Artists in Halibut Cove

Fine art is a major industry in this community. The census lists only 35 residents, but there are 17 artists and three galleries (I suspect the population is several times this in the summer). The summer-only Halibut Cove's Experience Fine Art Gallery (907-296-2215) is first past the farm on the boardwalk, on pilings above the water. The airy room contains works by Halibut Cove artists only. Farther on, Diana Tillion, who, with her husband, Clem, pioneered the community, opens her Cove Gallery and studio to guests. Since the 1950s, she has worked almost exclusively in octopus ink, painstakingly extracted with a hypodermic needle. Alex Combs, a grand old Picasso-like figure among Alaska artists, takes visitors at his studio even though he often isn't there. The building is marked by a huge self-portrait and a sign reading, "Leave money, take pottery and paintings."