By Janette Turner

This week, the concept of summer is no longer a hazy yearning. With the sun out, it’s time to match your best sandals to your socks and head to the park for some dancing. Read on for that Sunday event and other selected highlights this upcoming week in Edmonds.

Edmonds Library: Sue Gill Rose and colleagues

“Someday I hope to be remembered as maybe Grandma ‘Roses,’ like Grandma ‘Moses,’” said painter Sue Gill Rose in her artist statement for her pieces on display at the Edmonds Library. Rose is clear about her artistic inspiration and vision: “I want to be remembered for my color and my vividness.” Her lively work, along with pieces by Judith Heim, Cheryl Hufnagel, Delorse Lovelady, Victoria Galbraith, Jane Mayer, and Joan Poor — who collectively make up Ten Ladies Painting II — will be at the library through July 30.

Driftwood Players: Festival of Shorts on Friday and Saturday

This weekend, audiences will vote for the Driftwood Theatre’s People’s Choice award as eight short plays compete in the Alternative Stages’ third annual “Festival of Shorts.” Show times are 8 p.m. on July 13 and 14. Tickets at https://www.driftwoodplayers.com/boxoffice.asp

Director Carissa Meisner Smit recently laid out the award process, which started months ago with the selection of eight plays out of 180 submissions: “Our adjudicators — Elena Hartwell, Mark Kuntz, and Dale Burrows — have read through the scripts carefully, and will be coming to evaluate the plays on Saturday evening. After some time deliberating together, they will present their top three best plays in the Festival, as well as the People’s Choice award (selected by audience members). Those playwrights present will come onstage to be recognized. It’s surprising how often the judges and the audience choose completely different favorites!”

Here are the eight short plays audience members will be voting on:
1.       “The Tale of Sleeping Cutie,” by Diana Sampson (San Francisco): Will Rose’s quirk keep her from meeting the man of her dreams?
2.       “Twenty-Three Hundred (plus ten),” by Mark Rigney (Evansville, Ind.): After a hard tour of duty, another six-pack isn’t the answer.
3.       “Instant Harmony,” by Joe Starzyk (Troy, N.Y.): Internet dating at its hilarious worst.
4.       “Life Lines,” by Donna Hoke (East Amherst, N.Y.): A mother faces her grief and begins to let go.
5.        “Eavesdropper,” by Russell Weeks (Seattle): Meeting again for the first time.
6.        “Lost and Found,” by Keith  McGregor  (Seattle): An unexpected chance at another life.
7.        “Eye to Eye,” by Fred R. Roberts, Jr. (New Orleans): Two very different people find common ground after surgery leaves them shaken.
8.       “K8 and 4D,” by Andrew Tribolini (Seattle): The mysterious lives and loves of text messages.

One last Driftwood note: We hear Roger Huston accepted a part-time position as general manager at Seattle’s Theater Schmeater. Thankfully, we’ll still see him at Driftwood helping with technical directing.

Bountiful Home: Scott Ward on site Saturday

Illustrator Scott Ward, along with a “creative gathering of artistic folk,” will be at Bountiful Home on July 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ward will be painting in the garden and showing his latest work. For folks following the My Edmonds News series, “The Self-Publishing Project,” Ward is the illustrator for writer Kizzie Jones’ upcoming book, “A Tall Tale About a Short Long Dog (How Dachshunds Came to Be).” When you see Ward’s work, you can imagine the stunning pages he will create for Jones’ fall release. Stay tuned for updates on the project.

Edmonds Bookshop: K J Larsen appearance on Saturday

K J Larsen, writer of “Sticks and Stones,” the second Cat Deluca mystery, comes to the Edmonds Bookshop on Saturday, July 14, at noon. According to a press release, K J Larsen is actually a trio of sisters who write the books together. Two of the three siblings will be in Edmonds to talk about the fictitious Cat DeLuca and her Pants on Fire Detective Agency, with its motto: “We Catch Liars and Cheats.” Free.
Edmonds in Bloom: Garden Tour on Sunday

The 17th annual Edmonds in Bloom Garden Tour takes place July 15, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in some of the finest private gardens of Edmonds and Woodway. Six of the locations will also feature a plein air artist: Susan Waite, Autumn Kegley, Sarah Lee Cox, Steve Whitney, Janci Mannington and Kim Caldwell. Tickets $15 for this perennial favorite at 425-409-9195 or https://edmondsinbloom.com/index.php/garden-tour/

Dancing in Edmonds City Park: “Show Brazil” on Sunday

Eduardo Mendonça, lead singer for “Show Brazil,” brings Brazilian music and dance to Edmonds City Park on Sunday, July 15, at 3 p.m. Mendonça has performed for Pope John Paul II and South Africa’s President Nelson Mendela, and was featured in a 1991 Paul Simon documentary. Mendonça performs with a dancer, so wear your comfy shoes if you want to bust a move, or bring your own lawn chair to relax and listen. Free. In case of rain, the event will be canceled by 2:30 p.m. More info here.

Gallery North: Artist reception on Sunday

Gallery North hosts a reception for artist Sam Spencer on July 15, from 1-4 p.m.  A photographer for over 40 years, Spencer’s work “conveys a sense of the infinite,” according to the gallery’s press release. This is your chance to meet him in person.
Business After Hours: Pétanque Club hosts on Wednesday

This month’s Business After Hours event will be hosted by the Edmonds Pétanque Club at Civic Field on the court, from 5-7 p.m. on July 18. For more information on rolling the piglet, or to sign up for the tournament set for Aug. 5, visit: https://edmondspetanqueclub.org/

Super Terrific Shakespeare: Camp Bill

The Edmonds Center for the Arts is partnering with the Seattle Shakespeare Company to host Camp Bill, an acclaimed Shakespeare camp for kids age 10-15. We’re not sure if it’s better than Mr. Kelly’s SuperTerrificsummerFunCamp, but Camp Bill features professional actors and teaching artists. And some super terrific plays.

Camp Bill’s schedule in Seattle is: Shakespeare Performance July 16-27; Shakespeare Comedy, Aug. 6-10; and Shakespeare Tragedy, Aug. 20-24.  https://www.seattleshakespeare.org/education/campbill.asp

Advance notice: ARTSplash July 19 – 22

Over 40 local artists will be at the ARTSplash annual sale and exhibition at ArtWorks July 19-22, with a preview party on July 19. We’ll tell you more about the event next week, but if you can’t wait, check out their website for a preview: https://www.artsplash-edmonds.com/

Advance notice: Free miniature with selected purchase

Two of Edmonds’ acclaimed landscape artists, Andy Eccleshall and David Marty, are being featured at Cole Gallery in a special promotion. If you purchase a full-sized piece by one of the artists, you will receive an additional, smaller artwork as a gift. The “tastes” range in size from 4”x 6” to 6”x 8”. The promo runs July 19 through Aug. 1.

Advance notice: ECA

What’s the best value in town? A year’s worth of shows at the Edmonds Center for the Arts for $592. The ECA season will kick off Oct. 5 with four-time Grammy award-winning jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves. She has toured with Brazilian jazz funk master Sergio Mendes, singer Harry Belafonte, and trumpet master Wynton Marsalis. She’s even been on the big screen with George Clooney in “Good Night and Good Luck.” And now she’s coming to Edmonds. More info on individual tickets and the entire season here.

Arts reporter Janette Turner is your guide to local culture. In addition to covering visual, performing and literary events for My Edmonds News, Janette is managing director of EPIC Literary Series and a member of the Swedish Hospital Art Committee.   (Photo by Jennifer McKinney)