2023 SUMMER PROGRAMS

Click the link for Program Schedule and details


Workshops

Field Sketching Workshop with Kristin Link: July 8 & 9 and July 15 & 16

  • One of our most popular offerings is back…times two! This immersive experience merges the arts and sciences into holistic experience of place. Kristin’s workshop was recently written up in the New York Times.

Community Field Sketching Group with Kristin Link: May 30, June 15 & 22, July 6, July 13, August TBD

  • Kristin Link leads a local sketching group

Photography Community Group with Anna Mikuskova: June 12 & 27, July 11 & 18, August 1& 15

  • Join local photographers. Learn from professionals. Receive feedback on your work. This is a fantastic opportunity to make connections with local photographers in an immersive, wilderness setting. Learn to see more closely. Surrounded by the compelling landscapes of North America’s largest National Park, it’s hard not to be a photographer.

Songwriting Workshop with Justin Farren & Wes Collins: Wednesday, July 5 - Old Hardware Store

Insight Outside: A Nature Writing & Walking Meditation Day with Michelle Latvala: July 31, 10am-4pm

  • Summer has us moving so swiftly! - don’t miss this special workshop that integrates nature writing, meditative walking, and personal reflection into a single day immersed in the wild nature around McCarthy. Everyone is welcome. No previous experience is needed. Meet at The Old Hardware Store / Group Size:  Max 12 (kept small based on nature of the workshop) / Registration Fee:  This all-day workshop is offered at a $75.


Community Events

Wrangell Mountains Storytelling Festival: August 11-13

  • This charmed, grassroots event is held at The Old Hardware Store and the Glacier View campground on McCarthy’s west side, where local storytellers congregate to spin yarns, share lies and half-truths as well as tell honest-to-god true and incredible stories leaving the audience never quite clear on whether they have heard a true story or a tall tale. This event is the talk of the town every summer.

Word Jam: June 18, July 2, July 30

  • Join us in the Great Room at the Old Hardware Store every other Sunday for a night of open mic - WMC style - storytelling, poetry, song, comedy, skits, and any creative venture involving words. Plan for a 5-minute reading with a hard cutoff (the cowbell) at 7 minutes.

Art Exhibition with Anna Mikuskova: July 23 - August 12

  • We are delighted to exhibit Anna Mikuskova’s work. Anna grew up in the Czech Republic and is currently based in Alaska. She received an MA in English language and literature from Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic and an MFA in Photography and Related Media from the Rochester Institute of Technology. For six years, she apprenticed as a silver gelatin printer with master printer Paul Caponigro.

Art Exhibition with Jill and Brad Richie: Opening August 25- Labor Day Weekend.

  • Jill and Brad are a father/daughter duo and no strangers to the Alaskan Wilderness. They will be showcasing their sketches and drawings in the Great Room of the Old Hardware Store for 2 weeks so be sure to stop by and take a peek! Opening Night will be held on August 25th from 4-6pm!

Workday Party - Saturday, May 27, 9am

  • Kick off your Memorial Day Weekend with WMC friends and show the Old Hardware Store some love. All skill levels welcome! Bring gloves (if you have ‘em), water bottle, and a smile. We’ll provide lunch and a gaggle of your WMC friends.

Spring Bird Walk with Mark Vail - Sunday, May 28, 8am

  • We will continue with the annual tradition of walking with Mark Vail as he brings to life the fascinating social world of the summer birds who live in the Wrangell Mountains. Meet in front of the Old Hardware Store. Coffee and tea will be served. $10 suggested donation.

Author Reading with Shauna Potocky (Summer Arts & Lecture Series) - Friday, June 16, 5pm, Old Hardware Store

Interdependence Day!! June 30 - July 5 – Click here to learn more

An Evening of Classical Music at the Kennicott Rec Hall - Composing in the Wilderness Concert: Saturday, July 29, 6pm

  • Local classical guitarist Jurgen Ogrodnik is paired with Katie Cox & Company for this double-feature performance!! Last summer, composers came to the Wrangells to write symphonic pieces inspired by our local wilderness areas. This summer, we will hear the results in this concert paired with local classical guitarist Jurgen Ogrodnik at the Kennicott Rec Hall. Don’t miss it. Learn more about Composing in the Wilderness: composinginthewilderness.com

Summer Arts & Lectures Series 

  • The Wrangell Mountain Center Summer Arts & Lecture Series presents relevant, unique, entertaining, and diverse events, including performances, films, and lectures. These lectures and arts presentations highlight the incredible talent drawn to this small mountain community.

Half Marathon and 5 Mile Run - Sunday, Sept 3, Noon

  • A race unlike any other through the largest National Park in America. Race starts at McCarthy River Tours & outfitters (a.k.a As The Glacier Melts Coffee & Ice Cream Shop) on the West Side (Mile 59 of the McCarthy Road). The route goes up to Kennecott National Historic Landmark and back down to historic, downtown McCarthy and follows gravel, dirt roads and packed dirt trails. $30 per person registration; $15 under 16. Proceeds benefit the WMC. Register online or at the starting line. Race starts at noon; registration opens at 11 am.


Youth Programming

Mountain Arts and Sciences for Youth - Every Wednesday, starting June 14 and ending with the final program on August 2

  • Our Mountain Arts and Sciences for Youth (MASY) programs invite youth (and enthusiastic parents or caregivers) to join artists, naturalists, and scientists for a series of  workshops for kids designed to connect them with the natural world around them. We design each session to be educational and fun, including games like Predator Versus Prey where kids learn about the food chain.

Geology Camp (Youth) - July 25-28

  • The WMC partners with WISE (Wrangell Institute for Science and Environment) to host this unique, immersive program for youth in middle school and high school. Participants hear from geologists and naturalists, camp next to the Root glacier, explore the glacier, and have plenty of time to connect with their peers. Space is limited so please contact info@wrangells.org if you have interest.

 

Academic Programming

The Wrangell Mountains Center College Field Studies Program is all about the natural and human forces that come together to shape one of the most spectacular, unique, and wild landscapes in North America. Develop new skills, from collecting and analyzing field data on glaciers, solar panel maintenance, gardening, and cooking at our sustainable off-grid campus, to backpacking through the largest national park in the United States.

  • Unavailable for the 2023 season, but we are working with University partners and anticipate resuming in 2024

Residency

Meg Hunt Artist in Residence: This is one of our most beloved art programs, a two-week artist residency program, an immersive creative experience in North America’s largest National Park. The Wrangell Mountains Residency Program aims to support artists of all genres, writers, and inquiring minds. We invite applicants with creative and inquisitive minds who will both add to and benefit from the interdisciplinary efforts at our community hub in McCarthy, Alaska and the surrounding Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. In 2023 we will host four residencies: June 12-26 and July 12-26. Application deadline is March 16, 2023.



Podcast & Virtual Events

End of The Road Podcast: We explore the unique stories that shape our lives, out here in the remote Wrangell Mountains.

Winter Virtual Events continues to connect Wrangell Mountains inspired artists and performers during the winter.



For more information, please email info@wrangells.org or call 907-554-1500

You can check out past programs and events here.

Photo by Paul Scannell