Vintage Photo Show
Dear Editor: The recent tragedy in Sitka pulled the community together in bad times, but pulled together recently in good times too, putting on quite a show for last month’s vintage B&W photo exhibit of Sitka’s fishing industry in the 1980s. An event of this magnitude deserves gratitude to match—so many thanks for the many kindnesses of so many people—with this delayed acknowledgment meant as respectful postponement during such sadness.
Bringing the photo show home to its roots in Sitka was nothing short of amazing, especially to be so warmly received by many good folks, old friends and fishermen some 30 years since moving off-island. Highly skilled boatbuilders gathered to mount 300 photos on soaring walls in a grand hall—using no nails to mar Allen’s recent renovation—and many fine people gathered to help throw a classy event and fun party filled with splendid food and music, exquisite flowers adorning tables elegantly dressed in black tablecloths. Parking lots filled as townfolk flocked to a big party to see photos of their lives from a long time ago and reminisce and laugh and cry, lining up for books made just for them, and then a dedicated crew gathered once more to dismount this intricate monofilament web of suspended black-&-white photographs, carefully wrapping and storing photos for another day.
The magic didn’t happen without the outpouring of generosity in time, spirit and materials Sitkans are known for—so much of it seemed to materialize out of thin air it’s likely I will miss someone, but if not named here and you helped, please forgive me and thank you, too! Much credit is due the core committee who volunteered early and served as backbone to plan and accomplish all tasks and every detail. First let me shine a light on “my agent” Cyndi Cassedy for her exuberant promotion campaign all across Sitka and beyond—she championed and publicized this exhibit with such conviction, such tireless energy, I heard you’d have to live under a rock not to have known about it. Grateful beyond measure.
Mike Litman and his Precision Boatworks crew and the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society’s wood shipwrights and boatbuilders really turned out on this one to hang and take-down 300 photos—I am deeply grateful to be beneficiary of their clever skills and talents in the ingenious technological feats accomplished, and so quickly: Deuce and Paul Audette, Keith Anderson, Terry Perensovich, Rebecca Poulson, Joe D’Arienzo, Elias Carroll and Josh Chevalier, helped also by Dennis Longstreth and Dick Curran. Mike had the vision (and crew), Deuce the mastery, Keith a particular adeptness, Terry and Joey D not only devoted many hours of expertise on both the front and back ends of the exhibit but Joe also rescued a substantial number of damaged prints tracking down emergency repair—and my thanks to Whites’ Tina Miller as well for trimming bent edges quickly with precision and no advance notice.
Heartfelt thanks to Tess Heyburn for organizing the menu and all cooks and bakers creating a sumptuous smorgasbord with untold assistance (thank you!); to Jeanne Stolberg for seamlessly providing sound equipment, audio engineering and booking musicians Colin Herforth, Jeff Arndt and Ceolltoiri Sitka (thank you too!); to Pat Kehoe for creating décor with Melinda Trenary, Sherie Mayo and my niece Nora Skeele—also a team effort gathering buckets of beautiful wildflowers which Nora arranged into lovely bouquets. Dale and Joanna Chesnut assisted gallantly along the entire journey start-to-finish serving also as the key link shipping big boxes of photos up to Sitka—endless thanks. And many thanks to helpful hands in the actual building of the exhibit including Dena Chesnut, Linda Blankenship, John Stein, Linda Waller, John Ferrick and SPC’s Carlos, Italia—and especially Francisco and Jesus, plus kudos to my out-of-town posse of friends and family who helped greatly before and during the event. It takes a village, and I am certain there were more villagers—thank you.
Warm appreciation to The Daily Sitka Sentinel with a shout-out to Susan and Shannon for all the great ink, to radio stations KCAW and KIFW for getting the word out, Dan Etulain for capturing on video, to businesses posting posters or offering other forms of support. Special thanks to talented photographer Christine Davenport and writer Cyndi Cassedy—along with the fishermen they rounded up—for their popular “Retakes: Then-&-Now” photo series to promote the event and greatly entertain along the way. Eternal gratitude to Homeport’s Teal West with Sue Acre and Kari Fish hosting an after-party; Beth Caffrey and John Skeele for loaning a car the entire time while they walked and biked everywhere rain or shine; Steve Fish and Kari Johnson for compassionate hospitality and support; Sitka Seafood Festival and Director Carolyn Kinneen with board member Ann Wilkinson for welcoming us into their annual spotlight, Sitka Fine Arts folks Lauren Havens and Max Kritzer for logistics to make that all happen—and Carol Odess, who came to her namesake Odess Theater and cried tears of joy to see what we’d done to the magnificent venue without injury to walls, she said as proof of its many uses to the community.
I am thankful for our magnanimous sponsors who made an event of this magnitude possible and whose names have been published earlier, with another shout-out to Highliners APL, AML, Silver Bay Seafoods, Frontier Packaging, SeaMart, Samson Tug and Barge and Skipper Sponsor Murray Pacific. Samson’s Cory Baggens asked if we needed help as the exhibit quickly came down around us with no real plan from there—and then with one phone call arranged transportation and storage and the big pile of boxes disappeared. Thank you!
All this stood on the shoulders of benevolent hosts Craig Shoemaker of Seafood Producers Co-op and Tim Ryan of Sitka Sound Seafoods. These two gentlemen spent untold hours to make it happen—raised funds, garnered community support, orchestrated, donated, brought crews, shipped, stored, boxed, transported, negotiated, provided and prepared much seafood. Profoundly grateful, truly touched my heart. And Craig’s the rock star who started and did everything every step of the way—everything, every step—willing this huge undertaking into existence by sheer determination and hard work. Priceless.
Lastly, many thanks to all who turned out to share in our fishing history and create a fleet reunion of many decades. It was such a whirlwind of hurricane force I am only disappointed to have missed mingling and seeing more fishfolks and friends while anchored signing books, and would’ve loved to experience more of the event and see more people. If you have any photos or comments to share with me please do so on facebook at Jana M. Suchy or email jana@fishingforalivingalaska.com–whether photos of guests or décor or the photo walls themselves, missed all that too.
The Alaska fish photography and writing from long ago remain my most important and meaningful work of a lifetime. Sitka was always the end game, the longtime dream where local fishermen in the photos or of the era could see their lives on film. Done. No exhibits on the radar or greater horizons beyond Sitka. Then Rep. JKT showed interest that other Alaska communities might see the display, the sold-out Sitka Edition goes to reprint, author book-signing at Seattle’s Pacific Marine Expo and then Sitka’s Artisans Market—all this means I can continue to do what I love, working to bring even more vintage fish photos and their stories to light. Thank you all for that. My heart is full.
Jana M. Suchy, Tucscon, Arizona,
Way Out West Creative
Fraud Solicitations
Dear Editor: You may have been recently contacted by a business called Pocket Pros or CNS Posters soliciting funds for advertising space under the name of “Sitka Winter Pocket Schedules” or something similar that looks like it is for Sitka High School activities.
These two companies have NO affiliation with Sitka High School or any of its activities. We at Sitka High School, after investigation, have further been assured that all solicitations within the Sitka community from these two businesses have stopped. Any entity that has sponsored this endeavor should be receiving a full refund.
We at Sitka High School would like to thank all the wonderful citizens and merchants that support our activities so generously. If any of you have been contacted by these agencies or would like more information, please call Sitka High School at 747-3263 or Activities Director Lindsey Jorgensen at 966-1956.
We have also been notified that several students and their families have been contacted by a program referencing “National Honor Society” or “Scholars Program” requesting a fee for membership. These programs have NO affiliation with Sitka High School or any of its activities. National Honor Society at Sitka High School requires no fees as a part of its membership.
If you are ever in doubt of the validity of a fund-raising activity, please contact us directly at Sitka High School. Thank you for supporting your Sitka Wolves!
Sitka High School
