Marianne Stolz and Sarah Dexter in The Bear Gallery

August in the Bear Gallery: The Meaning of River by Marianne Stolz And Awkward Phase by Sarah Dexter On View: August 1 - 30, 2025 First Friday Opening Reception: Friday, August 1, 5 - 7 p.m. (Gallery opens at noon on First Fridays) The Bear Gallery is located ......More

August in the Bear Gallery: The Meaning of River by Marianne Stolz And Awkward Phase by Sarah Dexter On View: August 1 - 30, 2025 First Friday Opening Reception: Friday, August 1, 5 - 7 p.m. (Gallery opens at noon on First Fridays) The Bear Gallery is located on the third floor of the Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts building in Pioneer Park, 2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks, Alaska. Admission to the Bear Gallery is free of charge and open to the public. The Bear Gallery is open Monday - Saturday from 12 - 6 p.m. This August at The Bear Gallery, two exhibitions invite viewers to explore transformation through deeply personal relationships with nature, memory, and material. Meaning of River, by woodcarver Marianne Stolz, and Awkward Phase, by fashion designer and multimedia artist Sarah Dexter, each offer a distinct yet complementary perspective on growth, change, and the beauty found in transition. The Meaning of River by Marianne Stolz The Meaning of River is a new exhibition by woodcarver Marianne Stolz, showcasing two years of work inspired by the complexity and beauty of rivers. Drawing from her childhood in Germany’s Black Forest and a lifelong connection to nature, Stolz channels her reverence for the natural world into each carving. Using traditional tools and techniques, she explores the flow, form, and emotional depth of rivers through wood. This body of work invites viewers to reflect on their own relationship with nature’s constant motion and quiet power. Awkward Phase by Sarah Dexter After spending over a decade in the medical field, Sarah Dexter shifted her life trajectory to pursue a career in fashion design. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology and current MFA student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Dexter creates small-batch collections with a focus on ethically made, slow fashion. Her work explores themes of transformation, particularly the joy and courage it takes to grow and evolve. Through looping strands of yarn and knit-based forms, she examines both vulnerability and resilience. Learn more about our August exhibition at fairbanksarts.org!

Local Color: A Natural Dye and Pigment Exhibition in The Bear Gallery

First Friday in the Bear Gallery

Gallery opens at noon on First Friday.

The Bear Gallery, 3rd Floor, Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts Pioneer Park, 2300, Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA

Community Writers Group Meeting

In person in the Bear Gallery. Please note that meetings may be cancelled if there is not enough interest. Contact Fairbanks Arts Office, 251-8386, [email protected]  

UAF Faculty Literary Reading

39th Annual 64th Parallel Exhibition in The Bear Gallery

First Friday in the Bear Gallery

Gallery opens at noon on First Friday.

The Bear Gallery, 3rd Floor, Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts Pioneer Park, 2300, Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99701, USA

Community Writers Group Meeting

In person in the Bear Gallery. Please note that meetings may be cancelled if there is not enough interest. Contact Fairbanks Arts Office, 251-8386, [email protected]