Fresh Paint event gets a fresh new location in Everett

EVERETT — This year’s Fresh Paint poster is a splash of color.

Everett artist Alexander Vincini doesn’t just paint — he’s also worked in photography, videography and sculpting.

Vincini, who is the poster artist for Everett’s annual artists at work festival, was an artist in residence at the Schack Art Center last year and now works as a marketing intern there. He declined The Daily Herald’s request to be interviewed.

You can see his poster and more of his art this weekend at Fresh Paint, this year held along the Port of Everett boardwalk from Grand Avenue Park bridge to the Pacific Rim Plaza.

In fact, if you walk across the bridge between 16th Street and West Marine View Drive, you’ll drop right in to the action.

“What is really exciting is two things,” said Carol Thomas, who is the Schack’s advancement development director. “One, we now have the pedestrian bridge that will allow much greater access to all of north Everett. And, two, we’ve moved our location, so we’re now along the gorgeous esplanade — it’s a very wide, timbered walkway.”

Vincini is one of 86 artists who will be demonstrating their art in some way. You’ll find painters, potters, glass artists, jewelers and more.

The festival also includes live music — from noon to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday — featuring The Porters and Alex Johnston, as well as the food trucks The Cheese Pit, Scotsman Espresso, Absolutely Nuts, Mt. Baker Kettle Corn and Road Dawgs.

This year, there will be glass blowing demonstrations in the “hot shop” at the Schack Art Center at 2921 Hoyt Ave. You can even sign up to make your own glass float on Aug. 21.

“The point of Fresh Paint is that you see artists doing their craft,” Thomas said. “They’re doing their illustrations, their paintings, or creating their jewelry and you can see them doing it. That’s why it’s called a festival of artists at work — it’s because you get a chance to see the artists actually creating their art.”

And, yes — you may purchase artwork fresh off the easel.

“The artists will come well-stocked because so many festivals have been canceled (because of the pandemic),” Thomas said. “These artists, they’re really struggling because that’s how they make their money. Not having Fresh Paint last year was a real blow to their budgets.”

If you plan to go, and you’re not near the bridge on Grand Avenue, you can avoid a $5 parking fee at the marina by taking the bus from downtown Everett.

A free shuttle to Fresh Paint will run between the Schack Art Center, 2921 Hoyt Ave., Everett, and the festival at the Port of Everett Marina. Find parking at Everpark Garage one block north of the Schack.

Vincini, who graduated from Everett High School in 2010, has made Everett his art home.

He was one of more than a dozen artists who were featured in 2019 at Support Local Art & Music, aka SLAM, at Tony V’s Garage. SLAM is an annual fundraiser for Strong Against Cancer.

He decorated a piano for Everett Street Tunes in 2016, which invited passersby to tickle the ivories in front of the Vintage Cafe. Vincini’s title his work “Epoca Rosso.”

In 2017, he was one of the organizers of Real Event at the Historic Everett Theatre, featuring local performing artists and the history of Everett’s theater.

In 2013, Vincini helped produce the adult-only show “ApocaLips: Danger, Sex and Art” at the former 3231 Creatives building. There were bands, artists, performance art, some vaudeville and some neo burlesque.

In addition to Tony V’s Garage, Vincini has shown his artwork at Black Lab Gallery on Hewitt, Cafe Zippy on Rucker and Narrative Coffee on Wetmore. If not in a gallery, you may have seen his art in the audio-visual Dada Fructose experience — Vincini provided the visuals for shows.

Vincini has created works for Bluewater Organic Vodka, teamed up with Historic Everett and supported Sharing Wheels Community Bike Shop.

The Schack’s Thomas said they were lucky to get Vincini to make this year’s Fresh Paint poster.

“He’s got a very fresh, painterly look that is so aesthetic,” Thomas said of Vincini’s poster. “It was a great fit for what we wanted to express. The freshness of the marina, the artist’s easel and the colors.”

Sara Bruestle: 425-339-3046; sbruestle@heraldnet.com; @sarabruestle.

If you go

Fresh Paint, Everett’s annual artists at work festival, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 21 and 22 at the Port of Everett Marina, 1700 W. Marine View Drive, Everett. The event is free. More at www.schack.org.