from your computer, perfect if you would rather be a behind-the-scenes supporter of Museum activities!
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