Art and Culture

We are often asked: What do you do here in the winter? And the short answer is: we make art. A slightly longer answer is: we go to dance, theater and musical performances; sew quilts and make paintings; knit, carve, weave … basically, we become a bustling hotbed of creativity.

The weather (i.e., lots and lots of rain!) fosters and feeds the art and culture here. Throughout the fall and winter, we enjoy several theater and dance performances, including an annual presentation of The Nutcracker. Since 1986, our inimitable Wearable Art Show has been showcasing local costume designers who, by necessity, must also excel in the arts of dumpster-diving and glue-gunning. And, every month in the winter, we put on a variety show for each other called The Monthly Grind, a community tradition that features local musicians, magicians, orators, and dancers ... and free entry for anyone who brings a dessert to share.

When the weather clears and the skunk cabbage begins to bloom, so does the art. It’s been a part of our culture since the first woven cedar bark basket and we love to share it with folks who visit our town.

For a deeper look into Ketchikan’s award-winning arts scene, check out our Telly-winning, Emmy-nominated film, The Artists, which showcases just a few of the many entertaining and creative members of our community.