PRATT MUSEUM

established in 1968

New Special Exhibition Coming to the Pratt Museum in January 2026

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New Special Exhibition Coming to the Pratt Museum in January 2026

Homer, Alaska (December 12, 2025)

The Pratt Museum Will Host a New Special Exhibition From the Kodiak Maritime Museum Titled “50 Years of Limited Entry: The Closing of Alaska’s Salmon Commons”.

PHOTO: The traveling version of “50 Years of Limited Entry: The Closing of Alaska’s Salmon Commons” on view at the Andrew P. Kashevaroff Building in Juneau, Alaska. Photo courtesy of the Alaska State Libraries, Archives and Museums, March 2025.

The Pratt Museum’s new special exhibition will open in the Main Gallery on January 9, 2026 and be on display through May 17, 2026. In honor of the exhibit, the Pratt Museum will host a Curator Talk on Saturday, February 7, featuring a presentation by Kodiak Maritime Museum Curator and exhibit designer, Toby Sullivan, followed directly by a community conversation session in which all guests are welcome to share their own experiences with the Limited Entry Program in Alaska.

50 Years of Limited Entry examines the origins and effects of the Limited Entry Program in Alaska. As much a social engineering program as a conservation effort, the story of Limited Entry is both instructive and cautionary. In addition to the 50 Years of Limited Entry exhibit panels, this exhibition will feature art, photographs, and materials from the Pratt Museum’s permanent collection.

 

About the Kodiak Maritime Museum Incorporated in Alaska in 1996 by a small group of commercial fishermen, the Kodiak Maritime Museum’s mission is to recognize, preserve, and interpret Kodiak’s maritime heritage. To make 50 Years of Limited Entry, Kodiak Maritime Museum conducted archival research and interviewed fishermen and fisheries policy makers. Juneau’s Exhibit AK designed the exhibit panels. Support for the exhibit comes from the National Park Service and Alaska Office of History and Archeology, Alaska State Museum Grant-In-Aid, City of Kodiak, Kodiak Community Foundation, Kodiak CHARR, Kodiak History Museum, and individual supporters of Kodiak Maritime Museum. More information about the exhibit and the Kodiak Maritime Museum is available at https://www.kodiakmaritimemuseum.org/.

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, tel (907) 435-3333, email director@prattmuseum.org

Executive Director Hired for Pratt Museum

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Executive Director Hired for Pratt Museum

Homer, Alaska (October 27, 2025)

The Pratt Museum Welcomes Whitney Harness as New Executive Director

The Board of Directors of The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of Whitney Harness as the Executive Director of the Pratt Museum. Her appointment was effective Friday, September 26, 2025. Harness has worked at the Pratt for the past two years, serving as the Visitor Services, Store, and Communications Manager and most recently as the Interim Co-Executive Director.

“Whitney brings a wonderful depth of knowledge and insight to her role at the Pratt Museum,” said Sue Fallon, President of the Board of Directors. “Her passion, empathy, and connections to the community are invaluable, and we are thrilled to welcome her leadership as the Pratt Museum moves forward into our next chapter.” As the Executive Director, Harness will oversee the Museum’s daily operations, strategic initiatives, and continued engagement with the local community and beyond.

Her work experience includes management positions in cultural and tourism-related industries in Alaska and her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in History as well as graduate-level coursework in Education. Whitney was born and raised in Alaska and has lived in Homer since 2016.

“I am honored by the opportunity to serve as the Executive Director of the Pratt Museum,” said Harness. “The Pratt has been a beloved community anchor for over fifty years, and I am committed to both celebrating the Museum’s legacy and driving forward with fresh perspective to engage a new generation of museum patrons.” 

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 11am – 4pm every Tuesday – Saturday September 2, 2025 through May 23, 2026 and 10am-6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Visit the Pratt Museum at 3779 Bartlett Street in Homer. Tel (907) 235-8635. More information is available at http://www.prattmuseum.org/.

Contact Sue Fallon, President, The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. Board of Directors, email prattboard@prattmuseum.org

 

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The Pratt Museum Hosts “World on Fire” by American Artist Geoffrey C. Smith

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Homer, Alaska (September 3, 2025)

New Special Exhibition in Homer at the Pratt Museum: “World on Fire”, Featuring Oil Paintings and Driftwood Sculpture by American Artist Geoffrey C. Smith 

The Pratt Museum’s final special exhibition of the year will open in the Main Gallery on October 3, 2025 and be on display through January 3, 2026. A First Friday opening reception will be held at the Museum on Friday, October 3, 2025 from 4 – 6pm.

In World on Fire, American artist Geoffrey C. Smith brings viewers face-to-face with the wild heart of Alaska and the profound transformations it now endures. Painted over the course of three summers spent in the state’s most remote and majestic landscapes, this exhibition captures both the awe-inspiring beauty of Alaska’s wildlife and the subtle, sometimes startling signs of a world in flux.

Using a palette knife and bold, expressive strokes, Smith renders creatures like moose, polar bears, ravens, and brown bears with emotional intensity. Some of the works in the series are almost dreamlike: animals suspended in flame-colored fields, their forms emerging from abstract heat and color. Others are grounded in traditional realism: brown bears fishing for salmon, salmon threading their way upstream, and bull moose standing alert in the quiet boreal light. These moments speak not just to climate change, but to the deep, enduring beauty that still exists in our natural world.

It’s this tension between reverence and urgency, realism and abstraction that gives World on Fire its power. While the title conjures an image of devastation, the show itself is far more layered. It is not a parade of catastrophe, but an act of bearing witness. The wild is still alive. The animals still move with grace and dignity. And the land, though changing, continues to inspire.

Smith, known for his large-scale bronze monuments and nationally recognized wildlife sculptures, approaches painting with the same sense of scale, presence, and emotional resonance. His background as a sculptor brings weight and structure to the compositions, while his painter’s hand channels immediacy and energy. These paintings are not imagined; instead, built from time spent tracking animals in the field, observing migrations, watching ice melt, and listening to silence.

World on Fire speaks to institutions that recognize the transformative power of art to explore environmental change, cultural identity, and our relationship with place. It is a show that invites thoughtful dialogue between science and emotion, tradition and innovation, beauty and urgency. Rooted in firsthand observation and artistic mastery, the exhibition offers not only a striking visual experience but also a meaningful platform for public engagement. It appeals to museums and cultural foundations that seek to illuminate the challenges of our time while honoring the landscapes, species, and stories that define them. Through this work, art becomes a bridge connecting people to the natural world and to one another.

Ultimately, World on Fire is both an elegy and a celebration. A call to see more clearly, feel more deeply, and protect more fiercely.

 

About Geoffrey C. Smith Geoffrey has been characterized as a representational artist, although stylistically he may be viewed as a naturalist. Geoffrey’s very large works and his signature artistic style can be deemed “loose,” wherein the subjects of his work are represented by basic elements such as fingerprints suggesting feathers or fur.  He mixes fine wax and oil paint, then uses a palette knife to sculpt the painting and giving his work a distinctive deeply dimensional feeling displaying large strokes and layers of texture.  Geoffrey is a Conservationist and lover of nature. Much of his time, talent, and treasure goes toward supporting charities that foster his ideals. More information is available at https://www.geoffreycsmith.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 11am – 4pm every Tuesday – Saturday September 2, 2025 through May 23, 2026 and 10am-6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day. 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, Co-Executive Director, tel (907) 435-3333, email wharness@prattmuseum.org

Download PDF of this Press Release, HERE.

Pratt Museum Announces Museums for All, a Program for Under-Served Families

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Pratt Museum Announces Access Program for Low-Income Families
Museums for All to increase accessibility of high-quality museum learning resources

Homer, Alaska (August 25, 2025)

Today the Pratt Museum announced that it has joined Museums for All, a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), administered by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM), to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum-going habits. The program supports those receiving food assistance (SNAP) benefits visiting the Pratt Museum for a minimal fee of $5 per person, up to four people, with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Similar free and reduced admission is available to eligible members of the public at more than 850 museums across the country. Museums for All is part of the Pratt Museum’s broad commitment to seek, include, and welcome all audiences.

Museums for All helps expand access to museums and also raise public awareness about how museums in the U.S. are reaching their entire communities. More than 850 institutions participate in the initiative, including art museums, children’s museums, science centers, botanical gardens, zoos, history museums, and more. Participating museums are located nationwide, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Our mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Our grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) The Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) champions children’s museums worldwide. With more than 460 members in 50 states and 16 countries, ACM leverages the collective knowledge of children’s museums through convening, sharing, and dissemination. Learn more at www.childrensmuseums.org.

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 11am – 4pm every Tuesday – Saturday September 2, 2025 through May 23, 2026 and 10am-6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day. 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, Co-Executive Director, tel (907) 435-3333, email wharness@prattmuseum.org

Download a PDF of this Press Release, HERE.

“Connected” by Sharlene Cline to Show at the Pratt Museum in Homer

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Homer, Alaska (May 23, 2025)

The Pratt Museum will host Special Exhibition “Connected”, an Immersive Exploration of Our Shared Humanity by Artist Sharlene Cline 

The Pratt Museum’s summer special exhibition will open in the Main Gallery on May 23, 2025 and be on display through September 26, 2025. A First Friday opening reception will be held at the Museum on Friday, June 6, 2025 from 4:30 – 6:30pm.

Connected is an immersive exploration of our shared humanity, delving into themes of genetic memory, ancestral connection, epigenetics, and our interconnectedness. Each month events will be held in conjunction with the exhibition, as follows:

June 6 | Opening Exhibition 4:30 – 6:30pm, Live Dance beginning at 5:30pm

July 11 | Live Performance 5:30 – 7pm, Featuring songs written and performed by singer/songwriter Jenny Baker

August 1 | First Friday 4:30 – 6:30pm – Collage Activity lead by artist Sharlene Cline

September 11 | Intergenerational Trauma & Healing, Panel Discussion beginning at 5pm

September 13 | The Creel, a One Act Play by Kate Rich, directed by Jennifer Norton beginning at 5:30pm

September 20 | Paluwik Dance Performance, 5pm – CANCELLED

 

About Sharlene Cline Working across Chinese brushwork, collage, acrylics, and installation art, Cline creates work that explores the intricate connections between humanity, nature, and personal identity. Her formal training began with three years of intensive study in Taiwan under internationally renowned master Yang O-Shi, before moving to Homer, Alaska in 1994. More information is available at https://sharlenecline.com/home.html

 

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, Co-Executive Director, tel (907) 435-3333, email wharness@prattmuseum.org

Download a PDF of this Press Release, HERE.

The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. Appoints Interim Co-Executive Directors to Lead Pratt Museum

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Homer, Alaska (February 21, 2025)
The Pratt Museum, which is governed by The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. welcomes interim Co-Executive Directors following the resignation of the former Executive Director
The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Whitney Harness and Yarrow Hinnant as Interim Co-Executive Directors of the Pratt Museum. Yarrow will divide time between his current role as the Curator of Botanical Exhibits and his new duties. The newly established HSNH Board of Directors Steering Committee will be actively engaged in providing support for the development of relationships between staff, Board, and the community. Former Executive Director Patricia Relay’s resignation was accepted by the Board of Directors on February 17, 2025.
 
About The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. Founded in 1955, The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. serves as the governing body for the Pratt museum, and provides vital advocacy and fundraising support for the Museum.
About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to explore and preserve the art, science, and culture 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 Sue Fallon, HSNH Board President, email prattboard@prattmuseum.org

Pratt Museum Receives Support for Collections Accessibility Project Through a Grant-In-Aid from the Alaska State Museum

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Homer, Alaska (February 7, 2025)
The Pratt Museum, which is governed by The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc., is the recipient of a $11,729.30 Grant-In-Aid from the Alaska State Museum for their “Improving Accessibility: Pratt Museum Collections Go Online” project
The Pratt Museum is embarking on an exciting new project, “Improving Accessibility: Pratt Museum Collections Go Online”, thanks to the generous support of a Grant-In-Aid from the Alaska State Museum. This project aims to make the Museum’s holdings more accessible and inclusive by bringing collections to a wider audience through efficient means.
“We’re so grateful to the Alaska State Museum for their generous funding through the Grant-In-Aid program. Moving our collections online will allow for greater accessibility for our community, for researchers, for students, and for those who are simply curious to see what we have,” said Pratt Museum Curator of Collections and Exhibitions, Liv Wisnewski. “These collections are held in the public trust, and it’s so exciting to be able to increase access for those we serve.”
The project involves upgrading the Museum’s desktop collections management software to an online edition, and will provide professional development opportunities for a Museum Studies Graduate Student in an internship capacity. Memphis Despain, who attends the California State University, Long Beach and is in the final semester of their Art History M.A. program was chosen for the internship and arrived in Homer in early February.
“My professor was the one who sent me the opportunity, noting that I met the qualifications. I wanted to be here because the Pratt is a museum that is making an effort to serve its community. A museum as a cultural institution makes a promise to not only collect and preserve its collection, but to educate and offer it back to the public it serves,” said Despain. “The Pratt Museum is making an effort to be more accessible and I admire that; this is an exciting project and I’m glad I can be a part of it!”
About the Alaska State Museum Established in 1900 when an Act of Congress created the Historical Library and Museum for the District of Alaska, the Alaska State Museum seeks to identify, collect, care for, and exhibit Alaska’s material culture and natural history and provide public access to services and collections of the Museum. More information is available at https://museums.alaska.gov/asm/asmhome.html
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, Visitor Services, Store and Communications Manager, tel (907) 435-3328, email wharness@prattmuseum.org
Download a printable PDF of this press release, here.

The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc., Which Governs the Pratt Museum, Hosts Annual Business Meeting and Announces New Board Members

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Homer, Alaska (February 5, 2025)
Former Board President Milli Martin and Pratt Museum Executive Director Patricia Relay Addressed Members, Expressed Gratitude for Successful Year
Linda Rowell and Kate McGregor to Join the Board of Directors
The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. hosted its Annual Business Meeting Tuesday and certified election results, successfully adding two new members to its Board of Directors. The meeting began with a presentation led by Board President Milli Martin and Pratt Museum Executive Director Patricia Relay.
The ballot counting committee presented election results, which were certified and made effective as of February 4, 2025 with the following appointments:
  • Sue Fallon elected Board President
  • Milli Martin elected Board Vice President
  • Jennifer Bartolowits to continue as Board Treasurer
  • Savanna Bradley to continue as Board Secretary
  • Clark Fair re-elected director
  • Tim Hatfield to continue as director
  • Kate McGregor elected director
  • Linda Rowell elected director
  • Mel Strydom re-elected director
Learn more about The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. Board of Directors by visiting our website, https://www.prattmuseum.org/staff-board/.
 
About The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. Founded in 1955, The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc. serves as the governing body for the Pratt museum, and provides vital advocacy and fundraising support for the Museum.
About the Pratt Museum The mission of the Pratt Museum is to explore and preserve the art, science, and culture 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 Sue Fallon, HSNH Board President, email prattboard@prattmuseum.org

Bering Sea Storms: Past to Present Exhibition to Show at Pratt Museum

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Bering Sea Storms: Past to Present Exhibition to Show at Pratt Museum

Homer, Alaska (December 17, 2024)
The Pratt Museum will host “Bering Sea Storms: Past to Present” Exhibition with Panels and Videos Featuring the Aleutian Environment, Indigenous culture, and Aleutian Island Storm History

The Pratt Museum’s first special exhibition of the year will open in the Main Gallery on January 10, 2025 and be on display through May 16, 2025. A First Friday opening reception will be held at the Museum on Friday, February 7, 2025 from 4-6pm.
In 2022, a group of scientists as well as local youth, elders, and stakeholders participated in a research trip transiting the Aleutian Islands to study Bering Sea storminess, gathering data to help further understand the historic record of extreme storm events. The goal of the project was to help communities plan for future storm scenarios that may result from rapid climate change. Bering Sea Storms: Past to Present highlights the research collected and the way that scientists and Indigenous Alaskans worked together.
The entire project, including the exhibition, was funded by the National Science Foundation. The month-long voyage was led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, with scientists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and University of North Carolina Wilmington. The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska assisted with fieldwork planning and outreach, and two tribal Culture Bearers joined the cruise as well. The Museum of the Aleutians in Unalaska unveiled the exhibition, and it was mounted there through mid-September 2024.
Exhibit & Project Contact Dr. Chris Maio, Director Arctic Coastal Geoscience Lab, Associate Professor Coastal Geography, University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, (907) 474-5651, cvmaio@alaska.edu, https://acgl.community.uaf.edu/
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 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, Visitor Services, Store and Communications Manager, tel (907) 435-3328, email wharness@prattmuseum.org

Pratt Museum Receives Charitable Grant from The Homer Foundation

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Pratt Museum Receives Charitable Grant from The Homer Foundation

Homer, Alaska (December 5, 2024) – Pratt Museum

The Pratt Museum, which is governed by The Homer Society of Natural History, Inc., is the Recipient of a $5,000 Homer Foundation Opportunity Fund and KLEPS Fund Grant
The Pratt Museum is incredibly grateful to be the recipient of a $5,000 Homer Foundation charitable grant from the Opportunity Fund and KLEPS Fund. This contribution will support Kachemak Bay: An Exploration of People & Place, a winter public program series. This programming is targeted to a diverse audience, ranging from children to lifelong learners, and is expertly developed to appeal to community members and visitors alike. The goal of these programs is to inspire a deeper interest in engaging with the natural environment in ways that reflect the artist, historian, and citizen scientist within each of us.
This series, Kachemak Bay: An Exploration of People & Place, is named after a permanent gallery in the Pratt Museum that is question-based, and uses science, art, and culture to explore the story of who we are and how that story is shaped by the place we live. We are inviting our community members and visitors to delve even deeper into this theme by offering workshops and lectures led by highly-qualified experts in fields that explain the place we call home, how we are informed by our place, and ultimately how we shape our place.
This grant will allow the Pratt Museum to provide honorariums to the experts who will draw upon their knowledge and experience to prepare for and present place-based lectures to Pratt Museum patrons. It would also allow us to upgrade our outdated technology assets, such as a laptop computer and smart lectern to facilitate the presentation of digital educational materials.
About The Homer Foundation Established in 1991, The Homer Foundation was the first community foundation of its kind in Alaska. The mission of The Homer Foundation is to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of the greater Homer area by promoting philanthropic and charitable activities. Learn more by visiting their website https://www.homerfoundation.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, 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, Visitor Services, Store and Communications Manager tel (907) 435-3328, email wharness@prattmuseum.org
Download a printable PDF of this press release, here.