PRESS RELEASE
As we bid farewell to the summer season and greet the oncoming fall, the Palmer Museum is still in full summer operation which means it’s still open seven days a week and has plenty going on to keep those winter blues at bay.
Beginning in August, the museum will be hosting its latest temporary exhibit, "Unbound: Art Inspired by Books". The literary arts are not often represented in visual arts spaces, yet they have been a source of inspiration and an outlet for expression for many years. It has only been until recently, with the growing popularity of the up-cycle movement, have artists actually incorporated them, in particularly books, into their work as an artistic material.
The exhibit explores art that has been either created through the direct use of books, as part of its media or indirectly, by using the story or message of a book as inspiration. The exhibit offers an insightful analysis on how varying art forms can influence one another, and explores the issue of the popularity and need for books in a contemporary visually driven world. This exciting exhibit features a variety of artists from Salvador Dali to Alaska's own John Van Zyle. “Unbound” will be on display at the Palmer Museum through September 3rd. In addition to “Unbound,” the Palmer Museum will be incorporating the literary arts in its quarterly program, Untold Stories.
Storytelling comes to the Mat-Su Valley in the tradition of Arctic Entries and The Moth. Untold Stories brings Mat-Su Valley residents to the stage to share their personal stories: funny, sad and sweet. At every episode (performance), seven people each tell a seven-minute long true story about themselves relating to the show’s theme. The next episode is scheduled for Sunday, September 18th from 6:00 to 8:00OPM. September’s theme is: Getting Ready for winter.
Potential storytellers are invited to submit their stories through the Palmer Museum website at: http://palmer-museum.squarespace.com/untold-stories/ by August 24th for consideration. Your pitch will be sent to the storyboard whose job is to sift through the entries, meticulously and prudently piecing together the best show possible. Those selected will be notified by the storyboard and will even have a rehearsal with coaches, prior to the event, who will provide some performance tips to help make your storytelling skills sharper. But remember, notes are not allowed on stage at the final performance. Your story must be told from memory, but don’t worry, the storyboard doesn’t expect it to match perfectly to your written submission.
It should come naturally since that is in fact where a true story often comes from, in the moment. Your written submission should really just be used as a road map. Untold Stories is designed so that our guests feel like they are part of the experience, sitting in on an intimate storytelling session amongst friends. Reading straight from paper disengages the storyteller from the audience and distracts the storyteller from really evoking the heart of the story through their emotions.
Local musicians perform a few songs before, during and after the performances. Proceeds made from Untold Stories ticket sales go towards supporting the Palmer Museum of History and Art. Recently, all Untold Stories' regular season shows have moved to the Palmer Depot located at 610 S. Valley Way, Palmer, Alaska, to allow for more guests as our first episode in May sold out!
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students (with I.D.) and can be purchased at B Bella Hair Salon or at the Palmer Museum. As they are only a limited number of tickets available, it is suggested that you purchase them early. Any remaining tickets will be available for purchase at the door on the day of the event. As an added bonus for September’s episode, the museum will also be hosting an historical photography open house at the depot during the day of the event from 10:00AM – 3:00PM, as part of its Historical Photography Collections Project. Guests are invited to stop by and view some of the museum’s historical photographs, assist in identifying images the museum staff is having problems on and learn more about the museum’s plans for a Palmer Historical Photograph website. The open house is free to the public.
For more information about any of the Palmer Museum’s exhibits or events, please visit the museum website at www.palmermuseum.org or contact a member of the museum staff at 746-7668.
About PMHA:
The Palmer Museum of History and Art is a non-profit museum that serves the community of Palmer in preserving and sharing the history and art of the Palmer region. The museum’s collections contain items that best depict region’s art history, exploration, settlement, agriculture and trade, cultural and social development. During the summer, May 1st through September 30th, the museum also serves a Palmer’s Visitor’s Center and is open seven days a week from 9:00AM to 6:00PM. The museum also operates during the winter months from October 1st through April 30th, Wednesday through Friday, 10:00AM to 5:00PM and second Saturdays of the month, 10:00AM to 6:00PM.