Articles tagged with: Out North Contemporary Art House
Valentine’s weekend in Anchorage: Sunday brunch benefits Out North & ICOAA
Out North recently lost a major funding grant, and needs your help to continue fulfilling its mission of Art for Everyone, No Exceptions.
One way to help is by enjoying a splendid Valentine’s weekend afternoon this Sunday at Mad Myrna’s! This event benefits both Out North & the Imperial Court of All Alaska.
Joani LaChoy’ Sweetheart’s Champagne and Cabaret Brunch
Please join Joani LaChoy as she presents her annual Sweetheart’s Champagne and Cabaret Brunch.
- Benefit for Out North Contemporary Art House and The Imperial Court of All Alaska.
- Date/time: Sunday, February 13 at 2 PM.
- Location: Mad Myrna’s, 530 E. 5th Ave, Anchorage, AK (see map)
- Cost of admission: $35.00
- Info: Live and Silent auction, fantastic entertainment, and of course – a gourmet champagne brunch!
- Further information: See Facebook event page.
Please help support Out North – attend shows, buy season tickets, or donate directly.
Keep track of upcoming events with Bent Alaska’s LGBT Events Calendar.
Alaska ACLU’s 40 Heroes include Identity, Out North
2011 will mark the 40th Anniversary of the ACLU of Alaska and they’re celebrating with a Gala Evening honoring 40 Heroes of Constitutional Rights. Identity, Inc. is one of the heroes. Other honorees connected to the LGBT community include Out North and Anchorage attorney Allison Mendel.
“Please join the ACLU of Alaska on Saturday, January 22, 2011 at the Dena’ina Center to honor these individuals and organizations who have led the way in creating a state that honors and protects personal freedom, individual liberty, and constitutional and civil rights.”
The evening will include live music, a cocktail reception, sit-down dinner, commemorative program, silent and live auctions, and dancing.
For tickets and more information, visit the ACLU of Alaska.
Where to Find GLBT Alaska – Annual Events, Revised for 2011
The main annual events held by the LGBT organizations and local communities in Alaska are listed here in calendar order, along with city-wide events that we participate in every year.
Fur Rondy Grand Parade (Feb 26) – The Imperial Court creates a float for the Rondy Parade in downtown Anchorage.
Femme Fatale (mid-April) – The Imperial Court’s Juneau show closes the state legislative session and is a benefit for Four A’s.
Day of Silence (April 15) and Pride Prom (April 23 in Anchorage) – Alaska’s students, teachers and Gay/Straight Alliances (GSA’s) join the National Day of Silence, and break their silence celebrating at Pride Prom.
Celebration of Change (April 23) – Radical Arts for Women’s ‘break-up’ performance celebrates women, music and art in Anchorage.
Juneau Pride Chorus spring concert (April 30) – The concert is a spirited evening of women, song and dance at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center, and the chorus performs at various events during the spring and summer.
LGBT Pride Picnic (May 30, Memorial Day) – The Anchorage Picnic and BBQ celebrate unity in the community and the beginning of summer.
Alaska Pride Week and Festival (3rd week in June) – The summer solstice parade and festival celebrates LGBT Pride in downtown Anchorage, following a week of Pride events.
Northern Exposure (during Pride Week this year) – Alaska’s new gay & straight BDSM/Leather conference returns for a second year.
Juneau Pride Picnic and Glacier Hike (summer) – Juneau celebrates Pride with a GLBT community picnic and glacier hike organized by SEAGLA.
Marching in July 4th Parades – LGBT contingents design floats and march in July 4th parades in Anchorage and Homer.
PFLAG in Golden Days Parade (late July) and Tanana Valley State Fair (August) – PFLAG and the Fairbanks LGBTQA community march in the annual Gold Rush parade, host a Pride Picnic after the parade, and create a booth for the Interior state fair.
Coronation (Labor Day Weekend, Sept.) – An extravaganza of performances in Anchorage invests the new Emperor and Empress of the Imperial Court of All Alaska, and announces community awards and scholarships.
Pride Conference (Saturday near October 11) – Identity’s back-to-school youth conference is inspired by National Coming Out Day, celebrated nationally on October 11.
Alaskans Together annual meeting (Sunday after Pride Conference) – The state-wide LGBT advocacy group holds a strategy meeting each year in Anchorage.
Thanksgiving Community Meal (Thanksgiving Day) – Several gay-owned businesses in Anchorage host a Thanksgiving Day meal for the LGBT community.
World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) – Alaska commemorates World AIDS Day with red ribbons and candlelight vigils sponsored by Four A’s and IAA in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau.
Arctic Heat (Jan. 2012) – The Men’s Club chooses the new Bear and Leather titleholders every other year.
Alaska’s LGBT groups hold many other events and performances, as well as weekly and monthly meetings and events, that the community is invited to attend. Visit the links in the side column of the blog for more lists of Where to find LGBT Alaska.
SantaLand Diaries elf tale by David Sedaris, a benefit at Out North
On the day after Christmas, Out North is presenting “The SantaLand Diaries” written by award-winning gay author David Sedaris and performed by Ben Brown of Juneau. Out North recently lost a major funding grant, and this show is a benefit so they can continue fulfilling their mission of Art for Everyone, No Exceptions.
You think you’ve had enough of Christmas shopping, piped-in holiday music, disgruntled Santas, crying children and occasional crying.
Take your holiday headache to Out North and have your yule attitude readjusted with “The SantaLand Diaries.” Juneau-based actor Ben Brown performs David Sedaris’ hilarious autobiographical tale about his stint as an elf in the annual holiday display at Macy’s Department Store in New York City. Just as Sedaris took consolation in the fact that some of the other elves were TV extras on “One Life to Live,” maybe you can take consolation in the fact that you’re enjoying a great play, not out in the shopping mayhem still.
The SantaLand Diaries plays at 7 p.m. Sunday, December 26th at Out North (3800 DeBarr Road). Tickets are $10 at the door, $8 online. For more information, visit www.outnorth.org.”
“The SantaLand Diaries” is a benefit show for Out North this year, and we greatly appreciate Ben’s generosity. We look forward to spending the evening with you, and invite you to bring your friends.
The Grrlzlist shared this message last week from Out North to their supporters:
Thank you for your continued support of the cutting edge work Out North produces. Your donations in the wake of our funding pull has so far raised $25,000 in less than a month! The overwhelming majority of the donations have been less than $200. I know you know how incredible that is. We here are overcome with gratitude – and relief. Thank you for pushing so hard to keep Out North in Anchorage. We still have $55,000 to go to make up the shortfall, but clearly, together we can do this! If you have not donated already, I can assure you that you are backing a winner by supporting Out North right now. Your support now will mean that we can maintain our commitment to the artists and schools we had promised to support in Season 26. And it means that we can continue to bring you work you just can’t see in Anchorage, as well as vital inclusivity for ALL people and ALL arts. What happened to us is not an isolated instance. Out North’s funding was pulled because the funder did not want to support the kind of work we do here. To them, we went “too far” by programming a musical about marijuana and two films that featured the (award-winning) story of lesbian lives. To us, art is for everyone, no exceptions.
Please help support Out North – attend shows, buy season tickets, or donate directly.
Gay & Trans films in the Anchorage International Film Festival
“Craig and Shane were holding hands when they fell victim to a brutal hate crime off Sydney’s Oxford Street in 2007. The image of Craig’s shattered face on the cover of the local newspaper called Sydney’s queer community to action, and the couple were nominated leaders of the 2008 Sydney Mardi Gras Parade. The hardest year of this young couple’s lives is documented through endless surgeries, physical and psychological recovery and their struggle to plan for their future. But at its heart, Holding Hands reveals that even in the worst circumstances, we can all create positive change.”
“A group of transgender women are violently beaten and left for dead. After regaining their consciousness the violated vixens turn deadly divas and with their new-found confidence and courage, slice their way to vengeance. A homage to the exploitation/revenge films of the 70’s and 80’s, this film sets out to create a new and unique genre called — transploitation. Loaded with titillating dialog, bodacious bods and extreme violence, this revenge-fantasy proves that it takes more than balls to get even.”
“Two Truths and a Lie” benefits Out North
As we wrote last week, Out North needs our help. A national funder representing one-third of Out North’s budged has “changed direction,” and Out North need to raise money in order to keep giving us all the top-notch stuff they’ve been giving us for the past 25 years. One way you can help is to attend one, or even both, of Out North’s performances this weekend of Scott Turner Schofield’s “Two Truths and a Lie” — all proceeds of which will benefit Out North.
“Debutante Balls” benefits Out North
Out North needs our help. A national funder representing one-third of Out North’s budged has “changed direction,” and Out North need to raise money in order to keep giving us all the top-notch stuff they’ve been giving us for the past 25 years. One way you can help is to attend this Friday’s performance of “Debutante Balls,” all proceeds of which will benefit Out North.
Meet actress Sheetal Sheth at her Alaska film premiere
Yes, it’s true! Join this hot actress for a Q&A session following her girl-gets-girl action in the Alaska premiere of two award-winning lesbian movies, I Can’t Think Straight and The World Unseen, playing as a double-feature at Out North on October 8 & 10. And it’s a benefit! Tickets go on sale at Metro in September.
The timing is great. It’s right before National Coming Out Day (Oct 11) and the same weekend as the annual Alaska Pride Conference (Oct 9 at APU in Anchorage) and the biannual Womyn’s Dance (Oct 9 at the Snow Goose). With the conference all day on Saturday, the dance Saturday night, and the films and Sheetal on Friday and Sunday, you’ll definitely want to Come Out and join us!
Maureen Suttman is the organizer of the premiere. She chose I Can’t Think Straight and The World Unseen (see the trailers below) partly because of their rich multi-cultural perspectives and the long term lesbian couple who created the films. She wrote to Bent Alaska:
They have earned over 30 international awards AND haven’t been screened here. I happened to cross emails with Sheetal and stepped out there and invited her, and she has been saying “yes” for the last 2 months about coming here. Alaska sure does help in sparking interest.
Last spring, I saw 2 films that have been gaining the attention of both lesbians and the greater GLBT community. One set in London and a romantic comedy, the other set in South Africa and a drama, they both take on multiple layers of culture without losing underlying relationship themes — and while bringing tremendous heart and thought provoking images to the screen. Looking more, I found that between the two films they have won over 30 awards from around the globe. Further research into the production house behind them showed that at its helm are 2 women who are long-term domestic partners (and moms to their boys). Shamim Sarif is an award winning novel writer turned screen writer turned director. Hanan Kattan is her partner and the films’ producer. Together they head London-based Enlightenment Productions and are gearing up additional novels to movies, music and television projects.
Thinking others here would be interested in the films and the women behind them, I found myself compelled to show them in Anchorage. I sought out permission from EP’s main office and am happy to report that on October 8th and 10th there will be a benefit screening of the films I Can’t Think Straight and The World Unseen at Out North. In addition, and by an incredible stroke of good luck, Sheetal Sheth — co-star of both films (and NOH8 campaign supporter!) is coming to join us and will be available for audience Q&A and after-film conversation. Tickets will go on sale at Metro Music and Books in September.
Since the films’ releases, Sheetal’s co-star Lisa Ray was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and underwent stem cell replacement treatment. Though now in remission, she was unable to work throughout treatment. Out of concern for her, there was an outpouring of fan support and a project to generate income for her was set up. The benefit film screenings will support both the Lisa Ray audio book project fund, as well as our own Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Anchorage.
“Check out Enlightenment Productions for more info on the films and the very creative gals behind them. More information on the Lisa Ray audio book project can be seen on Shamim Sarif’s blog.”
“Check out Sheetal at www.sheetalsheth.com. Her email address is there so why not leave her a message in anticipation of her visit? Personal experience suggests she will likely answer especially if you reference Alaska in the subject line.”
“Thanks and hope to see everyone there!”
Thanks to Maureen for inviting this internationally-known actress to visit Alaska with the premiere of these two great films! Let’s give Sheetal a warm Alaska welcome and fill that theater.
- Where: Out North, 3800 DeBarr Road
- When: Friday October 8 at 6:30 p.m., and Sunday October 10 at 1 p.m.
- How much: $15 for the double feature
Watch the trailer for I Can’t Think Straight:
Watch the trailer for The World Unseen:
“Debutante Balls”: A transgender one-man-show at Out North
Scott T. Schofield, an award-winning trans performer, returns to Anchorage this week with Debutante Balls, about his years as a debutante in the deep south.
Out North describes Debutante Balls as a “theatrical stand-up comedy dance through the fascinating culture of the Southern Debutante Ball. Schofield’s wicked sense of self-aware humor and poetic sensibility guide us gently (or is that genteel-ly?) through the many ways he “came out” into Southern Society: as a lesbian, radical feminist, and finally, as a transgender man.”
Schofield is an award-winning writer, performer, and educator creating theater about gender and sexuality. He tours internationally with his solo shows, and acts and writes for theater and film.
He was previously at Out North in March 2008 to perform Becoming a Man in 127 Easy Steps.
See Debutante Balls at Out North: Jan. 14-16 at 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 17 at 4 p.m. Tickets are $20, available online or at the door.
Here’s a video clip of Debutante Balls from Schofield’s YouTube channel, undergroundtrans:
GLBT performances at Out North
