Dear Editor: Last Friday evening, at the Wearable Art Launch Party, the Greater Sitka Arts Council took a moment to honor longtime board member Pat Hughes. Pat has served on the GSAC board for approximately 30 years, and we are incredibly grateful for all he has done for our organization and Sitka’s arts community.
During his tenure, Pat has served as a general board member, vice president and president. His steady leadership, particularly during the difficult COVID years, played an important role in keeping GSAC going. We simply cannot thank him enough for the time, energy, and dedication he has given us.
However, Pat’s greatest impact to GSAC was his incredible construction prowess. He has a gift of turning seemingly impossible visions into reality. If there was a wild idea that needed to become a real, safe, working structure, Pat made it happen, and made sure it was solid enough to stand the test of time.
Pat has built virtually every Wearable Art stage from 2009 to the present. As part of the Sitka Community Theater set crew, he created countless sets that are both elaborate and well-crafted. Many of these pieces are now part of the permanent stock at the Performing Arts Center and are used by SCT, Sitka High School, Sitka Fine Arts Camp and Sitka Young Performers Theater year after year.
As Pat steps away from the GSAC board, we wish him many wonderful, meeting-free days ahead. May his travels be memorable, his adventures plentiful, and – when he is in town – we hope he’ll still occasionally lend the rest of us some of that construction expertise.
When you see Pat around town, please join us in thanking him and wishing him well as he hangs up his GSAC hat and makes more time for his many other pursuits.
Pat, thank you for 30 years of service, leadership, creativity, and hard work. GSAC and Sitka’s arts community are better because of you.
With sincere gratitude,
Greater Sitka Arts Council Board
