Arts, Science Festival
Dear Editor: Sitka Fine Arts Camp would like to extend a very hearty thank you to all who made the first Sitka Arts and Science Festival a success.
Many thanks to Dani Snyder and Jacquie Foss from the U.S. Forest Service for being resources for our faculty and hosting a wonderful hike; to the National Park Service, especially Ranger Katie, for informative tours of totemic art; to the Sheldon Jackson Museum and curator Jackie Hamburg for a wonderful introduction to the collection; to Drs. Steve and Mary Albert for traveling from California to share their film “The Great Tidepool”; to Old Harbor Books for bringing books to our author talks; to Judi Lehmann for hosting our fish skin sewing faculty and sharing her own fish skin tanning knowledge; to Karen McIntyre for sharing her art and helping us welcome faculty; to Sitka Sound Seafood for donating salmon for fish skin sewing; to Sitka Summer Music Festival, especially Kayla Boettcher and Shira Kahan, for sharing a wonderful Cellobration with us; to Bella Bruk and Lisa Gilardi for designing our beautiful promotional materials; to Sitka Conservation Society, especially Sophie Nethercut and Andrew Thoms, for hosting an informative hike; to Ken, Emily, and Melissa at KCAW for hosting our faculty on air; to Gerard Kuperus from University of San Francisco for giving a great lecture; to J Bradley for making a beautiful promotional video and supporting our staff; to Allen Marine for lovely boat trips; to our faculty members Rob Dunbar, Molly Wizenberg, Clark Mishler, Nikki McClure, Chris Cianfrani, Teri Rofkar, Cristi Catt, and Audrey Armstrong for teaching incredible workshops; to Marie Laws for her support and preparations; to Teri Rofkar for sharing her vision and ideas for the festival from the very beginning; to the incredible staff at SSSC, especially Ashley, Angie, Mia, Anna, Lisa and Jenn; to our magnificent North Pacific Hall hosts, Claudia and Marvin DeJong; to Mary Boose for sharing her own artistic and scientific knowledge with everyone on land and at sea. Finally, a huge thank you to all the Sitkans who came to talks, participated in workshops, and welcomed the festival so graciously into your community.
Anna Lee Hirschi,
Sitka Arts and
Science Festival Manager,
Sitka Fine Arts Camp
Ryan’s Cookbook
Dear Editor: What a synchronistic occurrence! I arrive in Sitka, after being away for three years, and read in the Sitka Sentinel an article about Ryan’s cookbook, ‘‘Made with Love: Good Food and Gratitude.’’
I first met Ryan Kauffman while I was working as the new registrar at Sitka High School. He was one of the first people I met who truly welcomed me. In a town where a lot of folks have known each other since birth, he made us feel like we were immediately part of the community. I volunteered alongside him for three years of Monthly Grind events. One of my favorites was when he executed a performance piece during the Comedy Grind.
While sitting on a three-legged stool, Ryan slowly sawed one of the legs off – not an easy feat while you are sitting on it. Eventually the leg cracked and the stool tipped, crashing to the floor and dumping Ryan to the stage. Most of hte audience was dumbfounded – he loved it.
Shortly before I moved from Sitka my husband and I attended an art showing where Ryan had several pieces on display. I purchased one titled ‘‘Glass’’ and it currently hangs on my living room wall in Denver. Ryan explained it was his depiction of a calm ocean – not great for surfing, but beautiful still.
When I learned of Ryan’s passing I found myself constantly looking at his art and feeling such a loss. I am so grateful to have known Ryan and to have this bit of art he created.
Ryan was all about community, and as the article stated, Ryan’s Fund is not just one organization but community working together. By the time this letter is in print, I will have already purchased my copy of ‘‘Ryan’s Cookbook.’’ I’m happy to have another piece of Ryan’s creativity and contribute to the community he loved so much.
Sharon Leddick, Colorado
