Sponsor Spotlight: Making the Magic of the Edmonds Arts Festival Happen - Part 3, The Galleries - Lynnwood Today (2024)

Beautiful views, park-like grounds, a beach town feel...the setting of the Edmonds Arts Festival has always been a big draw for visitors, rain or shine. While the energetic Field and tranquil Plaza make use of outdoor spaces, one of the festival's premium sections lures you indoors: the Galleries. Step into the Frances Anderson Center and step into a world of rare art – from paintings to sculpture, photography to drawings, mixed media, digital art, craft works and more – all found in the indoor galleries. These top-notch, highly curated exhibitions truly set the Edmonds Arts Festival apart.

Explore the Juried Art Show in the main gallery and adjacent areas

If you are amazed by the varied selection the Galleries have to offer this year, you are not alone. According to Janet Jensen, co-director of Gallery Art, a record number of entries were received in all categories this year, making the selection process particularly challenging for the judges. From more than 1,900 entries, jurors were asked to select 550 to 575 works of art representing a wide range of art styles, techniques and approaches.

“We want our galleries to highlight the great artists in our region and in the Northwest. We ask our judges to include as many artists as possible,” said Jensen.

Be sure to discover all the amazing juried art in the Great Gallery of Paintings and Sculpture in the gymnasium and in the Photography and Digital Art Gallery in room 207. Art purchases from these two galleries will be collected at the end of the festival.

Marketplace for small works

This is the second year ofMarketplace for small works in room 206. Here you will find amazing miniatures, incredible small paintings and amazing small crafts (jewelry, glassware, ceramics, etc.). Small Works Marketplace makes art collecting affordable due to its smaller sizes. Purchases made at this juried gallery can be taken home on the day of purchase, rather than waiting until the last day of the festival as in the other galleries. New this year at the Kleinwerken Marktplaats are the small paintings. “This year we decided to separate small paintings from the miniatures category. We also wanted to expand the range of small painting formats that were eligible. Now, paintings ranging in size from 6" x 9" to 12" x 12" have a place in our exhibition, and we are excited to see the public's response," said Melissa Wadsworth, co-director of Gallery Arts. According to Wadsworth, the category has proven very popular with artists, with more than 300 entries submitted to this year's juried category for small paintings.

Shows the importance of student art

Now that art education is on the agenda at many primary schools in the region, this year the directors believe that the Student Art Galleries will have an even more important place at the festival than in previous years. Student galleries have been set up in room 114 and on the lower floor of the Frances Anderson Center. Walking through it, you see how much talent could be lost if arts education disappears from our school district.

This year, more than 1,000 works of art will be featured by student artists in kindergarten through 12th grade from the Edmonds School District, Alderwood Early Childhood Center, Holy Rosary and Soundview schools, selected through two different processes. One way isSchool choice, where each participating school receives an allocation of pieces that they can individually show their student population. It is the school's choice how they decide which documents to submit. Festival Student Art Liaison Laurie Piper had the difficult task of helping to organize all this together with the schools.

There is alsoOpen class selection, where student artists from kindergarten through 12th grade submit art for consideration. This may include students from other schools, as well as homeschooled students who live within the boundaries of the Edmonds School District. Open class judged by two professional artists. This year, more than 200 entries were selected for the Open Class Select! approximately 100 works of art selected! The Student Art Gallery is a beloved part of the festival, judged by professional artists and then curated by Student Art Directors Lisa Palmatier and Janey Hoff.

Tribute to this year's poster artists

Don't you just love the natural beauty of this year's poster? See more of Heidi Farina's original works at the Edmond Art Festival Foundation Gallery, dedicated exclusively to her work, just outside the entrance to the Frances Anderson Center.

In addition, student artist AJ Suda's acrylic painting titled "Takeout" was selected for this year's Student Art poster. AJ is currently a ninth grader at Meadowdale High School. You can view the original poster art in room 114 and the poster will be available for purchase at the Edmonds Arts Festival Store.

About the festival

The Edmonds Arts Festival has been a beloved event in Edmonds since 1958. Tens of thousands of people come to this event, held annually over Father's Day weekend, to browse the galleries, meet artists, shop, chat with friends and be entertained by local performing artists. beautiful setting in the charming waterfront town of Edmonds - home to the first Certified Creative District in Washington State.

A portion of the proceeds raised by the festival each year go to the Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports the educational and cultural enrichment of our community through the arts. The foundation awards art grants, education grants and installs public art. It also supports various non-profit arts-related programs and organizations.

This year the Edmonds Arts Festival takes place from June 14 to 16. June 2024 (Friday and Saturday 10am - 7pm, Sunday 10am - 5pm) at the Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main St., Edmonds.

Save yourself the hassle of looking for street parking and take advantage of the free festival shuttle at Edmonds College. You can park your car in the Edmonds College parking lot on the west side of 68th Avenue West. Simply enter from the roundabout at 204th Street Southwest and follow the signs to the designated parking lots H, I, or J. Then hop on one of the free shuttles that run every 15 minutes from Edmonds College to the Edmonds Art Festival in downtown Edmonds .

Read more about what there is to see and do edmondsartsfestival.com.