It’s berry picking season in Alaska, and we are all enjoying the last of the summer light while out with friends filling our berry buckets to the brim. Berry picking is one of the core Alaskan activities, something that brings us together but ensures we are fed through our long dark winters.
When designing the fabric for the Discovery Theatre, artist Paula Dickey wanted to invoke this sense of community and joy while in the theater. Art brings us together as much as berry picking, and our theaters should bring comfort, so the salmonberry was picked as the design.
Once Dickey designed this fabric it was specially milled and sent to Alaska to cover the chairs. All the fabric covering the chairs is original to the building, meaning it has lasted us over 35 years!
About the Artist
Paula Dickey was born in New Holstein, Wisconsin in 1937. After majoring in Art at Lawrence University, she was director of the Nobles County Art Center in Worthington, Minnesota. After moving to Alaska in 1971, she set up a studio in Eagle River as well as numerous studios in statewide schools during residencies with the Alaska State Council of the Arts. In addition, she coordinated mural projects in schools for the Anchorage School District.