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, gracing the tuba or bass with his musical talents. 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. |
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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. |
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Gail FerrisMother of ravens, keeper of gardens. |
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. |
