Celebrate Patsy Ann’s Birthday at the City Museum

Saturday, October 11th | 1:00 – 3:00 p.m

Come celebrate the 96th anniversary of the birth of Juneau’s most famous dog, Patsy Ann, on October 11th at the City Museum. Arrive at 1:00 p.m. for a story time read aloud of Patsy Ann of Alaska: The true Story of a Dog, written by Tricia Brown and Illustrated by Jim Fowler, and/or drop in between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. for a craft and a museum scavenger hunt. This event is best suited for children aged 5-10 but all ages are welcome. This is a free event.

Stonehouse Family Home Movies

A Not So Silent Film at Gold Town Theater

Thursday, October 16th at 7:00 p.m.

Gold Town Theater, in collaboration with the City Museum, will present a 30-minute film compiled of historic clips of Juneau as part of their Not-So-Silent Film series. The film will be accompanied by live music composed and performed by Bob Banghart and David Hunsaker. This is a free event.

In 2023, the City Museum received a donation of thirty-six 8mm home movies from Rebecca Pickett, granddaughter of Harry and Lucille Stonehouse. The Stonehouse family lived in Juneau from the 1920s–1950s and their collection of home movies reveals visits to the Mendenhall Glacier, fishing, wildlife viewing, downhill skiing, and prominent events like the Fourth of July as well as other scenes from the past. The City Museum worked with Summit Media to digitize the 8mm reels and then created a short movie using the best clips from all thirty-six home movies. 

The monochrome still life photograph shown above was created by Dara Lohnes-Davies, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at the City Museum. Even though there is a bit of blue in her piece, it appears red overall.

Monochrome in Color

The 22nd Annual 12 X 12 Community Art Exhibition

March 6th– April 18th, 2026

We are excited to announce the theme for the 22nd Annual 12x12 Community Art Exhibition– Monochrome in Color.

Each year the City Museum hosts a community art exhibition in which artists of all ages are encouraged to create works within the parameters of a square or a cube, measuring

12" x 12" (or 12" x 12" x 12") including the framing. Themes for the exhibition are suggested by museum visitors each year.

This year artists will create on the theme "Monochrome in Color". This theme lends itself to any medium (sculpture, photography, paint, collage, colored pencil, etc.) and any color. However, only one color may be used to create each piece. Every color comes in a variety of shades, tones, tints and values. For example, the following shows many different yellow colors which can be used to create a yellow monochrome piece of art. It is okay to incorporate small amounts of different colors if the final piece appears to be one color.

Taking Time conveys one way to live in

the present, and to nurture together-time in the face of brimming schedules and encroaching technology. It provides a 

life-affirming template, whether or

not you own a sailboat!

Book Talk with Author Larri Irene Spengler

Saturday, November 15th | 10:30 a.m – 12:00 p.m.

The City Museum will host a book talk with local author Larri Irene Spengler on Saturday, November 15th from 10:30– noon. Her book Taking Time: Sailing with My Family in Southeast Alaska chronicles the many adventures Larri and her family experienced while sailing their 27-foot Cape Dory sailboat, Altariel. Over the course of 18 years, Larri, her husband and their daughter made regular wilderness forays from their home in Juneau. While sailing throughout Southeast Alaska they became attuned to weather, gained skills and resiliency, coped with emergencies, watched whales and sunsets, read aloud to each other, and had spacious time for both conversations and silence. In 2022, the family decided it was time to sell Altariel, and in 2025 Larri published Taking Time.

Larri looks forward to sharing what she learned from her sailing experiences. Taking Time will be available for purchase at the City Museum during the book talk, and coffee and tea will be provided. This is a free event.

This project was funded in part by a Juneau History Grant from the Juneau-Douglas City Museum, City and Borough of Juneau, 2025.

Plucky Lady, a Solo Performance by Jan Welch

Thursday, November 20th | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Join us at the City Museum for a solo performance by Jan Welch. Plucky Lady brings to life the story of fearless Alaskan adventurer Mary Joyce, who came to Southeast Alaska in 1928 and instantly embraced its rugged beauty. She was a nurse, the owner of a hunting lodge, a mink farmer, bush plane pilot, stewardess, Alaska's first female radio operator, military advisor, territorial government candidate, movie actress and bar proprietor. But she's most famous for traveling 1000 miles by dogsled from Taku to Fairbanks in the harshest of conditions.

Jan Welch is a professional writer and actress who first learned about Mary Joyce when she visited Taku Glacier Lodge in the summer of 2023. She immediately knew she wanted to bring Mary's story to life in Plucky Lady, the script she adapted from Mary Anne Greiner's book Mary Joyce Taku to Fairbanks 1000 Miles by Dog Team. This is a free event.