Artfully Edmonds: A year of ‘firsts’ line up for Edmonds’ 2016 art scene

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Poster art for UNCLAD 2016 features the work of a number of the 90 juried artists who will participate in the March 18-20 art exhibition to be held at Edmonds Yacht Club and other venues around Edmonds.

These are exciting times for the Edmonds’ arts and events scene, with many projects and events making their way onto the city’s planning calendars for the first time in 2016.

We surely will have some exciting surprise “firsts” as the year progresses, but one “first” in the Edmonds arts and events world is the upcoming installation along the 4th Avenue Arts Corridor (as the weather gets warmer) by artist Iole Alessandrini. We also have a mix of already launched and in-the-works projects such as the recently successful Edmonds Chamber’s Clam Chowder Cook-Off,’ launch of “Driftwood Troupe”; and the upcoming arts festival CAFÉ (Creative Age Festival of Edmonds). We are pleased to be able to report, this week, on a recent success of Steel Magic Northwest — a steel drums ensemble for young people — that is well on the way to establishing a permanent Edmonds home.

Artfully Edmonds noted several months ago that Edmonds had been selected as the site of UNCLAD 2016, the brainchild and reinvention of Camano Island artist Gayle Picken. This arts celebration of the human form will begin with participation in Art Walk Edmonds on Thursday, March 17, then a Friday, March 18 VIP-reception with an open to the public showing on Saturday and Sunday, March 19 and 20. Tickets are available at the main event website.

The buzz over the “reveal” of UNCLAD 2016 (which is taking place at the Edmonds Yacht Club) began last year as Picken announced her plans to reintroduce the event, which had enjoyed a 16-year run before the recession and business decisions put the wraps on the popular exhibition.

Reintroducing UNCLAD with the VIP reception at the yacht club has guaranteed interest and attendance in the much-talked-about event.

Reaction from the artist community has been enthusiastic, with 90 artists being juried in to show their respective work featuring the nude form. Picken told us that 10 of the show’s artists are from Edmonds, with the majority of them living in Washington — “from Blaine to Bremerton, Maple Valley to Colfax. There are also a few artists from out of state — New York, North Carolina, Michigan, Quebec and Montreal.”

Preview

The exhibition includes several large paintings – including

  • a 7-foot-tall piece titled “The Dance” by Curt W. Labitzke, Associate Professor at the School of Art at University of Washington;
  • a 6-foot-by-6-foot acrylic painting by Gregory Hartman of Edmonds (which Picken guarantees is sure to be a conversation piece); and
  • Tom Jensen’s “Dreamy” – a 6-1/2-foot painting of the artist’s sister studying a nude at a London art gallery.

Show features

Art Walk Edmonds

UNCLAD 2016 will be a participant in AWE (Art Walk Edmonds) on Thursday, March 17. Patrons are invited to the Cascadia Art Museum (190 Sunset Ave.), where there will be a selection of UNCLAD 2016 work on display.

Drawing Marathon

Saturday, March 19 will feature a 12-Hour Life Drawing Marathon at the Edmonds Senior Center (220 Railroad Ave.) dedicated to Lyle Silver, an artist who ran a life-drawing group in Seattle for decades and passed away last year.

Organizers are setting up six sessions and six models for a full day of life drawing for participating artists.

Awards

Three show awards will be presented: A Juror’s Award; the Paula Gegax Memorial Award; and a People’s Choice award.

Watch for next week’s My Edmonds News last-minute interview with Gayle Picken on what it has taken to create one of Edmonds’ most-talked-about events this season.

Tickets to the VIP reception or showing are available at this online box office.

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Steel Drum Magic Northwest

 

Steel Drum Music + Kids = SMN

 

Steel Magic Northwest (SMN) music director Gary Gibson announces this week receipt of a $10,000 grant from the Hazel Miller Foundation for his steel drums band.

Gibson tells My Edmonds News, “With a start-up fundraising goal of $60,000, this award puts the innovative program $7,500 shy of a goal that ensures Steel Magic Northwest will be equipped in time to provide the steel band classes at the Edmonds School District’s Summer Music School.”

As many as 68 children comprising two steel drum bands will have an opportunity to play in the SMN steel orchestra as fund-raising reaches its goal and instruments are made available to participants.

Gibson adds, “We are especially proud of this grant, which comes from right here in Edmonds, and we look forward to enriching this community with our music and other activities.”

Fundraising

The band is looking for space to accommodate the program, and seeking assistance from the community to complete their funding drive. Donations may be made to Steel Magic Northwest.

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Out of Woods jPeg

 

Friday, March 11
7 p.m.
“Out of the Woods”
Performed by Edmonds Elementary
     PTA Drama Club
     at Edmonds-Woodway High School Theatre
     7600 212th St. S.W.

Your favorite fairy tale characters wake up in the middle of the dark woods. They have lost their magic and are far from home.

Will they work together to get out of the woods?

Come find out at this years Edmonds Elementary PTA Drama Club production of Out of the Woods! It’s going to be edge-of-your-seat drama for little ones and their families.

Tickets are available at brown paper tickets.

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DeMiero Jazz Fest

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The DeMiero Jazz Fest has made music memories for the past 40 years. Celebrate their success by attending the exciting concert line-up!

For 40 years the DeMiero Jazz Fest has delighted the jazz world, chorale jazz enthusiasts, educators and most importantly young jazz musicians with this annual event.

The Jazz Fest provides an exceptional opportunity for music students of all ages to realize their potential and gain the esteem of their peers while working one-on-one with world-renowned jazz artists.

It is also an opportunity for Edmonds jazz enthusiasts to enjoy evening performances in the welcoming atmosphere of Edmonds Center for the Arts.

How that translates for My Edmonds News readers is that beginning this Friday, more kids than you can imagine will be dashing about downtown, sharing experiences, experiencing our gelato stops, novelty shops and restaurants. They’ll be laughing, trading secrets and having a wonderfully great time.

Each evening of the three-day festival, participating artists bring their talents to the ECA stage, creating truly magical evening concerts after spending the day in an inspiring environment, with the more than 1,500 students participating from some of the nation’s finest jazz vocal programs.

The program includes music industry favorites New York Voices, Dee Daniels, Four Freshmen, Joe Williams, Mark Murphy, Diane Schuur, John Pizzarelli, Carmen Bradford, Greta Matassa, Jon Hendricks, Kevin Mahogany, and Karrin Allyson. Additionally, some of the community’s finest jazz ensembles are represented at the fest, including the Kennelly Keys Music All Star Big Band, Seattle Jazz Singers and Soundsation.

The 2016 guest star line-up is provided at the DiMiero Jazz Fest website

Tickets for the DiMiero JazzFest are available on line.

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Free!

It’s always fun to hear from The Gothard Sisters and with St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, news that the trio (that we all remember from their “little girl” days at the Edmonds Saturday Market) catches our attention.

This time of year, Greta, Willow and Solana performance venues are actually more “neighborly” and include Lake Forest Park and downtown Seattle over the St. Patrick’s holiday. Explaining their move away from a large-hall setting, they say, “we decided to do something different and hold two smaller, free, family-friendly shows so more people can come and enjoy an evening of Irish music and dance in a cozier atmosphere.”

Also, the trio is welcoming to their stage Ben-David Wagner, introduced in this Facebook video.  The Gothard Sisters will be performing at the following venues in the coming days:

Saturday, March 12

7:30 p.m.

St. Patrick’s Day Tour with Ben-David Wagner
Third Place Commons
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park

– – –

Sunday, March 13
Irish Week Celebration
Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.

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Gypsy Boys jPeg

Saturday, March 12
8:30 p.m.
The Loft Cafe & Courtyard
515 Main St.

The Gypsy Boys are returning this Saturday night to the sophisticated setting of The Loft Cafe & Courtyard on Main St.

We recommend early seating to hear this talented band whose music so captures the thrill of the famous Gypsy Kings and the Roma culture.

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Cascade Symphony Orchestra

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Eric Han will preside over Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in B minor at Cascade Symphony Orchestra’s March 14 concert.

Monday, March 14
7:30 p.m.
Edmonds Center for the Arts
410 4th Ave. N.

Cascade Symphony will continue its 54th season on Monday, March 14 with “Dvorak Cello Concerto.”  The concert will be preceded by a pre-concert lecture by KING-FM’s Dave Beck at 6:30 p.m.

The program will open with the lively Overture to Semiramide by Rossini. This will be followed by the Suite Op. 20a from Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake. The concert will conclude with featured cello soloist Eric Han in a performance of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto in B minor.

Korean-born Canadian cellist Eric Han made his concerto debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at the age of 14, followed by many engagements with Toronto Sinfonietta, Toronto Chamber Players and Boston’s Symphony by the Sea. As a guest artist and Artist in Residence, he has participated at various festivals including the Moritzburg Festival, La Jolla SummerFest, Music@Menlo and Sarasota Music Festival, among others.

Due to the demand for tickets, Cascade Symphony urges patrons to return any tickets they will not use to the ECA box office. Even though a concert is “sold out,” returned tickets do become available — even at the door.

Please call the ECA at 425-275-9595, or come early (beginning at 6:15 p.m.) on concert night and sign the wait list at the CSO table in the lobby.

For additional information, please visit cascadesymphony.org or call 425-776-4938.

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11 EPIC Writers

Authors and Poets Podium
2016 EPIC Group Writers Contest
Free for high school age writers!
Entry deadline Friday, April 11

There’s a Winner’s Party in the offing!

“Not as obvious as it seems” is the theme for this year’s EPIC contest, which will judge writers on their skill to cleverly turn adult/prose; adult/poetry; (youth) high school-age/prose; (youth) high school age/poetry into a first place win or a 2nd place slot in one of the four categories.

The prizes to be afforded the winners includes publication on the organization’s website, an invitation to read at the awards ceremony on May 25 at the Edmonds Library; a $50 first prize award with $25 granted to each 2nd place winner.

Winning entries may also be included in upcoming EPIC Group Writers publications.

Complete rules are posted at https://www.epicgroupwriters.com/news–events.

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Calendar notes for next week

Shrek The Musical

Thursday, March 17
7 p.m.
Mountlake Terrace High School
Theatre
21801 44th Ave. W.
Shrek, The Musical, performed by
Madrona Children’s Theatre

You know the story, now see the local production.  It’s going to be fun!

Shrek ticket link can be found at brown paper tickets.

 

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ManDefeatsNaturePoster
Christopher Bailey’s riveting play, Man Defeats Nature opens next week at the Wade James Theatre. Live the rumble of St. Helens once more!

Opens Thursday, March 17
8 p.m.
Driftwood Players
At Wade James Theatre
950 Main St.

Driftwood Players theatre company is proud to offer an annual “Spotlight on Local Playwrights” production that features the work of playwrights in the Pacific Northwest. This season’s spotlight is on Christopher Bailey and his moving play Man Defeats Nature. Not only is the playwright based locally, but so is the play.

The cast of Edmonds Driftwood Players’ Man Defeats Nature includes Danette Meline, Dan Niven, Asa Sholdez and Annie St. John.

Managing director Amy Gentry says of this cast, these are “all wonderfully talented actors Driftwood is proud to have returning to the Wade James stage.”

Synopsis

Man Defeats Nature tells the story of a family whose adult son has yet to be recovered a year after the eruption of Mount St. Helens. The play touches on heartache, moments of joy, the desperate need to hope, and the choice to move on. Filled with compassion, frustration, and event humor, Man Defeats Nature is a heartfelt and relatable story that Driftwood is thrilled to present.

The Man Defeats Nature production team, led by director Nikki Fey-Burgett, has had the rare opportunity of having the playwright close-by for some collaboration. When asked about being included in the production process with his play, Christopher Bailey says, “Watching this play come to life in Nikki’s hands is like watching Dr. Frankenstein flip the switch then proclaim, ’It’s alive. It’s ALIVE!’” Seeing auditions and rehearsals was fun and enlightening; fun when my play takes its first steps; enlightening when I learn things about the characters I couldn’t see when I created them.”

Two post-show Q&A’s with the playwright, director and cast have been scheduled after performances on Friday, March 18 and Thursday, March 24. The audience is invited to chat with the team for a deeper look into the production process from writing the play to taking the stage.

About the Playwright

Christopher Bailey has written numerous plays, including Mandrake and the Marsh People and Man Defeats Nature and recently completed Magic Bullet, plus his multi-chambered epic about the Kennedy assassination.

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Peter Pan Jr. will be presented by Maplewood Middle School, 8500 200th St. SW on March 18 and 19. Produced by the Maplewood Parent Cooperative we expect a bright and colorful experience will be had for young and old alike as we take flight once more; destination: Never Never Land.  Tickets $5. Additional details at the My Edmonds News event page.

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Sno King jPeg red

Saturday, March 19
3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Phantom of the Opera, performed at
Trinity Lutheran Church
6215 196th St. SW

 

One of the most popular musicals of all time, Phantom of the Opera, will be performed in a concert version by the 100-voice Sno-King Community Chorale and Chorale Orchestra on Saturday, March 19.

Soloists will include Megan Jeffrey as Christine; Brian Hodder as the Phantom; Steve Cobb as Raoul; and Nikki Glaros as Meg.

Also featured on the program will be the Massa dello Matrimonio, music and lyrics by Frank DeMiero with soloist Diane Radabaugh.

The chorale, in its 16th year under the direction of Frank DeMiero, continues its tradition of presenting semi-classical and classical compositions at their spring program in the more intimate church setting.

Tickets may be purchased at this Brown Paper Ticket link at the chorale’s website www.sno-kingchorale.org, or at the door. For more information, call 206-473-9416.

— By Emily Hill

Emily

Emily Hill is the author of two novels and a short story collection. Emily is retired from a career in public information and news media relations. If you would like your event listed, or featured, in Artfully Edmonds, Emily invites you to contact her at arts@myedmondsnews.com.

  1. Wow – what an amazing week for arts coming up. Thanks Emily, for always keeping us up to date on what’s happening.

  2. Thank you, Emily Hill for including our Maplewood production in your column. Last year we did Beauty and the Beast and we sold out two of three shows. This year Peter Pan will be even better! I am always blown away by the level of talent of our young thespians.

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