Art Beat: January Art Walk plus music and theater opportunities

Ringing in the New Year with new art this month in downtown Edmonds

A sampling of what you’ll find this month: Nicki Lang at Cascadia Art Museum, Andrea Savar at The Curious Nest, Amy Agee at Edmonds Vision Center and NuDNW at Graphite. More awaits.

Art all month long and 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 16

The new year is a time of fresh starts and New Year’s resolutions; make viewing new art in Edmonds one of them. Many downtown businesses have new featured art and will stay open for the Third Thursday Art Walk. Stop by to meet the artists.

New group art exhibitions are up this month, showcasing fine artists from the PNW. Cole Gallery presents the annual Plein Air Washington Artists (PAWA) Winter Exhibition, “Plein Air to Studio,” featuring 80 paintings.

Gallery North is hosting its “In with the New” exhibit to showcase new member artists.

The second annual NuDNW show is at Graphite.

Perhaps one of your New Year’s resolutions is to read more. Stop into Edmonds Bookshop during the Third Thursday Art Walk to meet author Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum for her book launch of Elita: A Novel. Stay and chat to find your next great read.

Even more jewelry, textiles, photography and paintings of every style await your discovery this month. Take a look at the show descriptions and walking map online.

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The Edmonds Library and Edmonds Art Commission welcome back the free Wintergrass Festival Preview

2:30 to 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 2, Edmonds Library, Plaza Room, 650 Main St., Edmonds

After a five-year hiatus, the Edmonds Arts Commission (EAC) and Edmonds Library are excited to bring back the free-admission Wintergrass Festival Preview. Listen to bluegrass, old-time, folk and roots music with the Mosquito Fleet band.

Following the performance, a jam session on acoustic instruments is open to all who want to participate. Attendees of all ages are also invited to explore the Wintergrass Instrument “Petting Zoo” to experience holding and playing an acoustic musical instrument.

The Wintergrass Festival, held at the end of February in Bellevue, is an indoor, four-day, family-friendly festival of bluegrass, Americana, roots and acoustic music. It features concerts and dances on four stages, music education programs for kids and adults, workshops, impromptu jams and a chance to reconnect with and make new friends. For more information about the festival and tickets, visit the Wintergrass Festival website.

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Ballyhoo Theatre and Edmonds College present the free musical A Year With Frog and Toad

Feb. 28 to March 16, The Black Box Theatre at Edmonds College, 20310 68th Ave. W., Lynnwood

A Year With Frog and Toad will be free for every performance for the entire run. Based on Arnold Lobel’s books and featuring a score by Robert and Willie Reale, this whimsical show follows two friends – the cheerful Frog and the grumpy Toad – through four fun-filled seasons.

Waking from hibernation in the spring, Frog and Toad plant gardens, swim, rake leaves, go sledding and learn life lessons along the way. The two best friends celebrate and rejoice in the differences that make them unique and special. A Year With Frog and Toad is a beloved show for people of all ages.

Dates/times:

7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28

2 p.m., Saturday, March 1

2 p.m., Sunday, March 2

7 p.m., Friday, March 7

7 p.m., Saturday, March 8 – Sensory friendly performance (one-act version)

2 p.m., Sunday, March 9

10 a.m., Tuesday, March 11 – Geared for children ages five and under (one-act version)

7 p.m., Friday, March 14 – ASL Interpreted Performance (two-act version)

2 p.m., Saturday, March 15

2 p.m., Sunday, March 16

Run time: The two-act show runs approximately 1 hour and 35 minutes, including intermission. The one-act show runs approximately 40 minutes, with no intermission.

Seattle-based adult professional actors will perform a Year With Frog and Toad.

To reserve group seats for your students, please get in touch with Ballyhoo via email. Parents can reserve individual tickets for their families here. Tickets will be available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

Note: Shows later in the run tend to sell out while there are often plenty of seats available the first weekend.

Share this information with your families and communities. If you know of an organization that would benefit from being contacted, send their information. Ballyhoo would love to send an invite.

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A Celtic Celebration with The Gothard Sisters

The Gothard SIsters. (Photo by Ruth H. Photography)

7:30 – 9:30 p.m., Saturday, March 15, Edmonds Center for the Arts

Celebrate the coming of spring with the internationally acclaimed Celtic folk group The Gothard Sisters. The three sisters present a high-energy, festive evening weaving together Celtic fiddle tunes, Irish songs and ballads, Irish step dancing and more. Great for the whole family–a perfect annual tradition.

You can preview their songs, Dragonfly and New Horizons.

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Edmonds Driftwood Players announce a call for submissions for the 14th Annual Festival of Shorts: CROSSROADS

Submissions due 11:59 p.m., Sunday, March 2

The Edmonds Driftwood Players are pleased to announce the theme and call for submissions for their 14th Annual Festival of Shorts. This annual playwriting festival allows playwrights to have their works brought to life on stage, gain recognition and potentially win awards. Some past winners have later been developed into full-length award-winning plays.

This year’s festival will be presented in five performances June 26 to 29, featuring eight shorts finalists that include multiple directors and casts. The theme for 2025 is “CROSSROADS: a choice or event that changed courses.” They would love to see both comedic and dramatic stories with uplifting endings.

The finalists are selected from submissions from around the globe. Volunteer readers and judges are local Seattle-area theatre lovers and playwrights. To keep the process as fair as possible, readers are only given blind copies of script submissions for judging.

After the closing performance, EDP will announce the winners of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place Judges’ Awards and the Overall Audience Favorite.

To enter your short play in the festival, visit the Edmonds Driftwood Players website.

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