The Edmonds Farmers Market inspired this year’s Edmonds Arts Festival poster.
Poster artist Robin Weiss mostly paints landscapes, still life and figures around Washington — including in Seattle, Bainbridge Island, La Conner, Poulsbo and, yes, Edmonds. But he also brought his easel to capture scenes during recent travels to Italy and France.
“When you see people walking around the street with these big bouquets of flowers, you know it’s market day in Edmonds,” Weiss said about his poster’s inspiration. “When they asked me to do the poster, that’s what I had in mind.”
A plein air painter, Weiss paints and teaches at the Knowles Studio in Poulsbo. He displays his work at the Cole Gallery in Edmonds, Roby King Gallery on Bainbridge Island and the Front Street Gallery in Poulsbo.
You can see more of Weiss’ paintings at the Edmonds Arts Festival, set for Aug. 27 to 29 at the Frances Anderson Center in Edmonds. The three-day festival features an art show, artist demonstrations, a student art exhibit and performing arts. There are also two stages of live music, an avenue of food, and a beer and wine garden.
More than 160 juried artists are showing their work on the Frances Anderson Center field. You can find sculpture, paintings, ceramics, printmaking, mixed-media, drawings, photography, textiles, woodworking, blown glass and more.
“Normally we have more than 200 artist booths on the field,” said Rebecca Ralston, the festival’s marketing chair. “This year we have 164 booths. We downsized it deliberately to give it more space to plan for the social distancing and masking requirements.”
On exhibition at the Frances Anderson Center is an art show and contest featuring about 230 gallery artists. Out of 400 submissions, festival judges bestowed 21 awards.
“You’ll find some of the best artists in the area — but you’ll also find entries from people who are just finding their feet, asking, ‘Am I really an artist?’” Ralston said. “To get juried in to our show is one of the first total confirmations to them that, yes, you are an artist.”
The winners of the show are Cheryl Waale, for the painting “Ruby;” Judith Smith, for the drawing “By the Light of The Moon;” Laurie D. Brown, for the print “Stuck Inside;” Julia Szten, for the sculpture “Comfort;” Emily Wilson, for the photograph “Sunrise Shepherdess;” Lyla Jacobsen, for the miniature painting “Abstract Floral;” and Lynne Greenup for the computer art “Spring Revival.”
Student art also will be on display in the Frances Anderson Center, including works by winners of Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation scholarships. Renewable scholarships totaling $40,000 were awarded to Edmonds-area students, as well as two special awards, the Sambataro Award and the Mummy Award.
New scholarship winners this year from within the Edmonds School District are Nicole Brunette, Isaac Vaa, Hana Berisha, Andrew Szilassy, Sean Chapdelaine, Cynthia Livengood-Fair, Rubina Matevosyan and Katherine Orbegozo Tejada. Zoya Kulikov-Wickizer won the Sambataro Award and Jeevan Southwick recieved the Sambataro Award. Artwork titles were not immediately available.
Find festival fare at the Food Terrace on Eighth Avenue S., as well as the Food Court and the Beer and Wine Grotto near the amphitheater. Try out Kool Kids, Blue Elephant, Shishkaberry, SweetArt, Biringer Farms, Kaleenka Piroshky, Café Ladaro, Pop’s Corn, The Ice Cream Lady, Kornman of Washington and Randy’s Hamburgers.
You can watch performing artists on two stages at this year’s festival — the main stage in the amphitheater and a side stage on the plaza.
Amphitheater acts include Clave Gringa, Reggie Garrett and the Snake Oil Peddlers, Show Brazil & Eduardo Mendonca, Commander Mojo & the Horns of Discontent, The ABBAgraphs, The Kellee Bradley Band, Ranger and the “Re-Arrangers,” Jake Bergevin and the Javatown Swing Orchestra and the Stacy Jones Band.
New this year is Jazz on the Plaza and a preview of the Edmonds Art Studio Tour on the roof of the nearby Edmonds Library, 650 Main St.
You can listen to spoken word by the Epic Group Writers and jazz by local student jazz combos. Or watch artists who will be featured in the Edmonds Art Studio Tour, scheduled for Sept. 18 and 19, demonstrate their artwork.
“They (studio artists) would normally be doing a just small demo on the field, but they’ve taken over the plaza, along with the jazz artists, this year,” Ralston said.
A party, an Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation fundraiser, will be held 6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday on the plaza. Enjoy desserts, beer, wine, live music and dancing. The band Easy Company will be performing at the party. Tickets are $50.
Admission and parking are free. Park at Edmonds-Woodway High School, 7600 212th St. SW, then take a free shuttle to the Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main St. You can also avoid parking in downtown Edmonds by taking the bus.
A mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinic with the Snohomish Health District will be at the festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The Pfizer vaccine is available to those 12 and older and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is available to those 18 or older. No booster shots will be offered.
Pick up Edmonds Arts Festival posters — including Robin Weiss’ featuring the oil painting “Market Day in Edmonds” and another featuring the drawing “The Bird Family” by Seaview Elementary School’s Talula Perritt — at the festival store.
All artwork purchased at the festival benefits Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation scholarships and grants.
If you go
The Edmonds Arts Festival is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 27-28, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 29, at Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main St., Edmonds. More than 160 artists share and sell fine art, artisan crafts and photography. It features a juried art show and sale, student art exhibit and performing arts. Admission and parking are free. Call 425-771-6412 or go to www.edmondsartsfestival.com.
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