Edmonds Cultural Plan Survey

I mentioned in last week’s column that the City of Edmonds is gearing up to write a new six-year plan for the future of art culture and our use of parks and open spaces. Earlier this week, the city released a link to an anonymous survey to get a more complete idea of how the parks are currently used, and where Edmonds residents would like to see the city place its priorities. Give the city a piece of your mind! Follow the link below; the survey takes about 10 minutes.

https://bit.ly/edmondssurvey

When you’re through, please forward the link to family, friends and neighbors!

The Seattle branch of Feminenza, an international organization with a lofty and highly inspiring vision of what a “greater mutuality between the genders” could mean for humanity, is holding an arts and crafts fair this weekend! On their website, Feminenza states:

“We have a vision, a belief that as women, we have a huge part to play in the future of our world, but to play that part, we need to know ourselves better. We need to find an inner strength, an inner connection, to the deepest parts of ourselves, and from that, a connection with the best of each other. We need to learn to understand ourselves, profoundly, to rewrite the centuries of ignorance, of suppression, of seeing ourselves as insignificant…We need to believe in that deepest part of ourselves, and we need to believe that there is a feminine spiritual power that we are born with and connected to by virtue of our gender. It has an intelligence. It can speak through our thoughts, through our actions, through our art, through our poetry, through our dance, through our cherishment of the uniqueness of each individual human being. It assists humanity.”

Feminenza has a small office at 209 4th Ave. S. in Edmonds (the corner of 4th and Dayton), and will be opening their doors at 11 a.m. on Saturday, the 24th. Many local crafters are contributing their works. Please find your way down from the market and come support this exciting and absolutely necessary organization.

NW Special Artists will exhibit work by 11 Northwest artists with physical and developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injury at ArtWorks for the entire month of September. NW Special Artists strives to create opportunities for artists with disabilities. They provide studio space, donated materials, and guidance for people with disabilities working in the arts. NWSA also coordinates gallery shows and networking opportunities for these artists. If you or an artist you know is in any way disabled, you may reserve studio space Saturday afternoons at ArtWorks. To volunteer with the organization, by giving one-on-one support during the open studio time, contact info@nwspecialartists..com To donate art supplies, simply mark them with the initials NWSA and drop them off at ArtWorks Mon., Thurs., or Fri. between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Joyce Belknap, Lupita Cano, Earl Debnam, Dawn Domenowsky, John Gregory, Matthew James, Dylan Kuehl, Emily Locke, Forrest Sargent, Matt Whittaker, and Kristy Yawman are the featured artists for the “Colors of My World” exhibit.

FanJAZZtic!, the annual fundraiser to support the Frank DeMiero Jazz Fest, is coming up! This year’s theme is “Oh, What A Night!” with ‘50s attire encouraged. Dine in style, dance to Rob and the Hyatt Tones and the Moodswings Jazz Band, and bid on musical auction items the night of Sept. 27 at the Edmonds Conference Center. Tickets are $25 in advance—click this link to order online —or $30 at the door. Show starts at 7 p.m. The 38th Annual DeMiero Jazz Fest will be held March 6-8, 2014, and some fantastic guest artists are already on board, see the www.demierojazzfest.org website for a full line-up, and to register your jazz group.

Volunteer at ECA. Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 5 p.m., Edmonds Center for the Arts is holding a free social event to learn more about volunteer opportunities, get a tour of the theater, and become a part of the ECA family. ECA depends heavily on its volunteers—from taking tickets to helping to coordinate the gala fundraiser, no ECA show would run so smoothly without its team of dedicated volunteers. Contact Jim Kristian: jim@ec4arts.org for more information, or just show up Tuesday night!

Speaking of the ECA Gala…the red carpet event is upon us again! Saturday, Sept. 28 starting at 5 p.m., enjoy gourmet dinner, fine wine, and a live auction hosted by the fast-talking charmer John Curley. Reserve your tickets (and choose between a beef, fish, or vegetarian dinner) online by following the Red Carpet Gala link from ECA’s Events Page. Early bird tickets are still available at $125 a pop, or $250 for VIP. Last year my dad was cajoled into offering not one, but three paella dinners for auction when the bids were getting too high…he says he is going to stick to his guns this year, but only time will tell how the drama plays out.

A Rain Garden Workshop hosted by the City of Edmonds will be held Sept. 17, from 6-8 in the Plaza Room above the Library. Marilyn Jacobs of Rain Dog Designs will teach you the upside of installing a rain garden—including drainage control, filtration, beauty and the benefits of plants attracted to this particular environment—and then teach you how to design and install a rain garden in your own yard. This is a free workshop, but registration is first-come, first-served, so email Stormwater Engineering Technician Michael Cawrse at Michael.cawrse@edmondswa.gov or call 425-771-0220 to reserve your seat. Please include contact information in your message.

Don’t miss Ivan Doig at the Edmonds Bookshop this Saturday, Aug. 24 at noon!

– By Juliet Brewster

Artfully Edmonds columnist Juliet Brewster, an Edmonds native and Edmonds-Woodway High School graduate, has a degree in literature from Bennington College. To have your arts happening listed, email her at brewster.juliet@gmail.com.