PRATT MUSEUM

established in 1968

The Pratt Museum Raises Over $28,500 at its Annual Fundraiser Gala ‘Ritz Under the Sea’

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Pratt Museum’s ‘Ritz Under the Sea’ Gala Raises Over $28,500 to Support Local History and Education

HOMER, AK (October 16, 2026) — The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. Board of Directors and the Pratt Museum staff are proud to announce that this year’s annual gala, “Ritz Under the Sea,” successfully raised just over $28,500. The vital funds will go directly toward sustaining the Museum’s exhibits, preserving the rich local history of the region, and continuing its essential educational programming throughout the year.

The ocean-themed event drew over 100 community members who gathered to celebrate and support the Pratt’s mission-driven work. Attendees enjoyed an extraordinary evening filled with local culinary delights, fine beverages, live entertainment, and a spectacular live auction featuring unique items and experiences contributed by generous area businesses.

“Our community’s response to this year’s event has inspired us all,” said the Board Fundraising Committee in a joint statement expressing deep gratitude to the patrons, volunteers, and partners who made the night a major success. “The generosity shown is a shining testament to the vitality and spirit of Homer.”

The event’s success was fueled by incredibly generous auction item donations from dozens of local businesses as well as an array of event sponsors, including:

  • Inlet Law

  • South Peninsula Hospital

  • Northrim Bank

  • Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Alaska Realty

  • Homer Real Estate

  • KBBI 890 Public Radio

  • Duncan House Diner

  • Wild Alaskan Company

Master of Ceremonies Jim Anderson anchored the memorable evening, going above and beyond to drive the program and lead the live auction to its record success. The festive, lively atmosphere was set by the Pushki Pickers, who provided phenomenal live music, while artist Conrad Field captured the heart of the gala with his beautiful flyer art.

A variety of local food and beverage partners brought the event to life. The Porcupine Theater team provided the incredible venue, with The Grog Shop and Grace Ridge Brewing supplying marvelous beverage options. Guests were treated to exceptional culinary pairings crafted by The Tickled Pear and Dolce Lucca.

The Pratt Museum extends its heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated, sponsored, or volunteered, helping sustain the Museum’s role as a cornerstone of culture and education in Homer.

About the Pratt Museum  The mission of the Pratt Museum is to explore and preserve the culture, science, and art of the Kachemak Bay region. The Museum is open daily from 10am-6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day and Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-4pm the rest of the year. Visit the Pratt Museum at 3779 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at http://www.prattmuseum.org/.

Contact: Whitney Harness, Executive Director. director@prattmuseum.org; (907) 235-8635.

“Entangled & Ingested” Traveling Exhibition to Visit Pratt Museum in September with a Focus on Art, Science, and Policy

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“Entangled & Ingested” Traveling Exhibition to Visit Pratt Museum in September with a Focus on Art, Science, and Policy

Homer, Alaska (June 1, 2026)

The Pratt Museum Will Host a New Special Exhibition Curated by Dr. Katharine Owens Titled “Entangled & Ingested”.

The Pratt Museum’s new special exhibition will open in the Main Gallery on September 25, 2026 and be on display through the end of the year. In honor of the exhibit, the Pratt Museum will host an opening reception on Friday, October 2 from 4 – 6pm with light refreshments and free admission to all Museum galleries.

Entangled and Ingested is an exhibition featuring more than twenty-two pieces from multi-media artist Dr. Katharine Owens’ series of life-sized portraits of animals harmed by plastic pollution. Her work draws attention to the devastating impact of waste on ecosystems as well as individual species and challenges viewers to confront their role in a disposable culture while encouraging a reimagining of our relationship with waste.

Each piece is made from hand-sewing unrecyclable plastic onto canvas and features a species named in scientific literature as being harmed by plastic pollution. The animals serve as both victims and witnesses, offering a visual narrative of our shared vulnerability in the face of environmental collapse. Some of the smaller pieces were created by Dr. Owens, while the largest pieces have been collaboratively constructed during public sewing workshops with communities around the world.

In collaboration with the artist, the Pratt Museum will host a Drop-In Workshop on Saturday, September 26 from 10am – 2pm in our downstairs classroom. Roll up your sleeves and join us to contribute to a life-size portrait of the biggest piece Dr. Owens has created to date, the 80-foot Fin Whale.

 

About Dr. Katharine Owens As both a National Geographic Explorer and Fulbright Nehru fellow, Dr. Owens melds science and policy on the topic of plastic pollution in her art practice. She has researched water policy for over twenty years and worked on plastic pollution projects in places as varied as Connecticut, Kerala, India, and Svalbard int he Arctic Circle. Kat lectures, hosts collaborative sewing workshops, and exhibits her work all over the world. More information about Dr. Owens and the Entangled and Ingested Project is available at https://katowens.com/.

About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to explore and preserve the culture, science, and art of the Kachemak Bay region. The Museum is open daily from 10am-6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day and Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-4pm the rest of the year. Visit the Pratt Museum at 3779 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at http://www.prattmuseum.org/.

Special Exhibition “In a Time of Change: Boreal Echoes” Will be Mounted in the Main Gallery at the Pratt Museum

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New Special Exhibition Coming to the Pratt Museum in May 2026

Homer, Alaska (April 15, 2026) – Pratt Museum

Special Exhibition “In a Time of Change: Boreal Echoes” Will be Mounted in the Main Gallery at the Pratt Museum

The Pratt Museum’s new special exhibition, In a Time of Change: Boreal Echoes (Boreal Echoes), will be on display in the Main Gallery from May 15, 2026 through September 20, 2026. Boreal Echoes is a touring exhibit produced by the Alaska-based collaborative environmental arts-humanities-science program known as “In a Time of Change (ITOC)”. Boreal Echoes is the result of three years of learning, conversation, and experimentation by a cohort of artists who were inspired and informed by the boreal forest, the scientists who study it, and each other. Artists built relationships to the boreal biome and one another through outdoor field trips, scientific presentations, artist craft talks, and monthly group activities. The cohort then created original artworks sharing their collaborative and individual investigations, inspirations, and care about the boreal biome. The Boreal Echoes exhibition builds on In a Time of Change’s former project, Boreal Forest Stories, which was mounted at the Pratt Museum in 2023. 

Boreal Echoes is directed by Mary Beth Leigh and includes artwork by Susan Campbell, Alyssa Enriquez, Nancy Hausle-Johnson, Mary Bee Kaufman, Margo Klass, Jennifer Moss, Ree Nancarrow, Oralee Nudson, Teresa Shannon, Todd Sherman, Marianne Stolz, Connie Stricks, and Sara Tabbert. The artwork in the exhibit embraces many art mediums; from ceramics, moving sculptures, textiles, bookmaking, and much more. 

The Museum will host an Opening Reception on Friday, June 5 from 4-6pm, in collaboration with Homer’s monthly First Friday events. In addition, the Pratt will offer workshops and programs aligned with the exhibition’s themes, including free weekly Storytime programs in June, Scribble Sketching the Boreal Forest, and Animal Tracking and Journaling in the Boreal Forest, both presented by naturalist Kim McNett. To learn more about these events visit https://www.prattmuseum.org/events/ 

About In a Time of Change Arts – Humanities – Science Collaboration  Founded in 2007 by the Bonanza Creek Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) in Fairbanks, Alaska, the In a Time of Change (ITOC) program facilitates and produces collaborative arts-humanities-science exhibits and events focused on ecological themes important to Alaska. ITOC is part of a growing network of place-based, environmental arts-humanities-science programs across the U.S. and around the world. ITOC is directed by Mary Beth Leigh (University of Alaska Fairbanks). Lissy Goralnik (Michigan State University) leads research and evaluation of the program and John Smelter serves as curator and coordinator. Learn more by visiting their website at https://inatimeofchange.org/.

About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to strengthen relationships between people and place through stories relevant to Kachemak Bay. It fulfills its mission by facilitating engagement between community members and strengthening understandings of our shared place. Through these activities, the unique relationship between the people and places of Kachemak Bay will be sustained far into the future. The Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 11am to 4pm. Beginning May 5, 2026, the Museum will be open daily from 10am – 6pm. Visit the Pratt Museum at 379 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at https://www.prattmuseum.org/.

Contact Whitney Harness, Executive Director, tel (907) 435-3333, email director@prattmuseum.org

Ruth Kilcher Mariott Collection Archive & Pratt Museum Receive Grant from the Jack Kagan Foundation

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Ruth Kilcher Mariott Collection Archive & Pratt Museum Receive Grant from The Jack Kagan Foundation

Homer, Alaska (March 20, 2026) – Pratt Museum

The Jack Kagan Foundation Awards the Ruth Kilcher Mariott Collection Archive and Pratt Museum $5,000 in Support of their “Weaving Threads of the Last Frontier” Material Culture Collaborative Project.

The Pratt Museum and Ruth Kilcher Mariott Collection Archive are grateful to be the recipient of a $5,000 grant award from The Jack Kagan Foundation. This contribution will support the Weaving Threads of the Last Frontier (Weaving Threads) material culture project. 

The Ruth Kilcher Mariott Archive collection chronicles the life of Ruth as a homesteader, a mother of eight, and an accomplished poet. Ruth was an impressive historical figure and a powerful storyteller. By investigating not only Ruth’s written works, but also cultural objects like clothing, a richer and more intricate account of Ruth’s life as a homesteader will be understood. 

This award will directly support intern stipends, collections research, and the continued development of the Weaving Threads material culture project and exhibition. Because of this support, these two organizations can collaborate to sustain meaningful, hands-on archival training while preserving and interpreting an important chapter of Alaska’s homesteading history. 

The Weaving Threads project will support an exhibition that highlights the women of the homestead era (1940s-1960s) and their contribution to their families as well as their individual artistry. Life during this time was harsh, yet homestead women like Ruth Mariott Kilcher were able to not only survive, but create beauty and comfort for their families, their communities, and for themselves. Sewing, knitting, crochet, looming, weaving, and other craft married utility with creative expression and is a profound and valuable example of self. 

This work carries both historical and generational significance. Capturing oral histories, digitizing materials, and stewarding artifacts while elders are still able to share their memories is time-sensitive work. This contribution allows these organizations to move forward with purpose and urgency, ensuring that these stories are preserved with care and professional standards. 

About the Jack Kagan Foundation The Jack Kagan Foundation was established to continue and expand the philanthropic work that Mr. Jack Kagan conducted during his lifetime, focused on helping others in need that were not as fortunate as he was. They focus on four main themes for giving, including veterans, children, medicine, and community. Learn more by visiting their website https://jkaganfoundation.org/

About the Ruth Kilcher Mariott Collection Archive This organization chronicles the life of Kachemak Bay homesteader Ruth Weber Kilcher Mariott, including diverse materials, ranging from poetry collections to cookbooks, photographs, and more, preserving these precious artifacts for future generations. Learn more by contacting Catkin Kilcher Burton, Curator of the Ruth Kilcher Mariott Collection, at catkin.kilcher.burton@gmail.com.

About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to strengthen relationships between people and place through stories relevant to Kachemak Bay. It fulfills its mission by facilitating engagement between community members and strengthening understandings of our shared place. Through these activities, the unique relationship between the people and places of Kachemak Bay will be sustained far into the future. The Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 11am to 4pm. Beginning May 5, 2024, the Museum will be open daily from 10am – 6pm. Visit the Pratt Museum at 379 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at https://www.prattmuseum.org/.

Contact Whitney Harness, Executive Director, tel (907) 435-3333, email director@prattmuseum.org