Sitka is… A Summer Arts Paradise

Sitka is known as the home of abundance in wildlife and outdoor activities. Sitka is also known for an abundance of the arts in summer.

As the days become longer and the rain lighter, the energy in Sitka is palpable. Spring brings new life – herring, sea lions, whales, eagles and ravens. Sitkans yearn to get outside. People want to share what they have been working on through the winter. To learn, teach and expand. And the arts align with this shift from indoor to outdoor activities. Art reverberates with the same energy as the town itself.

Aezlynn Nichols

May is the official kick-off to the summer. School ends and most of the recitals, concerts and performances associated with the end of the academic year are finished. Porch Fest is the first celebration of the summer season. A one-of-a kind outdoor experience, Porch Fest 2024 takes place in downtown Sitka on May 18th. This family-friendly community music and arts celebration is put on by the Greater Sitka Arts Council.

Starting at the end of May and extending through much of June, the Sitka Music Festival brings world-class musicians to our little Alaskan town. This chamber music extravaganza hosts both free and ticketed events at venues large and small, indoors and out, tailored to adults and kids – and even dogs.

In June, the kids descend. The Sitka Fine Arts Camp (SFAC) welcomes youth of all ages in their elementary, middle school, high school, and musical theater camps. Students are taught by professionals in every conceivable art form – Ceramics, Northwest Coast Carving, Writing, Improv, Rock Band, Hip Hop Dance, Circus Arts, Stage Combat, Sketch Comedy – if it has a name it has a class.

This beloved camp is adored by all. As one camper said, “The bottom line is, no matter who you are, what your story is, what the color of your skin or gender, you will make friends who love and accept you for who you are, a community you can feel safe in, and a wonderful summer full of memories.” Another camper summarized, “SFAC is life.”

Kids are not the only ones who get to enjoy the historic Sheldon Jackson campus. The Alaska state museum branch located on campus brings Native artists from around Alaska and the Pacific Northwest to create art and teach classes on site. Artist Residencies take place June through October.

With the long summer days and gorgeous weather, it’s hard not to be captivated by outdoor activities – hiking, camping, boating, fishing and viewing wildlife of all kinds (four-legged and two-legged). But the arts are the perfect treasure map to finding all of the riches that Sitka has to offer. The magic of Sitka is amplified by the wealth of Sitka Arts.