Dear Editor: As the dust settles and things slowly return to normal, the Greater Sitka Arts Council would like to thank everyone involved in helping to create the Sitka Wearable Art Show 2026. It took approximately 100 folks to make this event happen, so if I accidently leave someone out, I am apologizing in advance. This was the work of a village and it came together amazingly well. On that account, GSAC cannot thank the community of Sitka more.
First of all, we must thank our sponsors: Hames Corporation, Alaska Airlines, Sitka Moose Lodge, White’s Inc., Tongass Threads, Sitka Rotary Club, Shee Atika Corporation, City and Borough of Sitka, Harbor Mountain Brewing, House of Liquor, Lynden Transport, Ramshackle Cabaret, Pacific High School and Mt. Edgecumbe High School. Each of these organizations believes in a world of art and continually support the arts in Sitka. Whether it was through the purchase of a VIP table, or providing equipment, manpower, or assistance through grant funding, GSAC is eternally grateful to these organizations.
Designers, models and our incredible emcee, essentially, this show simply doesn’t happen without you! All of you created an incredible experience for the audience. Your ability to create a story around unique designs that were presented to the community is nothing short of awe inspiring. While most of you are Sitka grown, there were three designers from out of town and one design from out of town – which added another dimension to this show. Thank you is simply not enough.
Our emcee, Elizabeth Bagley, kept the show moving along and it is one of the toughest jobs in the show. Helping to build the stories and create an environment to share the designs is such a talent. Thank you so very much.
To Sitka Cirque for the outstanding pre-performance by Iona Ferrency and Kaiya Hodges. Thank you for the Jungle Book preview and for setting the stage for the audience. Your strength and skill had folks holding their breath as you walked down the stage.
Behind the scenes there are so many folks to thank: Melinda McAdams and Carole Knuth ran the back of the house, Rain Van Den Berg, our house manager (not easy to do when she was also in the show), Peter Apathy for sound management and Elle Campbell for lighting design, thank you so very much for sharing your talents with us and helping to make the show run smoothly. To Pat Hughes and his stage design crew – Andrew Jylkke, Sarah Prelutsky, Justin Critcher and Pat Kehoe – thank you for creating such an amazing stage. Bette Gray and the Pacific High culinary arts students, you simply blew everyone away with your talents. The charcuterie boards were amazing and Bette’s thoughtful and careful planning helped everyone to get all the work done with fun and laughter. GSAC is so proud of all that you have accomplished. Well done, everyone.
Other folks of note: Tonia Puletau-Lang for her assistance with providing insights into organizing events this large; Hannah Portello Swagel, our graphic designer who helped to brand the event; Charlie Morgan, our GSAC treasurer who helped to make sure bills got paid; Marlene Van Winkle for assisting with hair design; Emmie Fish, who taught a class to help folks get started with wearable art – your next one should be a sell-out; Angela McGraw who taught a choreography workshop to assist designers with presentation of their designs. You all added elements that made this show the event that it became. To Ritch and Lucy Phillips for the donation of small bowls for charcuterie boards. To the Harrigan Centennial Hall staff, for all of your guidance and patience as we set up, produced and broke down the show. Thank you so very much for your time and efforts to produce such an event for Sitka.
We also owe the Sitka Sentinel, KCAW, and Old Harbor Books a great deal of thanks. Helping to provide PSAs, ad spots and morning interviews, and simply selling tickets is so helpful and so essential to every arts organization in town, let alone ours. Everyone is so helpful and provides the assistance that is required to make getting information out to the public easy and accessible. We also need to include Harry’s Custom Printing for their assistance with posters and other branding materials.
Thank you to the group of volunteers who signed up to assist with the show. Some of you were models who filled in for designers, others helped to run the front of the house, as ushers, ticket takers, bartenders, servers, set up assists, and break down assists. Tabitha Sutton, Cora Nisbet, Cheri Hample, Krisanne Rice, Cjiara Bonavoglia, Abhinav Tiwari, Lauren Estes, Julia Coton, Nora Parker, John Stein, Kimberly Peacocke, Don Calton, Susan Portello, Bridget Hitchcock, Avi Rioux, Bridget Wentworth, Mara Kendall, Melinda Webb, Keith Nyitray, you all were amazing and some of you came, pitched in, and left without letting anyone really know. To those volunteers we missed, we sincerely apologize, your helping hands are so appreciated and essential for any event in Sitka.
Finally, to the amazing people of Sitka. The Wearable Art Show is a beloved event, but it fades if there is no audience. Your enthusiasm, encouragement, and continued support for events such as these keep Sitka the vibrant community that it is.
On behalf of the Greater Sitka Arts Council and with sincere thanks to everyone who made this event possible,
Bobbi Jordan
Greater Sitka Arts Council
Secretary,
Wearable Arts coordinator
