Paint and potatoes: Palmer Museum’s dinner series helps artists make history

What you need to know:

• The Palmer Museum of History and Art will host its second annual Local Leaders event at 6 p.m. Monday at the Palmer Train Depot, featuring stories and artwork from four local artists.
• Sam Chadwick, Megan Moore, Bianca Pagel-Miller and Sandra Cook will share their creative journeys, challenges and inspirations, highlighting how art can foster healing, self-expression and community connections.
• The event includes a baked potato bar catered by Twisted Birch Event Bar & Catering. Tickets are $20, with free admission for museum members. Annual memberships cost $25.
• Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.

Sometimes making history is just as important as preserving it.

The Palmer Museum of History and Art will present its second annual Local Leaders event Monday, featuring stories from four local artists. The series is the museum’s way of engaging the community beyond traditional exhibits and historical tours while learning about the people making history today, said museum Executive Director Dylainie Nathlich.

“We're trying to find our way of figuring out how to engage people in the community in a different way than just exhibits and historical tours,” she said. “And this has been a really awesome way to kind of connect with the community. But also learn about the history in the making.”

Monday’s event will feature stories from artists Sam Chadwick, Megan Moore, Bianca Pagel-Miller and Sandra Cook. Artwork from each artist will also be on display. The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Palmer Train Depot.

Nathlich said all four artists have interesting personal stories to tell about their work and their artistic journeys.

“You really don't know the meaning behind someone's work until they start talking about their life and their past and what brought them to the work that they're doing today,” she said.

A free dinner is also included, featuring a baked potato bar catered by Twisted Birch Event Bar & Catering.

“You get to hear the stories behind their work, their journey, their creative journey, what inspires them, the challenges that they face throughout their career, and sort of like what keeps them creating. And then we have dinner,” she said.

Chadwick is a teacher with a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture and drawing; Moore is a self-taught illustrator; Cook has more than six decades of experience in pottery, fiber arts and watercolor; and Pagel-Miller is a painter who uses her creativity to help others.

Each artist has a deeply personal connection to their work that Nathlich believes will resonate with audiences. Pagel-Miller’s story, she said, illustrates that connection. 

Pagel-Miller was nonverbal until she started painting and now uses her creativity to advocate for people with autism, Nathlich said.

“It's just really amazing how these women have used art in a way to heal and to bring themselves into the present and connect with other folks.”

The artists have worked with Palmer Toastmasters to refine their stories, a partnership Nathlich said brings an added element of community involvement to the event.

“I think our speakers have really benefited from this sort of educational opportunity that we've provided for them. And it's kind of just another way to think about your practice and where you're going to move forward.”

The Local Leaders series premiered last year with a focus on women in business. Nathlich said the event was a success, drawing more than 60 people to the Palmer Train Depot for an evening of stories from community leaders.

“Last year was the first time that we did it and it was super successful. We had over 60 people attend. Most of them became museum members.”

Tickets are $20 each or free for museum members. An individual annual membership costs $25, offering an opportunity to support the museum while attending the event and enjoying dinner.

“Yeah, if you want to spend an extra $5, you can get in for free, and then there may be other opportunities within the next year to attend another program,” she said.

Nathlich said she hopes to continue hosting similar events at the museum, which serves not only as a place to explore local history but also as a forum for local artists and others to create new memories and shape the future of their communities.

“I think sometimes we forget that one day, you know, 60 years from now, the people that we're listening to in our community are going to be a part of the history.”

Matt Tunseth is a freelance writer from Southcentral Alaska. Email him at matthew.tunseth@gmail.com.