Robert Franz: Photo: Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival
By KRIS CAPPS

Conductor Robert Franz has a specialty and it isn’t Bach or Beethoven. It’s bringing that and other classical music to people who don’t know anything about it.

“I have sort of based my career on creating education programs for orchestras I work for, around the country,” he said.

Franz is associate conductor of the Houston Symphony, music director of the Boise Philharmonic and music director of the Mansfield Symphony.

Flying through history: This "gullwing" Stinson is one of the planes at the Alaska Aviation Museum.
The Alaska Aviation Museum in Anchorage is among four Alaska institutions offering free admission to military families through Sept. 6, 2010. The others are the Alaska State Museum in Juneau, Baranov Museum and Alutiiq Museum, both in Kodiak.

Over 900 museums nationwide are participating in the program.

By KRIS CAPPS
Mike Stevens
When Raymond McLain and Mike Stevens play music together, it’s hard to believe there are only two of them. It sounds like there are more instruments at work.

That’s what happens when old country music blends with bluegrass and the blues, and two renowned musicians make it all come alive.

Corrina Delgado
Alaska poet/spoken word person Corinna Delgado, morning personality on Movin' FM 104.9, has been selected as a top 100 finalist in the Live with Regis and Kelly Women of Radio Co-Host for a Day Search 2010.

The top 10 finalists will be selected based on Facebook comments supporting the competing radio personalities.

By MIKE DUNHAM

An item from the Associated Press in the Daily News on July 20 quoted former Gov. Sarah Palin identifying Kodiak as “America’s largest island.” The article gave the area of Kodiak as 3,588 square miles and 4,028 square miles for the island of Hawaii.

Seattle's Tall Beers & Short Shorts film festival, which presents work by filmmakers from the Pacific Northwest in venues where patrons can drink beer, will present two films by Alaskans. "Santa and Death," a cynical Christmas spoof by Ron Holmstrom of Anchorage, will be presented at 7 p.m. at a place called the Re-Bar,

A short from Fairbanks, by Will Bulman, will also be presented, though we don't have the time for that one. The title is "Apple Insanity," and it involves two friends who come to blows over which operating system is truly better.

Comedian Bill Cosby's Sept. 18 show in Anchorage has sold out. But the Anchorage Concert Association is announcing that Cosby will add a new show, at 8 p.m. on Sept. 17 in Atwood Concert Hall.

Tickets, $42.50 - $69.50, will be available starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 23, at centertix.net, or call 263-2787.

By MIKE DUNHAM
Cross-dressing comedy: Ed Bourgeois in kuspuk, John Dalton in feathers, in "Raven's Radio Hour." Photo: Jamie Lang Photography
I had to look twice to figure out why the pictures of "Raven's Radio Hour," now playing at Cyrano's, didn't quite match what I thought I saw at the performance that I saw earlier this month. It was the "Auntie Galena" character.

By KAYLIN BETTINGER
Brandi Carlile
Too many of today’s artists sound better on their albums than they do live. But not Brandi Carlile.

Her voice – a powerful mixture of rock with a country twang – filled Discovery Theater in Anchorage on Friday night. Whistling Swan Productions presented the versatile vocalist.

Alaska Native Arts Foundation has named a new Executive Director, Jonella Larson White.

White is originally from Nome and her mother's family is from Savoonga on St. Lawrence Island. A graduate of Nome-Beltz high school and UAF, she holds a Masters degree in Museum Studies from Harvard University.

Out North plans to repaint the outside and the lobby area of the building at 3800 DeBarr Rd. and they're looking for help from art patrons who may have more muscle than money. They're also hoping to do some lawn upkeep (planting flowers, trimming, etc.).

Call 279-8099 for more details, or just show up on the dates given below. What follows is from the press release received last night:

On July 20th (Tues.) 5pm until we’re too tired: We need lots of people to prepare the building for painting. No experience required, just a willingness to work.

By MIKE DUNHAM
The party's over: Grand opening at Alaska House in New York City, Sept. 2008. Photo: Fiona Aboud.
New York’s Alaska House art gallery has closed. The online publication Capital reported on Tuesday, “the doors are locked, the lights are off, and a large square sign with red lettering advertises ‘space for rent.’”

By MIKE DUNHAM
Kay Ryan: Left the post of U.S. Poet Laureate after two years in May.
Kay Ryan, who recently completed a two year tenure as the U.S. Poet Laureate, will give a poetry reading at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 17, at River City Books in Soldotna.

Born in 1945 in California, where she has taught English at the College of Marin (County), Ryan has received numerous awards and had her work published in major collections, including Harold Bloom’s “The Best of the Best American Poetry 1988-1997.”

Ooh la-la!: Met's dream 'La Boheme' cast features Ramon Vargas with Angela Gheorghiu

Puccini's "La Boheme" is the next presentation in the Metropolitan Opera's "Summer Encore" series of live-recorded broadcasts shown on the big screen. Dream team Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas star in a production that features film director Franco Zeffirelli's stupendous Parisian sets. Showtimes are 6:30 p.m. Weds., July 14, and 10 a.m. Thurs., July 15, at Century 16 Theatres, 36th Ave. and Denali St.

Keep your eyes open for a new television PSA from Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar regarding authentic Native art.
Native: "Snub-nosed One," an Alutiiq mask collected in 1871-72 at the Chateau Musee in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.
"Make sure that you are buying an authentic Indian-made item," he says. "A seller with authentic goos will gladly provide information in a written guarantee that the product is indeed the authentic work by members of federally recognized Tribes."

By Mike Dunham
You can crawl on it; in London, you can crawl IN it: Antony Gormley's 'Habitat' being installed at the Anchorage Museum on April 25, 2010. Photo: Bob Hallinen
You had to know that Antony Gormley would be tempted to repeat his giant statue "Habitat," erected at the Anchorage Museum this spring, at a more prominent site.
Plan for London's 'Habitat': Sunday Times reports it will be attached to a luxury hotel.

Ace beagle flies againOn Saturday, the Dorothy Page Museum in Wasilla will officially welcome Snoopy as the World War I Flying Ace to the Valley during their Second Saturday/Opening Reception.

Between 2-4 pm on Saturday, July 10, 2010, enjoy free admission, light refreshments and other activities. Top Cover from the Air Force Band of the Pacific plays in the town site.

Snoopy is on display at the Museum through August 14. The museum is open Monday through Saturday 9 am – 5 pm.

The Met's 'Carmen'Today and Sunday, Opera Fairbanks will present "Don Giovanni" in Davis Concert Hall at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. In an attractive promotion, one of the sponsors, Design Alaska, is giving away tickets for two to the Nov. 12 production of "Carmen" at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. The tickets come with round trip airfare and hotel accommodations. Patrons to the Fairbanks "Don" will be eligible to win the prize.

49 Writers has announced that they'll host author David Vann at a retreat at Tutka Bay Lodge, Sept. 3-5. Vann's most recent triumph was an award in France, reported here in June.

Animated Library: work by Susan Joy Share at Out North.More than the usual mid-month art opening activity is coming our way.

"Colors of Summer," a show by Martha Shaddy, Arlene Frost, Jerelym Miyashiro, Linda Wardord and Dawn Aumann will open with a reception at 5 p.m. on Friday at Cafe Feliz in Metro Books & Music, 530 E. Northern Lights Blvd.