Buy your tickets now for the Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation’s preview party, the Artists of Tomorrow Benefit, set for Wednesday, June 13 from 7 p.m. until dusk at the Frances Anderson Center. In addition to revealing the art in the juried galleries and kicking off the festival, the event will raise funds to support future artists “at a time when arts education is waning,” festival organizers note.

According to National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman, “Students who have arts-rich experiences in school do better across the board academically and they also become more active and engaged citizens: voting, volunteering and generally participating at higher rates than their peers.”

With that in mind, Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation has chosen the “artists of tomorrow” as the beneficiary of this year’s event. While EAFF has long provided scholarships and grants to public schools, the organization is committed to raising additional funds during these difficult times and is encouraging the community to participate. Scholarships and school and community grants in South Snohomish County are among the projects scheduled to receive the funds raised.

“We want to be in there steadily supporting opportunities for our youth,” said EAFF President Jeri Hamilton.

Here’s an example of these grants in action: With one of EAFF’s Visual Arts Idea Grants, Karen Fritz worked with fourth-grade students at Westgate Elementary School using wire sculpture art to teach them symmetrical and asymmetrical balance. They measured and bent copper wire to create a symmetrical outline of a head and a mobile of the human face.

“This was a very fun project,” Fritz said. “The kids just loved it. I presented on Alexander Calder, explaining that he was an engineer prior to becoming an artist and how he was able to combine his two interests. The students had to do some measuring/marking from the midpoint on the copper wire in order to make a symmetrical frame, so it was good application of math [to] art.”

In addition to helping support arts education, benefit attendees will have the honor of being the first to view the EAF juried galleries, including the 1.000-piece Student Art Gallery. EAF is one of very few art festivals in the nation to showcase student art.

“It’s a great community gathering,” Hamilton said of the benefit, explaining that party-goers “will have the opportunity to purchase art pieces before the Festival even begins.” Attendees will also select the People’s Choice award recipient from among the many works of art.

The evening begins in the galleries with savory appetizers by Celebrations Catering, along with a glass of wine or a non-alcoholic beverage, while enjoying soft jazz performed by Boulevard A from Edmonds-Woodway High School. Attendees will view the student art exhibit while proceeding to the Plaza for sweet bites and specialty cocktails provided by Five Restaurant, Epulo Bistro, The Loft and Nama’s Candy Store. Local singer Emily Brotherton will entertain and there will be a Silent Auction featuring fabulous art, vacation packages and more.

Tickets are available for $50 per person, $25 of which will benefit local arts education projects. Tickets may be purchased at www.eaffoundation.org/tickets. Email benefit@eaffoundation.org for more information.