The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival is on the way to recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, and if this year is any indication, 2023 could be the largest festival in history, according to festival director James Menaker.
“The festival went about as smoothly as it could,” he said.
Despite a second wave of the virus that hit mid-summer, plus a windstorm that flattened some of the festival’s tents at Pioneer Park, the festival recorded 76% of what pre-Covid attendance numbers had been.
At the festival’s annual meeting this week, held at Silver Gulch Brewery & Bottling Company in Fox, director James Menaker provided a look at the 2022 season and a preview of what may happen in 2023.
During 2022, the annual event offered more than 100 workshops in 15 different genres. There were new guest artists and some returning favorites, although some longtime instructors remained absent due to Covid.
This year, the Festival Chorus began rehearsals two weeks before the festival actually began, and that proved to be a popular decision.
“It was received really well,” said Menakar. “We had a full-on concert of people who had already been working for two weeks. It kept us from having to compete with all the different voice classes going on. It worked remarkably well.”
Most classes were held at Pioneer Park, and that also proved to be a popular decision.
“All under one roof we had a great time,” Menaker said. “The box office got to be around everyone, it made peoples’ lives a lot easier. You could walk down the hall and find me instead of me being across town.”
The 2022 changes received a 92% satisfaction rate in participant surveys, he said.
Income has been rapidly dropping for the longtime festival over the past few years.
“We’ve lost about $90,000 a year in sponsorship and donations,” Menaker said.
A grant writer is helping to replace those funds through grants.
Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival now operates Twin Bear Camp, north of Fairbanks. Menaker reported that the venture was successful in 2022, with the camp booked for most of the summer. There were only two open weekends between May 1 and Oct. 15, he said. The camp has become the destination for composers from the Composing in the Wilderness program to create their pieces, after days of wilderness immersion in Denali National Park.
“We would like to shift into more program-centric options in the future,” Menaker said of Twin Bear Camp.
Festival plans to hire an outreach coordinator, whose goal will be to emphasize outreach, guide new programs and welcome more people to the festival.
Festival is also considering launching a new late spring or early summer youth festival.
“We need to connect with kids right as they are getting out of school,” Menaker said. The hope is that those kids would then attend the regular festival in July.
In 2023, the festival is considering booking the Carlson Center for the last week of July, to hold most classes/workshops under one roof. The remaining classes would be located at Pioneer Park, a short walk away.
“There are a lot of opportunities, things we want to try,” he said.
Composing in the Wilderness featured two wilderness immersion experiences in 2022. The first was the traditional trip into Denali National Park. The second was a backpacking sojourn at Wrangell St. Elias National Park. The concert resulting from that second trip will debut at Federal Hall in New York City on March 18, 2023.
Festival’s volunteer base has also been slipping away over the past few years. This is a problem for an organization run primarily by volunteers.
“What I need, as director of the festival, is some assistance from you, the community,” Menaker said. “Our volunteer pool has gotten smaller and smaller over the years.”
In particular, volunteers are needed to fill the roles of coordinators for the various genres. Openings include healing art, painting, visual arts and more. Currently, Menaker juggles all those positions himself, in addition to everything else he does to manage the festival.
Volunteers can help shape the future of the festival, he said, “for a community that is hungry for the arts and in-person interactions.”
Doug Lange and Cheryl Berrong were re-elected to the board of directors, and Poppy Floto was elected as a new member of the board.
A ballot is available to vote for 2023 Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Hall of Fame nominees. This program honors individuals who have made tremendous contributions toward the growth and development of the festival over its 42-year history.
To become a festival member and vote for the Hall of Fame nominees, contact the festival at 907 474-8869 or email info@fsaf.org. It costs only $10 per year to become a member.
