Earth Day celebrates its 40^th anniversary this month. So it’s only appropriate that this Third Thursday’s Edmonds Art Walk will have a “green” twist.

Happening exactly one week before Earth Day, which is April 22, the April 15 Art Walk is joining with Earth Day International to celebrate four decades with a new initiative: Arts For The Earth. Nearly all the artists in this month’s Art Walk feature a love of nature and the earth, and several use recycled materials in their work. Five earth-loving groups will be on hand at various Art Walk locations to help celebrate and distribute information about how others can decrease their carbon footprint and make Edmonds more earth-loving.

Edmonds’ Third Thursday Art Walk is marking an anniversary of its own: it celebrated the beginning of its ninth year in March. Over the years, it has become one of the largest art walks in the state, with approximately 40 locations hosting artists each month. Art Walk visitors enjoy great art, plus live music, art demonstrations and samplings of local food and wine.

In 2009, 580 artists had an opportunity to present their art to art walk patrons. In addition, 38 groups played live music, and 10 authors/illustrators were showcased during book signings and readings.

The Edmonds Art Walk was founded in March of 2000 by Manya Vee and Jeff Stilwell, owners of Manya Vee Selects in downtown Edmonds. In the beginning, it was a difficult task to convince merchants to participate, Vee recalled, especially if the merchant’s business didn’t have any connection to art or artists. The couple promised to help find artists to show their work for the evening, and began recruiting them in earnest. The monthly event, always free with free parking, is now a wonderful combination of established and emerging artists who show their work at traditional art galleries, as well as nontraditional venues like the book shop, the wine shop, real estate offices and more.

A map and information can be found here. Or look for a rainbow spinner outside the door of a participating merchant, and go inside to get a printed map. More information is available at 425-776-3778.