Herald staff
SNOHOMISH — The visual arts will come alive in this city’s riverfront downtown Aug. 19, when the Snohomish Art Walk happens after taking a hiatus last year.
This is the first art walk coordinated by the City of Snohomish, said Wendy Poischbeg, the city’s economic development and communications manager.
Set for 4:30-7 p.m., the art walk will feature 21 stops where visitors can watch the creation of a wide range of art, from Sumi calligraphy that originated in ancient China to graffiti paintings in a style that developed with with hip-hop culture in 1970s New York City.
The graffiti “paint battle,” which can be seen at 116 Union Ave., will pit three artists from Snohomish and King counties: Charms, ShiSha and Theydrift. In hip-hop culture, “battles” aren’t physical clashes but contests in which artists go head-to-head, explained H-Type, a 46-year-old Snohomish man who’s been making art for 33 years.
The three artists will begin work on their pieces at midday, so the art will be well under way by the time art walk visitors arrive at 4:30 p.m. They can vote for their favorite of the three, with a prize going to the winner.
In addition to the live art, about 10 large pieces from Rosella Gallery owner John Carswell’s Dog Town Collection will be displayed. With close to 6,000 pieces, Dog Town is the largest collection of street art in the world, H-Type said. The paintings to be shown at the art walk have never been exhibited before, he said.
“We’re happy to be part of the art walk and have the opportunity to introduce people to this form of art,” H-Type said.
Over at 801 First St., sculptor Melinda Burkhead will be throwing clay on a sculpting wheel. Burkhead and her husband, Craig Burkhead, own Burkhead Art Center, a 5,000-square-foot art space in the foothills of the Cascade Range.
That’s not all. Jacob Peterson will be blowing glass, and Snohomish City Councilman Larry Countryman will be showing off his artistic side: pen and ink, and watercolors, at the corner of First Street and Avenue C.
In addition to those artists, the art walk will include more than 30 painters representing Plein Air Washington. They’ll be painting live on the Kla Ha Ya riverfront hillside. Plein Air is a 19th-century style of painting outdoors that became a central feature of French impressionism. At the Kla Ha Ya entry, you’ll see Woodinville artist Yuming Zhu create large artworks on the floor using a large brush and the sumi technique.
Nearby, the Snohomish Drumming Circle will be keeping a steady beat, the Snohomish Youth Council will be doing chalk painting, and metal artist Phil Baldwin will be welding together a sculpture at Snohomish Iron Works, where Daniel Porter will be painting a new canvas next to his mural “Cadyville.”
Here’s the list of Snohomish Art Walk stops:
■ Snohomish Iron Works, 98 Ave. E.
■ Haley’s Cottage, 1234 First St.
■ Worthy, 1200 First St.
■ Plein Air Painters of Washington, 1117 First St.
■ American Legion mural, 1201 First St.
■ Arts of Snohomish, 1024 First St.
■ Snohomish Drumming Circle, at the gazebo, 10 Ave. A.
■ Rosella Gallery, 902 First St.
■ City Hall, 116 Union Ave.
■ Burkhead Arts, 801 First St.
■ Snohomish Carnegie, 105 Cedar Ave.
■ First and Union, 101 Union Ave.
■ Angel Arms Studio, 230 Ave. B.
If you go
The Snohomish Art Walk is set for 4:30-7 p.m. Aug. 19 in downtown Snohomish. Unvaccinated attendees are asked to wear a mask. The event takes place outdoors.
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