Will you chip in to support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation today? Yes, I want to support My Lynnwood News!
Spotlight: Youth Poetry Slam Competition
Deadline: March 9, 2026
Ages: 13 and older
NEW: Resource guide
Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA) is inviting poets across the Puget Sound region to step forward and share their voices. WE SPEAK, the center’s annual celebration of spoken-word poetry and storytelling, returns in 2026, and organizers are seeking imaginative performers to take the stage.
This year, the call for artists is open to experienced performers and first-time spoken-word performers alike. Applicants are asked to submit a video sample of an original piece that reflects what matters most to them. There is no set theme.
Finalists will be selected to perform their work live on the ECA stage during WE SPEAK on Friday, May 1, 2026 and will receive recognition through scholarship awards. Finalists will also take part in a workshop at ECA in the weeks leading up to the event with a local poet mentor.
WE SPEAK features critically acclaimed artists alongside local youth, offering a platform to address issues that affect their lives, communities and the broader world. This year’s emcee is Olisa Enrico with headliners Aishe Keita and Monique Franklin.
For questions about the competition or submission process, email diana@ec4arts.org.
*Applicants are encouraged to submit their work in the language that feels most authentic to them, including American Sign Language (ASL). Please include a written English translation/description to the best of your ability.
~ ~ ~ ~
Spotlight: ‘Beetlejuice JR.’
Performances: Friday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 13 at 2 & 7 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.
Developing Artists (DA; 7th-12th grade)
Run time: 60 minutes with intermission
Edmonds Heights K-12, 23200 100th Ave. W.
Tickets: $11
Students from the Edmonds Heights Performing Arts program at Edmonds Heights K-12 will present Beetlejuice JR., based on the blockbuster film and Broadway musical.
The show follows Lydia Deetz, a “strange and unusual” teenager coping with the loss of her mother. After moving into a home haunted by a recently deceased couple and the mischievous and delightful Beetlejuice, Lydia summons the trickster to help scare off the living, unleashing a (Nether)world of pandemonium.
Featuring music and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Eddie Perfect and a book by Tony-nominated writers Anthony King and Scott Brown, the original Beetlejuice musical earned eight Tony nominations in 2019, including Best New Musical.
“Beetlejuice has a large and fervent fan base among people of all ages,” said Drew Cohen, president and CEO of Music Theatre International (MTI). “The response to Beetlejuice JR. from audiences around the country is nothing short of astounding. Bravo to Edmonds Heights Performing Arts for bringing this musical so vividly to life…figuratively speaking, of course.”
Part of MTI’s Broadway Junior® collection, Beetlejuice JR. adapts the show for younger performers in a shorter, youth-friendly format.
Audiences can expect humor, high-energy performances and songs that linger long after the curtain falls.
Beetlejuice JR. is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International. All authorized materials are supplied by MTI.
~ ~ ~ ~
Spotlight: Holiday Pops
December 14-15, 7:30-9 p.m.
Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 4th Ave. N.
Tickets or call (425) 275-9595
A delightful collection of Christmas carols and classics, including music by Johann Strauss, Bizet, Puccini, Henry Mancini, Sousa and others. Soprano Kristin Vogel returns to celebrate the season with inspiring holiday songs and famous operatic arias.
Acclaimed for her powerful lyric voice and onstage dynamism, Vogel has been praised for roles that require both dramatic passion and sensitive musicality, including Puccini’s Tosca, Mimi in La Bohème and Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. She performs regularly in Europe and in the United States and divides her time between Vienna and the Pacific Northwest.
“Our Holiday Concerts will be a festive treat, with a delightful collection of favorite Christmas carols and light classics by Johann Strauss, Smetana, Mancini, Sousa and more,” said Cascade Symphony’s music director and conductor Michael Miropolsky.
Helping foster local music education, the orchestra continues its Gold Medalist program, which brings student musicians from all four Edmonds School District high schools to perform alongside Cascade Symphony players.
“Per CSO tradition, we are proud to welcome some of the best high school musicians in our area to perform side by side with us during the Sunday holiday concert,” Miropolsky said.
~ ~ ~ ~
Spotlight: Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band
Wednesday, Jan. 14, 7:30 p.m.
Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 4th Ave. N.
Tickets or call (425) 275-9595
The Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band (JKIBB) is an ensemble of Native and Indigenous jazz musicians from across Indian Country. The group performs works by under-recognized predecessors such as Mildred Bailey (Coeur d’Alene) and Jim Pepper (Kaw/Mvskoke), along with pieces by contemporary Indigenous composers.
Led by celebrated vocalist Julia Keefe (Nez Perce), the ensemble brings passion, purpose and deep musical insight to the stage. JKIBB has earned a reputation for expanding our understanding of jazz as an “American” art form and has headlined marquee events, including the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
~ ~ ~ ~
This Week in the Arts
A curated calendar of upcoming art exhibits, performances, classes, author readings, art walks and more.
Season’s Greetings: Watercolor Collage Cards
Friday, Dec. 12, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Cascadia Art Museum, 190 Sunset Ave, Suite E, Edmonds
Level: All levels
Create an original holiday card using watercolor and collage, blending color, texture and personal expression.
Born in Anchorage, Alaska, instructor Sarah Norsworthy holds a B.A. in studio art from Dartmouth College and an MFA in painting and drawing from the University of Washington. Norsworthy’s work reflects the landscapes of Washington, Arkansas and Vermont. She has taught at North Seattle College and exhibited at studio e gallery in Seattle.
~ ~ ~ ~
Thursday, Dec. 18, 5-8 p.m.
Downtown Edmonds
Printable map and new interactive map
Art Walk Edmonds is a monthly community event where, every third Thursday, participating businesses open their doors to showcase local and regional art, giving the public a chance to meet and mingle with the artists and see new work.
Highlight: Hoade Gallery West is a new addition to the local arts scene. Hoade Gallery West showcases contemporary functional and nonfunctional pieces that bridge art with craft, featuring work in ceramics, glass, wood and more.
~ ~ ~ ~
Pastel Painting with Janis Graves
Four Tuesdays, Jan. 6-27, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Cole Art Studio, 107 5th Ave. S. (located in the lower level of Cole Gallery)
Level: All Levels
Cost: $325
Registration and supplies list
Instructor Janis Graves will guide students in the skills of pastel painting. Participants may choose their own subjects – from landscapes to animals – selecting from images provided by Graves or by bringing their own photos.
The class covers surface preparation, composition and color selection to help students create vibrant and dimensional paintings. Over the four-session workshop, students will learn the full process of completing a pastel painting while exploring color’s impact on mood and energy.
~ ~ ~ ~
Edmonds Bookshop Book Drive
111 5th Ave. S., Edmonds
Book drive: Jan. 9-15, 2026
Edmonds Bookshop invites the community to take part in a special book drive supporting the Lift Every Voice Legacy’s 8th Annual Tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – Inspiring a Beloved Community.
The event, held on Jan. 19 at the Edmonds Waterfront Center, focuses on children and families, and the bookshop aims to provide books to be given away to attendees during the event.
From Jan. 9 to 15, customers may purchase titles from a curated selection at the shop as gifts from the Edmonds community. Books related to this year’s theme, “Love Demands Justice,” will be highlighted for giving.
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.