The mission of the Sitka Fine Arts Camp is to build community in Alaska by providing opportunities in arts, culture and recreation in an inclusive, educational and inspirational environment.
Our Story
The Sitka Fine Arts Camp was founded in 1973 to provide isolated Alaskan communities with little or no youth arts programs exposure and training in the arts. Because of remoteness and low population density, Alaskan youth are at a severe disadvantage in access to high quality arts. For the majority of our students, SFAC continues to be the only opportunity they have in the state to work with and learn from professional artists. Building from its original mission, SFAC has become a nationally acclaimed program. We serve approximately 1,000 students annually from Alaska and throughout the world.
SFAC has received state and national recognition for its importance in providing access to high quality arts education to Alaskan youth including receiving the 2008 presidential Coming Up Taller Award and the 2015 Alaska Governor’s Award for Arts Organization of the Year.
In 2011, SFAC was gifted the historic Sheldon Jackson College Campus. To learn more about the historical school please visit Voices of Sheldon Jackson School and College. This college campus had been closed for four years and was in a state of complete disrepair. SFAC has since overseen one of the most extraordinary grassroots volunteer stories in our country: the revitalization of this National Historic Landmark. Between 2011 and 2015 one thousand volunteers (one ninth of Sitka’s population) logged over 45,000 volunteer hours rebuilding the campus, demonstrating unprecedented community support and giving the Sitka Fine Arts Camp a permanent home. Strong volunteerism and donor support continue, demonstrating the value that Sitka Fine Arts Camp holds for our state.
Having a permanent home has allowed SFAC to grow to serve more Alaskan youth. The Camp has expanded to offer four programs that serve almost 1,000 students. Each summer, SFAC provides over 160 classes in music, visual arts, digital arts, dance, creative writing, theater, and Alaska Native Art. Nationally recognized artist faculty come from throughout the country to teach. In addition, we have expanded to provide year-round arts programs including a Young Performers Theater and performing arts series. The campus has become a valuable community resource and a statewide location for arts and education.
The campus hosts retreats, weddings, and conferences. To make an inquiry about your rental needs Click Here.
SFAC has received state and national recognition for its importance in providing access to high quality arts education to Alaskan youth including receiving the 2008 presidential Coming Up Taller Award and the 2015 Alaska Governor’s Award for Arts Organization of the Year.
In 2011, SFAC was gifted the historic Sheldon Jackson College Campus. To learn more about the historical school please visit Voices of Sheldon Jackson School and College. This college campus had been closed for four years and was in a state of complete disrepair. SFAC has since overseen one of the most extraordinary grassroots volunteer stories in our country: the revitalization of this National Historic Landmark. Between 2011 and 2015 one thousand volunteers (one ninth of Sitka’s population) logged over 45,000 volunteer hours rebuilding the campus, demonstrating unprecedented community support and giving the Sitka Fine Arts Camp a permanent home. Strong volunteerism and donor support continue, demonstrating the value that Sitka Fine Arts Camp holds for our state.
Having a permanent home has allowed SFAC to grow to serve more Alaskan youth. The Camp has expanded to offer four programs that serve almost 1,000 students. Each summer, SFAC provides over 160 classes in music, visual arts, digital arts, dance, creative writing, theater, and Alaska Native Art. Nationally recognized artist faculty come from throughout the country to teach. In addition, we have expanded to provide year-round arts programs including a Young Performers Theater and performing arts series. The campus has become a valuable community resource and a statewide location for arts and education.
The campus hosts retreats, weddings, and conferences. To make an inquiry about your rental needs Click Here.
The Team
Roger SchmidtRoger Schmidt has been the Executive Director of Sitka Fine Arts Camp (Alaska Arts Southeast, Inc.) since 2000. During this time, the summer program has grown from a two week camp serving 40 adolescent students to a ten week program serving 1,000 students ages five to adult. In 2010, Roger negotiated the donation of the historic Sheldon Jackson School which had closed its doors in 2007. Subsequently, he has overseen the restoration of the campus by harnessing the support of thousands of volunteers and donors. Under Roger’s leadership, the Camp has grown to include a year long arts advocacy program that offers a performing arts series, a statewide teacher training institute, after school arts classes for all ages, and a vibrant young performer’s theater program. In addition, the Campus has become an important part of the economic future of Sitka as a home for many conferences and conventions. Roger grew up in Sitka and attended the Sitka Fine Arts Camp as a student from 1980-1984. The arts have been a central part of Roger’s life. He graduated from Oberlin College and Conservatory with degrees in philosophy and trombone performance with additional music studies at the Aspen Music Festival, Pierre Monteux School and internationally in London and at the Bruckner Conservatory in Austria. As a musician he has worked in the San Francisco Bay area as well as toured throughout Alaska and other parts of the United States. He is currently a member of the Juneau Symphony. Roger is also an avid traveler and adventurer. His trips have included a 3-month solo kayak trip from Vancouver B.C. to Sitka, Alaska, a kayak crossing of the Bering Strait, a Patagonia Ice-Cap ski crossing, and a year-long sailing trip from Siberia to Uruguay. He is the 2004 recipient of the Governor’s Award for Arts Education and in 2007, under his direction, the Camp received the Coming Up Taller Award at the White House. In 2012, he was inducted into the Alaska Hall of Fame and received the Sitka Arts Advocate of the Year award. Roger is also a fellow of the National Arts Strategies’ Chief Executive Program and a graduate of the Aspen Executive Seminar. |
Kenley JacksonKenley Jackson has been working at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp since the Fall of 2008. She grew up in Colorado and West Virginia before earning a B.A. in Biology from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. When she was six, she surprised herself by drawing a mermaid that actually looked like the picture in her head. Since then she has dabbled in many art forms from glass bead making to printmaking to paper cutting. She loves color and texture and experimenting with new techniques, especially working on graphic design projects for SFAC. Since 2011, she has worked on the transformation of the Sheldon Jackson Campus and developed new programming to serve more students each year as well as increasing access to financial aid. In 2016, she started the Sitka Arts and Science Festival and enjoys the challenge and creativity of interdisciplinary programming. On the weekends you'll find her hiking on the Sitka trails with her husband, a former SFAC camper from 1996-2003, visiting the library, and experimenting with new recipes.
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Rhiannon GuevinRhiannon Guevin is the Operations Director for the nationally recognized Sitka Fine Arts Camp (SFAC). Rhiannon attended SFAC as a camper in 2004 and 2007 and went on to be a counselor and intern during the summer. She joined the SFAC team full-time in 2013. In addition to her administrative duties with the camp, which include financial management, program logistics, and grant writing, Rhiannon teaches voice at SFAC's High School Camp and provides vocal coaching for SFAC's Musical Theater Camp. Rhiannon helped to start SFAC's Young Performers Theater program in 2013 and still serves as the program's Music Director during the year. She also teaches private voice lessons to a small studio. Rhiannon has served as an adjudicator for the classical voice and musical theater sections at Alaska's State Solo and Ensemble Music Festival. Rhiannon graduated summa cum laude from University of Puget Sound’s School of Music, where she received a BM in Vocal Performance with Honors in Music. During her time at Puget Sound she performed in opera scenes and full-scale productions, including the roles of Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Miss Titmouse in Too Many Sopranos!, and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance. She was the fall 2011 winner of the University of Puget Sound’s Concerto/Aria Competition. Other roles include the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with the China Yunnan Opera Festival, Zerlina in Juneau Lyric Opera’s production of Don Giovanni, Olive Ostrovsky in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Cathy Hyatt in The Last Five Years, Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, Woman 1 in Songs for a New World, Judy Bernly in 9 to 5, and Amélie Poulain in Amélie. Rhiannon has studied voice with Dr. Dawn Padula and Joseph Evans. |
Drew ShermanDrew, a seasoned musician, soldier, and entrepreneur, brings a unique blend of perspectives to his work at SFAC. Prior to joining the team in 2017, Drew traversed the country with his band, performing at clubs, festivals, and any venue that welcomed their music. His musical journey began with the US Army band, where he honed his skills and toured extensively. Drew's diverse background has instilled in him a knack for finding creative solutions that benefit everyone. Whether tackling business challenges, organizing events, managing rentals, overseeing productions, or providing IT support, Drew approaches each task with an innovative spirit. When not navigating the digital world, Drew can be found on stage, playing the tuba or bass. His passion for music and his entrepreneurial drive are evident in all that he does. |
Zeke BlackwellZeke Blackwell has been involved in over 80 productions as a director, actor, writer, designer, and technician, and has had the joy of making theater in Sitka, Fort Worth, New Haven, New York, and Costa Rica, where he directed the world premiere of the Spanish-language version of Once on this Island! With over a decade of improv comedy experience, he’s performed/taught improv around the country, and most recently at the Boston Comedy Arts Festival. His original play, Still Life, was produced in the 2013 New York International Fringe Festival. He graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Cognitive Science. He served two years on the board of directors for Far Corners Community Musical Theatre, a non-profit dedicated to providing arts opportunities for underserved youth in isolated regions of the world. Once, he beat-boxed for Lin-Manuel Miranda. This is his fourth season year-round at SFAC as the Young Performers Theater Director.
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Paige CraigPaige was born and raised in Montana but has spent a lot of time in Sitka visiting family over the years. Paige grew up as a competitive athlete and played basketball at the college level. Her career as an athlete instilled in her a passion for health and fitness. She then wanted to pursue an occupation where she could promote the importance of exercise. She received a bachelor's degree in Health and Human Performance from the University of Providence in Great Falls, Montana, and a master's degree in the same field from the University of Montana. Paige has worked with Special Olympics, Sitka Grind Fitness, and as a personal trainer/group fitness instructor at the University of Montana. Paige has worked with a variety of populations: athletes, non-athletes, special needs, youth, teens, and adults. She recognizes the value in maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle to improve quality of life and understands the social, mental, emotional, and physical benefits of exercise. She also recognizes that every individual has different exercise goals. Paige is excited to be back in Sitka joining the team at the Hames Center and serving the community! |
Meredith ShatzerMeredith Shatzer was born and raised in Northern Virginia and worked in arts management in Virginia and Washington D.C. before taking some time off to travel. She holds a BA in Liberal Arts with concentrations in History and English from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She came to Sitka in the summer of 2023 to work seasonally in the tourism industry. When the summer season was ending, and she saw the Events and Hospitality Manager position at SFAC advertised, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine her experience and love of local arts with her appreciation for Sitka and its unique and diverse community. |
Doug ComstockDoug Comstock in the early 90's after graduating from The University of Oregon with a degree in Fine arts. With a background in cooking he worked and travelled around the country; cooking in Colorado at ski resorts, and summering in Alaska, with extensive road trips throughout the Four Corners/Southwest on the shoulder seasons in between. Doug has cooked in every form from restaurants to boarding schools and is very pleased to be working at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp |
Rach RoachRach has a B.A in theatre arts from Purdue Fort Wayne and is a non-union stage manager with experience in educational theater, touring theater, and regional LORT D theater. Rach moved to Sitka from Florida where they were a stage management fellow for Florida Studio Theatre. |
Maryl ReesMaryl is a Vermont native. She was blessed to have grown up in an artistic community and has been involved in theater since childhood. She graduated from a two-year vocational Theater and Film Production program in high school. She also holds an associate's degree in Visual Arts. She has worked professionally as a theater technician and props manager for several years. She is thrilled to be living in Sitka and helping bring the arts to this amazing community. When she's not working, she can be found reading comics or wandering through the woods. |
Eric DowEric came to Sitka in '92 from Oregon to work for USFS doing timber work. He started maintaining the forest service cabins in '01. After SFAC acquired the campus, Eric volunteered his time and skills with the restoration, and came on the team part time in '13. Since retiring from the USFS in 2022 he now works full time in the Maintenance Dept as lead carpenter. Eric discovered his passion for wordworking in his late teens. Since then, it's been all about wood; wood as trees, wood as firewood, and wood as boards and buildings. You can always find him one of two places, in the forest or the wood shop. |
Nick MiyasatoNick moved to Sitka from Anchorage where he was employed with ANTHC (Ak Native Medical Center) for 18 years as their Facilities Technician. Nick loves the outdoors and can be found camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, and biking. |
Gail FerrisMother of ravens, keeper of gardens. |
Cheri HampleI moved from Minnesota to Sitka in October of 2002, no job, no place to live and knowing no one. Since then, I have lived, worked, and volunteered in Sitka on and off over the last 22 years. I consider Sitka my “heart home”. My academic background includes graduate degrees in Public Health and Social Work from the University of Minnesota and my professional career was spent working for non-profits and tribal health organizations. I retired from my professional career in 2019 and am committed to supporting non-profit organizations. Am a long-time volunteer with SFAC and other local non-profits. I love to travel and do road trips and spent the last two summers in Europe. My love for music and the arts goes back to childhood. |
Harold AbelleraHarold bought, fixed up, and sold used cars in the Philippines before moving to Sitka in 2017. He works as Sitka Fine Arts Camp's Custodial Manager and also tackles basic maintenance work on campus. |
Ernesto AbelleraErnesto was a caregiver and packing service personnel in California before moving to Sitka in 2010. He works with Sitka Fine Arts Camp as a custodian. He loves eating and playing golf. |
The Board
The Sitka Fine Arts Camp Board of Directors is a diverse group of individuals who share a love of the arts, empowering young people, and building community. The board meets four times a year as a whole in addition to committee work. It serves a critical role in providing leadership and vision to ensure a long future for the Sitka Fine Arts Camp and it's many programs. If you are interested in serving on the board, please contact Executive Director Roger Schmidt at 907-747-3085.
Marya PillifantMarya Pillifant is the owner of Milly Builders, an Anchorage based construction project management company. She has a BA in International Studies form the University of Wyoming and a Certificate of Political Studies from the University of Aix Marseille III, Aix-en-Provence, France. Marya apprenticed with the South Central Alaska Carpenter’s Union and received her journeyman carpenter’s license in 1997. Marya’s family has been in Alaska for 3 generations working in construction and aviation in Kodiak, Valdez and Anchorage. She was named Constructive Woman of the Year in 2011 by the National Association of Women in Construction. She loves coming to Sitka and is especially keen on the historic old buildings of the Sheldon Jackson Campus. Marya is a founder of the SFAC Anchorage based fundraiser, Raise The Roof! which has raised more than $150,000 for building restoration on campus. She is very excited to have built a "bridge of support" from Anchorage to Sitka. Marya is a founder of Winterberry Charter School, Alaska’s first public Waldorf school. She is also an artist and enjoys painting with oil and watercolor. Marya has a studio in Anchorage in Spenard’s eclectic art center, the Church of Love. Marya is married to Tom Pillifant and they have three children. She spends her time in Anchorage, at the family cabin on Hesketh Island and Sitka. |
Mollie KablerMollie Kabler is a non-profit media executive at CoastAlaska and Alaska Public Broadcasting Inc. who loves living in Sitka and working with Alaskans that care about arts, education, and public media. Mollie earned her bachelor’s degree at Carleton College as a biology major and a Master’s in Public Administration from University of Alaska SE. Mollie has been active in many facets of the Sitka community including 12 years as an elected school board member. She was appointed by Governor Knowles to the Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission and served as co-chair. Her leadership on the Sitka Performing Arts Center committee helped to create community support to build our beautiful facility. Her daughters spent many happy hours every summer at Sitka Fine Arts Camp and have helped in the community rebuild of the SJ Campus. We are a commercial fishing family and love spending time on the waters around Sitka. Mollie loves camping, hiking and gardening. Her seasonal radio shows about how to garden in southeast Alaska has been on the air every spring for over 25 years. |
Amy RhyneerAmy was raised in small, experimental, fledgling independent schools. She brought her passion for community-centered, project-based education to Alaska when she moved there with her husband, George, in 1999. She served on the board of trustees for Pacific Northern Academy for nine years, two as the Chair, and currently serves on the board of governors for Alaska Public Media, serving as Secretary. Amy has two children who have attended Sitka Fine Arts Camp for a cumulative twelve years (so far). She has just become an enrolled student again, pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University’s low-residency program. When not messing about in schools, Amy likes to mess about in boats, spend time at the family’s cabin in Seldovia, and hike or walk anywhere. |
Oskar YaoOskar is currently a manager at Google, overseeing Alphabet’s public equity portfolio and share repurchase program among other strategic and financial initiatives. Prior to joining Google, he was a senior equity research associate at BMO Capital Markets covering Internet and Media. Oskar started his career in investment banking at Crédit Agricole in the financial sponsors coverage group before joining S&P Global as a credit analyst covering media and entertainment. Previously, Oskar maintained an active career as a concert pianist and avid ambassador for music engaged in a variety of performance practices targeting a wide array of audiences. He has received many recognitions including First Prize at the Eastman International Piano Competition, First Prize at the Morningside Music Bridge International Concerto and Chamber Music competitions, Third Prize at the Louisiana International Piano competition, and top prizes at numerous other national and international competitions across North America. He has performed solo concerts and with orchestra across the world in venues ranging from the Shanghai Grand Theater, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the National Arts Centre, and many more. Oskar received his Bachelors of Arts in Financial Economics with a minor in Math from Columbia University while concurrently pursuing his Masters of Music in Piano at the Juilliard School under the Columbia / Juilliard exchange program. His teachers have included Yoheved Kaplinsky, Robert McDonald, Jerome Lowenthal, Gary Graffman, and Chengzong Yin. Oskar was born in China, but was raised in Uppsala (Sweden) for nearly a decade before moving to Calgary (Canada) where his family still resides. He is the co-founder of the Super Piano Brothers, a groundbreaking piano duo specializing in self-arranged and composed music of all genres. After spending a decade in Manhattan, Oskar currently lives in California and still loves astronomy as much as in his younger days when he wanted to become an astronaut. |
James PoulsonJames Poulson is a photographer who grew up in Sitka. He helps run the Sitka Sentinel, which is a family-owned daily newspaper. He has been involved in many historic restoration projects in Sitka including restoring Tilly Paul Manor adjacent to the Sheldon Jackson campus for adaptive re-use as a hostel and the many on-going restoration projects of the Fine Arts Camp. He is married to Kristen Homer, who volunteers at camp. They have two daughters, Lucy and Addie, who are active in the arts and, not surprisingly, love attending (and working at) Camp. His interest in the Sitka Fine Arts Camp began when he was a camper in the 1970s. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and art history from Colgate University. He is a member of the Sitka Historic Preservation Commission. He holds a Master's Degree in historic preservation from Boston Architectural College. |
Blossom Teal-OlsenBlossom Teal-Olsen (Paniiraq) was born and raised in Kotzebue, Alaska. As a child, she moved frequently with her family across Alaska and the States. As a child Blossom played the violin under the late Leslie Salisbury in Fairbanks, Alaska. Violin was her first true love. Later on she reluctantly learned to play the piano after her violins were lost during a move. The only enjoyment Blossom experienced during her adolescence years was purposefully torturing her mother when she practiced her piano pieces. Whether it be pressing the keys too hard or being off tempo by just a hair, Blossom found many mischievous ways to express her disdain of the instrument. At the age of seventeen Blossom’s mother informed her that if she played Bach’s Prelude No. 1 in C Major perfectly in an upcoming school program, she would no longer require her to play the piano. Blossom accepted her mother’s proposal and then proceeded to make numerous mistakes during her performance. After a long uncomfortable pause, Blossom played Bach’s Prelude No. 1 in C Major perfectly, she then stood up and left the room. That was the last time she played the piano for her mother or anyone else. While Blossom’s past with music was sorted, she does contribute music to be a foundation in her life. Music opened the door to the arts, which in many ways allowed Blossom to find her core. Blossom is a writer and poet and has published pieces about her childhood in various publications. She is a graduate of Mt. Edgecumbe High School. She has worked on obtaining a degree but has little patience for the mundane. The only time Blossom loved her mother was when she brought her to the Seattle Opera. Currently, Blossom serves on the Sitka School Board. Her platform being, “Dreamers can make important decisions too.” Lastly, Blossom’s mother was from a distinguished family in West Seattle. Therefore she makes note to always put her elbows on the table. Blossom loves the arts, and raises her three children to be immersed in the arts. Both her and her husband enjoy becoming a little more eccentric each day. |
Jule LeBlancJule LeBlanc is the Sitka School District Cultural Director. Her work is rooted in the desire to provide Sitka youth a positive, personal, and inspiring educational experience. Her passion to contribute to this work is because of her upbringing in Sitka as an Alaska Native and the way this experience shaped her today. Prior to becoming the Cultural Director, Jule taught 2nd grade in Sitka and 6th -12th grade English in Thailand. Jule received her BA in Elementary Education at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and a M.ED in Learning, Design, and Technology at the University of Alaska Southeast. Jule finds her free time best spent outdoors, traveling, and enjoying time with family |
Caroline GoodwinCaroline Goodwin's recent poetry collections are Old Snow, White Sun (JackLeg Press, Washington, D.C.), Madrigals (Big Yes Press, Arroyo Grande, CA) and Matanuska (Aquifer Press, Wales, UK). Born and raised in Anchorage, she lived in Sitka for fifteen years before moving to California in 1999 to attend Stanford as a Wallace Stegner Fellow in poetry. She holds an MFA from the University of British Columbia, teaches at UC Berkeley Extension, Stanford Continuing Studies, and California College of the Arts, and lives on the coast with her pug, Jimi Hendrix. |