Sitka Is...
A Canvas of Creativity
Summer in Sitka is truly magical. Some call it our "Land of Oz," a place where time bends, colors intensify, and the landscape whispers stories of artistic passion. Sitka is a living, breathing canvas where creativity pulses through every street and shoreline.
Sitka’s artistic heartbeat is loud and unapologetic. Year-round actors, painters, writers, and musicians are the foundation for our collective imagination. We also welcome visiting artists, incubate them, nourish them and elevate them.
Spring arrived with a jolt in late March, thanks to Sitka Community Theater’s production of Rock of Ages. The musical, set against the backdrop of the 1980s Sunset Strip, is a radical departure from our idyllic small-town existence. Yet, in that very contrast, we found magic. The production dismantled theatrical boundaries, with actors speaking directly to the audience and blurring the lines between performance and reality.
Sitka’s artistic heartbeat is loud and unapologetic.
Show selection took place in November, with auditions in December, and rehearsals commencing in January. No small time commitment for the all-local cast and crew. Three-hour rehearsals, three days a week, for three months.
Director Sotera Perez shared her perspective: "Theater makes good people. It requires empathy, vulnerability, and generosity. It has to be inclusive to be good. This cast had all that, and more. They brought out the best in one another, and reminded me every single day that community is what protects us and holds us, and that WE are responsible for creating and nurturing our community."
When our local actors take the stage, they reveal the tapestry of human experience. They remind us that vulnerability is strength and that true art emerges from genuine interaction. In Sitka, art isn't just performance - it's connection.
Similar to Oz in L. Frank Baum's books, Sitka feels like "a hidden fairyland cut off from the rest of the world." But our isolation isn't a limitation - it's our superpower. Here, creativity thrives, breathes, and transforms.
Welcome to Sitka, where reality is just a suggestion. Every sunset is an invitation to reimagine what’s possible. We don't just observe the world - we create it, one magical moment at a time.
More Articles From This Issue
Art in Your Backyard
The Watchman Kootéeyaas – Part I
In the 3600 block of Halibut Point Road, we wondered for years about the enormous log residing in our neighbors’ backyard. Through generations, we knew the family next door intimately – exchanging food, offering help and chatting over the fence.
Lola Hitchcock
An Artist Profile
At just 14 years old, Lola Hitchcock is proving that passion knows no age limit. Bridging the worlds of theater, music, and athletics, Lola demonstrates a rare ability to channel her energy into multiple forms of expression.
Sitka’s Dancing Ambassadors
The New Archangel Dancers
Founded in 1969, the New Archangel Dancers are the longest continuously performing arts group in Sitka. Their origins trace back to a group of women who were originally Scottish dancers, but lost their bagpiper.
Gallery by the Sea
Framing Stories – Gay’s Art of Preservation
In a small storefront on Sitka’s main street, art comes to life. At Gallery by the Sea, every artwork is a direct reflection of Gay McCornack’s vision.