Arts roundup

Welcome to Arts Roundup at Alaska Dispatch, where every Thursday we'll be serving up a quick look at some of the coming week's arts highlights from around the state. From auditions and exhibits to concerts and coffeehouses, we'll give you a short take on some of the opportunities available to art-making and art-loving Alaskans.

Maybe it's just because I was one of those kids who was standing in Suzuki lessons at age 4, holding a practice "violin" made out of a cracker box and a ruler, but I can't help feeling that early exposure to the arts sets children up to be creative, open-minded and cultured for life. This weekend presents a couple of opportunities for young Alaskans in Anchorage and Juneau to check out the state's museums and get up close and personal with both traditional and contemporary art.

The Anchorage Museum is kicking off its annual Trick or Treat Town Halloween festival with discounted tickets, free museum admission and other goodies this weekend. While Trick or Treat Town itself won't take place until Oct. 23 and 24, discounted $5 tickets will be available at a special event held Sunday, Oct. 4, from noon to 4 p.m. at the museum. Admission to the museum that day will be free with the purchase of Trick or Treat Town tickets; in addition to the museum exhibits (which currently include the kid-friendly "Science in Toyland" and "Artists at Play"), the event will include prizes, goodie bags, and a visit from Alaska Aces mascot Boomer.

Down in Juneau, The Alaska State Museum presents two special events this weekend, one of them just for families with children. Friday, Oct. 2, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., volunteers from the Marie Drake Planetarium will make short presentations on "Our Place Among the Planets: Extraterrestrial Geography." Admission to the museum will be free from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. for First Friday (regular admission is $3; visitors 18 and under are always free). On Saturday, Oct. 3, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., the Friends of the Alaska State Museum will sponsor the Yup'ik Traditions Family Festival, with opportunities to learn kayak hunting and gut work techniques, along with craft and cultural activities geared toward ages 5 through 14 (adults are encouraged to participate, too). Pamyua musician Ossie Kairaiuak will teach storytelling and drumming techniques.

For students who are more into written expression, the Alaska Center for the Book invites young Alaskans in grades 4 through 12 to enter "Letters About Literature," a national writing contest in which students write letters to writers who have influenced them. To enter, students must write a letter to an author -- either living or dead -- in which they explain how the author's work changed their view of the world or themselves. Entries must be accompanied by an official entry coupon; the form can be downloaded at the Alaska Center for the Book's Web site or picked up at a local library. State winners will receive a $100 cash prize plus a $50 Target gift card, and will advance to the national competition, where they will be eligible to win a $500 Target gift card and a $10,000 grant for their school or community library. The entry deadline is Dec. 12.

Contact Maia Nolan at maia_alaskadispatch.com.