Sitka Wearable Art 2026
Forest to the Sea
It’s a story you’ve heard before. Jeff Budd gets inspired by an arts endeavor in another Southeast town. Years ago, while in Ketchikan, Budd attended one of their Wearable Art productions and enjoyed it so much that he brought the idea home.
In 2009, Sitka Wearable Art was born. But what is “Wearable Art” exactly? According to one definition, “It is something that sits on the crossroads of conventional clothing design, crafts and arts.”
Pieces can be created from traditional clothing forms such as knitting, crocheting or quilting. They can also be made from unexpected materials like milk jugs, tin sheeting or melted glue gun sticks. The only real limit is the imagination of the designer and their determination to construct their vision.
Once the pieces are finished (sometimes, a months-long process), they are paraded, danced or walked down the runway at this beloved event that takes place in February each year. The designs really come alive at the show when paired with thoughtfully selected music and the energy of the models.
The only real limit is the imagination of the designer and their determination to construct their vision.
Wearable Art regular Caryn Kraft was a quilter before she started designing and has been in almost every show since 2009. She has created pieces out of coffee beans and filters, old CDs, beach balls and pop tops from aluminum cans. Kraft explains, “I try to bring something new to each show and love the challenge of seeing what I can create.” Now her entire family gets involved - helping with modeling, choreography and construction. Her advice to newbies, “Try, try, try. Just get started and see where it takes you.”
Some Wearable Art participants start out when they are young. One such designer, Emmie Fish, created her first piece in middle school - an outfit made entirely out of duct tape. Some years she enters a single design, while other times she has several pieces that work together. Once, it took around eight people to show off her work of art.
In 2024, Fish won first place with her design “What If” - a colorful dragon made out of elementary school flash cards and other items. Simply getting into the costume took a minor feat of engineering.
Wearable Art is part of the Greater Sitka Arts Council and a principal fundraiser for the nuts and bolts of the organization. Bobbi Jordan is the GSAC liaison and Tiffany Pearson is the event coordinator.
Jordan got involved about eight years ago after watching her first show, “It was fascinating to me. I am sewing machine impaired, but the imagination and construction of the designs had me hooked. I started out by photographing the event. I then joined GSAC and have been a board member ever since."
The designs really come alive at the show when paired with thoughtfully selected music and the energy of the models.
After the COVID hiatus, Pearson was hired to help bring the show to life again. She added VIP seating along the runway and at group tables, both of which contribute to that “fashion show” glitz.
Over the years, Sitka Wearable Art designers have come from other communities - including Ketchikan, Juneau, and Whitehorse (Yukon Territory, Canada). And on the flip side, Sitka’s designers have shared their pieces beyond our town. Some have even traveled to the prestigious Trend Fashion Show held in Anchorage.
One creation, “20,000 Bones Under the Sea,” by Cynthia Gibson, was invited to Trend in 2019, and now resides at the Museum of the North in Fairbanks. “A true masterpiece made entirely out of fish bones,” marvels Jordan.
The theme for Wearable Art 2026 is “Forest to the Sea.” The show is family-friendly and takes place February 7 at 2pm and 7pm at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Participants must register by December 12, 2025 but designs need not be completed by this date. We can’t wait to see all of the talent, creativity and ingenuity at next year’s event!
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