New open plazas, adorned with public art; film series, music and the promise of new playhouse productions – and that’s only what is on the horizon for the Edmonds arts and events scene over the next 10 days.
This week’s column also offers a peek at what arts and events My Edmonds News readers have to look forward as summer approaches.
Dayton Street Plaza
We hope you caught My Edmonds News coverage of the opening of a new public plaza that’s now been added to Edmonds’ rich arts bounty. The newest in the city’s arts sites is at the north end of the former Public Works building, which is now used by the city and two tenants, ArtWorks and the Driftwood Players Rehearsal Annex.
Formerly a courtyard entry into the building, the space has been redesigned as a welcoming park plaza for public use. It includes a seat wall, artist designed hardscape inlay, and an interactive rain stick element. Local arts activist Darlene McLellan designed the plaza’s center inlay, with a temporary installation created by Mona T. Smiley-Fairbanks.
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Thursday, April 6
6:30 p.m. Cabaret Happy Hour
7:30 p.m. Screening
Film Series: The Artist
Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA)
410 4th Ave. N.
Highlight: The Matt Weiner Hot Combination
Playing New Orleans and Chicago 1920s Jazz standards
An Encounter ~ The Fall ~ The Fame
The Artist (2011) continues the ECAs Thursday night screenings of classic, contemporary and cult films, whose stunning cinematography and iconic musical scores were made to be experienced on the big screen.
The opening cabaret act for the evening is The Matt Weiner Hot Combination, performing New Orleans and Chicago jazz of the 1920s during Cabaret happy hour. Performers include Ray Skjelbred, piano; Dave Holo, trumpet; Saul Cline, clarinet, with Matt Weiner, on bass.
This YouTube trailer depicts Hollywood 1927. George Valentin is a silent movie superstar. The advent of the talkies will sound the death knell for his career and see him fall into oblivion. For young extra Peppy Miller, it seems the sky’s the limit — major movie stardom awaits. The Artist tells the story of their interlinked destinies.
Get your tickets at the ECA online box office or by calling 425-285-9595.
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The week continues with these ECA highlights
Friday, April 7
7:30 p.m.
Sell Out Alert!
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Family Fun!
Saturday, April 8
10 a.m.
Saturday Matinee: Snow White (1916)
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Saturday, April 9
7 p.m.
That’s All Folk! A Tribute to Anne Kreider-Hughes
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Sunday, April 10
7:30 p.m.
Sno-King Community Chorale with
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Exhibit blossoms
Thursday, April 6
Botanical Exuberance
Cascadia Art Museum
190 Sunset #E
Cascadia Art Museum’s newest exhibit, Botanical Exuberance, explores the relationship between Northwest artists and the natural flora of the region.
From the 19th century through today, local artists have used Northwest flowers and trees as central themes in their work. The newest CAM exhibition showcases this history in various mediums.
Botanical Exuberance includes floral studies by photographers Ella McBride (1862-1965) and Frank Asakichi Kunishige (1878-1960); watercolors of the wildflowers of Mount Rainer by Paul Morgan Gustin (1886-1974); Bellingham artists Helen Loggie (1895-1976) and Elizabeth Colborne (1885-1948), whose etchings and crayon drawings both chronicle the trees of Whatcom County; paintings by Margaret Camfferman (1881-1964) who drew inspiration from her own gardens and orchards on Whidbey Island; beautiful floral still lifes by Yvonne Twining Humber (1907-2004); a rare still life by Yasushi Tanaka (1886-1941); a stunning modernist watercolor of irises by Z. Vanessa Helder (1904-1968); and many more rare beauties.
Membership opportunities and museum hours are available at this link.
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Judith Larsen featured at
Edmonds Library Gallery
650 Main St.
Edmonds Arts Commission has chosen, as the featured artist this month, local artist Judith Larsen.
New watercolors by Ms. Larsen will be on display through April 28 at the library.
This exhibition represents a return by the artist to her favorite and most challenging media — transparent watercolors. It also signals a renewed focus on her local surroundings.
Larsen’s paintings range from depictions of local scenes to water reflections observed at Edmonds’ waterfront, to still life scenes from local markets.
You will find Edmonds library hours at this link.
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Saturday, April 8
7 p.m.
Celebrate Children!
Clothes For Kids Wine and Dessert Auction
Holy Rosary Church
630 7th Ave.
My Edmonds News has long been a supporter of Clothes For Kids, a nonprofit organization that provides school clothing to students in our communities whose families qualify for free or reduced meals at school. The organization serves all of Snohomish County and the Northshore school district of King County. Its vision is to empower students for success, one wardrobe at a time.
We encourage you to have a marvelous time at this worthwhile wine and dessert party.
Get your tickets online or email Clothes for Kids executive director Joy Ingram at jingram@clothesforkids.org.
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Saturday, April 15
Noon
Local author returns home
Jeffrey Warren
Edmonds Bookshop
111 Fifth Ave. S.
Former resident, author Jeffrey Warren is back to his hometown to introduce his latest novel, Justifiable Homicide to Edmonds’ bibliophiles.
The story: The $500 billion a year illegal drug trafficking business has a secret relationship with seemingly legitimate bankers and mainstream financial markets, which is exposed by a story in the press that reverberates on front pages around the world.
The question that even legitimate investigators seem not to be asking is: “Where’s the Money?”
Unlikely partners Jon Reynolds, PhD (computer-encryption wunderkind who has a personal, vested interest in the outcome), and Katie Ruiz, a talented investigative reporter with a checkered past, devise a dangerous and clandestine plan to expose the business and the players in it — as well as to reveal to the general public the staggering proportions of the scheme. Implementing it means Jon and Katie will face cartels, violence, corruption and an inept DEA — in addition to their own fears and demons.
This is a story grounded in real facts that exist in the real world — our world. It is also a telling statement about the impact that ordinary citizens can have on world events.
Any questions? The author will be signing books on April 15, high noon.
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Later In the Month
Monday, April 24
7:30 p.m.
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra (SRJO)
Edmonds Center for the Arts
410 4th Ave. N.
Louis Armstrong: A New Orleans State of Mind
At the next SRJO Edmonds’ appearance, guest vocalist Butch Harrison will join the orchestra in paying tribute to Louis Armstrong with songs that include La Vie En Rose and What A Wonderful World.
Jazz was born in New Orleans and Louis Armstrong was the first great soloist of the emerging uniquely American art form. Born in 1901 and suffering through a difficult upbringing, Armstrong was a precocious eleven year-old when he bought himself his first cornet for $5 and the world was forever changed.
The SRJO concert will feature jazz works from Louis’ earliest years with Kid Ory’s band in New Orleans, his earliest recordings in Chicago with King Oliver and with his own groups the Hot Five and Hot Seven; plus music from his early years in New York as a featured soloist with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra and other big bands.
Tickets are available through the online ECA box office.
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April 28
8 p.m.
Musical: The Drowsy Chaperone
Driftwood Players
950 Main St.
By Lisa Lambert, Don McKellar, Bob Martin and Greg Morrison
Music direction by Mark Press
Directed by Pauls Macs
What does Wiki say? The Drowsy Chaperone “is a parody of American musical of the 1920s. The story concerns a middle-aged, musical theatre fan; as he plays a recording of his favorite musical.
“At that moment the 1928 production, The Drowsy Chaperone comes to life onstage as he wryly comments on the music, story, and actors.”
A delight classic!
The box office is now open for The Drowsy Chaperone
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Saturday, April 29
8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Creative Age Festival of Edmonds CAFE
Edmonds Senior Center
220 Railroad Ave.
Reinvigorate and Recharge Your Life at CAFE 2017!
The acclaimed Creative Age Festival of Edmonds (CAFE) returns for the second year on Saturday, April 29, at the Edmonds Senior Center on the picturesque Edmonds Waterfront.
Artfully Edmonds is drawn to the program, which includes descriptors like “soiree” and “live music”; “magic” and “travel.”
The event features one of Seattle’s top motivational speakers, Dr. Gloria Burgess, a performance by Silver Kite Intergenerational Theater, and many other invigorating and thought-stimulating topics meant to enrich your life. CAFE encourages seniors to stay creative, active, fulfilled and engaged by participating in a day of entertainment, education, activities and fun.
Tickets for the all-day event cost $40 and can be purchased online at www.creativeagefestival.org
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Saturday, April 29
7 p.m.
Perfect for Edmonds-area ballerinas!
Giselle, performed by Olympic Ballet Theatre
Edmonds Center for the Arts
410 4th Ave. N.
Score by Adolphe Adam
The tragically romantic love story of innocence, pure love, betrayal, and ultimately forgiveness, Giselle was first performance in Paris in 1841.
Set to the hauntingly beautiful score of composer Adolphe Adam, this two-act famed dramatic ballet tells the bittersweet story of Giselle’s love for Albrecht. An unrequired love, Albrecht’s betrayal of Giselle unfolds in a mesmerizing ballet that has become a classic.
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Kids!
What An Edmonds-Kind-of-Summer Looks Like
ECA 2017 Summer Arts Enrichment Camps
Designed for students’ ages 7-15, the ECA Summer Arts Enrichment Camps create opportunities for young people to work directly with professional artists. Organized in partnership with local and regional arts organizations, camps are one-week long and meet daily on the ECA campus.
July 10-14
Seattle Shakespeare Company (Much Ado About Nothing: Improv Combat & Acting Camp)
July 17-21
Book-It Repertory Theatre (Investigate, Adapt, Act!)
July 31-August 4
Youth Marimba Workshop (Rockin’ Rhythms Marimba Camp)
August 7-11
Rhythm Generation: Intergenerational Marimba Camp
ECA offers scholarships to low-income families and seniors, through the Nancy Bittner Scholarship Fund.
For more information, contact Gillian Jones, ECA Director of Programming, at gillian@ec4arts.org or 425-275-9483.
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The Driftwood Players also offers summer arts enrichment for our kids!
July 5-7
Fairy Tales Forever
July 10 – 14
Acting Up
July 17-21
Acting Out
July 24 – 28
Beauty And the Beast
July 31 – August 4
Musical Theatre Mayhem
August 7 – 11
Teen Shakespeare Camp
Each camp will celebrate with a stage production that premieres the work of each new crop of thespians.
Click! Click! here for the registration link to Driftwood’s summer drama camps.
— By Emily Hill
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 myedmondsnews@gmail.com.
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