Will you chip in to support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation today? Yes, I want to support My Lynnwood News!
Spotlight: ‘Delusions’
Exhibition: March 6 through April 25
The Gallery at Graphite Arts Center, 202 Main St., Edmonds
Gallery hours: Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m.; daily 4-8 p.m. (through Charcoal Restaurant)
Art Walk: Third Thursdays, 5-8 p.m.
Art Talk nights: Tuesday, March 31, and Thursday, April 23, 7-8 p.m.
Graphite Arts Center announces Delusions, a juried group show, featuring artwork of more than 20 Northwest artists, exploring themes of fantasy, surrealism, chaos and the absurd.
The interpretation of “delusion” takes many forms. Depictions range from beautiful to hauntingly disturbing to nonsensical.
Artist Kyle Reynolds was selected for the Curator’s Choice Award for her porcelain and assemblage piece entitled Devil’s in the Details, a comment on delusional power, empire building and corruption.
Cheri O’Brien was awarded the Sponsor’s Choice Award for her gouache painting Claire de Lune, featuring a dreamlike figure on a flying horse soaring through shimmering moonlight.
Artists Brian Despain and Graphite artist Mike O’Day were awarded honorable mention prizes for their works.
Delusions is sponsored by Joyful Art Fund, which supports financial awards for artists exhibiting at Graphite.
Art Talk
Graphite welcomes back Despain for his Art Talk on April 23, presented in conjunction with the Delusions exhibition.
~ ~ ~ ~
Call for Student Art: Student Art Exhibition applications open
Application deadline: May 1, 2026
Edmonds Arts Festival: June 19-21
Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main St., Edmonds
Festival hours: Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The 69th Edmonds Arts Festival invites young artists to apply for the 2026 Student Art Exhibition. The festival takes place Father’s Day weekend.
Each year, the exhibition displays more than 1,050 pieces of art created by K-12 students from across the Edmonds School District. Last year, artwork from students representing 38 schools, including public, private and homeschooled students, filled the galleries.
The exhibition offers young artists the opportunity to see their work alongside their peers and experience being part of a large community arts event.
All students who live within the Edmonds School District boundaries are eligible to apply. This includes students enrolled in public schools, private schools and homeschooled students.
Submissions can include painting, drawing, sculpture, digital art, photography, printmaking or other media. The application process is available online.
Check out the full prospectus and apply.
Submission limits:
Elementary students (K-6): One piece per student
Secondary students (7-12): Up to two pieces per student
Key Dates:
Application deadline: May 1
Notification: May 20-22
Artwork delivery deadline: June 5
Arts Festival: June 19-21
About 35 Top Honor Awards will be selected by professional jurors. Winning students will receive cash prizes and recognition during the festival. One piece will be selected as the 2026 Student Art Poster.
One of the longest-running art festivals in the Northwest, the event draws more than 50,000 visitors annually and showcases juried two-dimensional and three-dimensional artwork from more than 400 regional artists.
Works are exhibited across three galleries and are available for purchase throughout the weekend. Proceeds from art sales help support the festival as well as scholarships, community art grants and public art initiatives.
For more information, contact Lisa Palmatier at 206-546-1588 or at lpalmatier@edmondsartsfestival.org.
~ ~ ~ ~
Olympic Ballet School student Lyla Albee advances to Youth America Grand Prix finals
Lyla Albee, 10, a student at Olympic Ballet School (OBS), advanced to the finals of the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) after earning second place in the Pre-Competitive Classical Division at the Seattle semi-final competition this January. She is coached by co-artistic director Mara Vinso.
The YAGP finals will take place in Houston, Texas, in May.
“It has been so special watching Lyla train, perform and now advance to the finals,” Lyla’s mother Kate Albee said. “Having performed at the YAGP Finals myself 25 years ago, it feels surreal to see her shine on stage and begin forging her own path in the ballet world. Our family couldn’t be prouder.”
Many OBS students were awarded numerous scholarships and invitations to prestigious training programs, including John Cranko School, International Contemporary Masters, The Harid Conservatory, Oklahoma City Ballet, The Rock School for Dance Education, Ballet West and Alberta Ballet.
OBS offers several summer training opportunities for young dancers, as well as a year-round Professional Track Program for ballet students. This program is designed for dancers ages 12-18 who are committed to refining their technique and artistry in preparation for a future career in ballet.
Contact the school to schedule a placement class by emailing dance@olympicballet.com.
~ ~ ~ ~
Upcoming Art Happenings
Casablanca (1942) at your local historic, single-screen independent theater
Thursday, March 19, 7:30 p.m.
The Edmonds Theater, 415 Main St.
Don’t miss the chance to experience one of Hollywood’s most iconic stories on the big screen as Casablanca lights up the screen at The Edmonds Theater.
Set against the intrigue of World War II, the film follows Rick Blaine, a nightclub owner whose guarded past resurfaces when his former love, Ilsa, arrives in town with her husband, Resistance leader Victor Laszlo. As danger closes in and old emotions rekindle, Rick faces an impossible choice between love and sacrifice.
~ ~ ~ ~
Book Launch: ‘Surfing in Pakistan’ by Caleb Powell
Friday, March 20, 4-6 p.m.
Couth Buzzard, 8310 Greenwood Ave. N., Seattle
Coffee and conversation accompany a book reading by Edmonds resident Caleb Powell at the Couth Buzzard.
Powell is the author of Surfing in Pakistan, a nonfiction collaboration with Pakistani artist and polio survivor Sana Nasim. It was recently released by Paper Angel Press and was a finalist in the Faulkner/Wisdom Competition for Nonfiction.
Read more here.
~ ~ ~ ~
Third Thursdays: Art Walk Edmonds
Thursday, March 19, 5-8 p.m.
Downtown Edmonds
Art Walk Edmonds (AWE) is a monthly community event that runs all month long. Every third Thursday, participating businesses open their doors to showcase local and regional art, giving the public a chance to meet artists and see new work.
Highlight
186 Sunset Ave., Edmonds
Open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Experience the work of photographers Manuel Gonzalez Solano, Mohammed Aldhowaien, Caroline Killmer, Yasmine Pourarian and Harry Sohal at Photo HQ.
~ ~ ~ ~
‘Local Spirits’
Opening reception: Saturday, March 28, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Exhibit: March 28 through Aug. 28
Edmonds Historical Museum, 118 5th Ave. N.
The Edmonds Historical Museum invites the public to the opening reception of Local Spirits. There will be snacks, mocktails and more. Visitors will meet exhibit curators and local historians.
From rumrunners and speakeasies to bootleggers, law enforcement and reformers, Local Spirits tells local stories of prohibition between 1914 and 1933.
Through historic photographs, artifacts and interactive elements, visitors will discover how prohibition unfolded, revealing a history of ingenuity, conflict and community change.
Highlights include local bootlegging operations, waterfront smuggling routes, law enforcement efforts and the lasting impact of prohibition on the region’s social and economic life, eventually leading to the rise of roadhouses.
The exhibit also connects the past to the present by spotlighting today’s vibrant craft brewing and distilling culture.
~ ~ ~ ~
Sunday, March 29, 3-3:30 p.m.
Edmonds Bookshop, 111 5th Ave. S.
Ages: 8-12 with an accompanying adult
Edmonds Bookshop hosts a monthly book group for young readers, ages 8 to 12.
Participants engage in the fun of sharing books through activities centered on the book of the month.
The book for March is Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller.
All middle-grade readers are welcome to attend with an adult; this is not a drop-off event.
~ ~ ~ ~
Wednesday, April 1, 6-8 p.m.
Graphite Arts Center, 202 Main St., Edmonds
Cost: $45
Ages: 18+
Level: All levels
Supply fee: $10, payable to the instructor
Watercolor for Relaxation is a class designed to help participants de-stress through creative process.
The session begins with warm-up exercises followed by a 10-minute visualization to encourage relaxation. Participants will then tap into intuition and use watercolor painting as a way to calm the mind.
Instructor Missy Hancock will share watercolor techniques, painting tips and color theory. No prior watercolor experience is necessary.
The $10 supply fee includes the use of professional watercolor paints, paper and brushes. The class focuses on using the process of painting as a mindfulness tool, removing the pressure of a finished product.
Hancock holds a master’s degree in teaching from Seattle University and has more than 20 years experience teaching in and out of the classroom. In 2022 she founded Rooted Design, LLC, with the goal of bringing positivity and purpose to people’s lives through art.
She also serves as director of school programs for Art Start NW, a nonprofit that operates inside Graphite Arts Center.
~ ~ ~ ~
Friday, April 3, 7:30-10:30 p.m.
Cedar Valley Grange, 20526 52nd Ave. W., Lynnwood
$15; $10 for Skandia members
Don and Elaine will teach Åtabakspolska, a favorite of Skandia Folkdance Society. It’s a dance from Föllinge, Sweden that will be taught at Springdans.
The band for the evening will be the quartet Fat Fiddles, featuring Mira Dickey, John Parejko, Elise Snoey and Ezra Jane Landsman on guitar. They will play on a variety of instruments, including the Hardanger fiddle.
*If you would like your event included in future Art Beat listings, email Nahline Gouin at nahline.gouin@gmail.com.
Based in Edmonds, Nahline Gouin is a freelance writer, ceramicist and arts advocate with experience in art museums and performing arts centers. She continues to create with clay, homeschool her son and write as a creative practice.
Real first and last names — as well as city of residence — are required for all commenters.
This is so we can verify your identity before approving your comment.
By commenting here you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct. Please read our code at the bottom of this page before commenting.