Edmonds Arts Festival announces 2026 Gallery Arts award winners

The 69th Annual Edmonds Arts Festival announced the winners of its 2026 Gallery Arts awards ahead of the three-day festival, which runs June 19-21 during Father’s Day weekend.

More than $10,000 in prizes were awarded to regional artists across multiple categories. According to Gallery Arts Co-Director Cheryl Waale, jurors reviewed more than 700 invited works and selected 47 award winners.

At the beginning the ceremony, three special awards were named:

• Pamela Mummy COMET Award, 3D Art: Suze Woolf, Vol. 41: A Brief Bestiary of Bark Beetles
• Pamela Mummy COMET Award, 2D Art: Aliza and her Monsters, Party Girl
• Joyful Art Award: Dave McKeague, After Party

Juror Judith Heim presented awards for the miniatures, small paintings, 2-D mixed media and prints. According to Heim, in selecting and reviewing art, she looks for classic elements like composition, balance, use of color and form, as well as texture and technique.

“I look for what is unique and makes the piece stand out, without being contrived,” she said. The winners are:

Miniatures

• First place: Gail Martinez, Here, Let Me Help
• Second place: Mami Shimomura, Are You Sure It’s This Way, Dear?
• Third place: Aliza and her Monsters, Little Prince

Small paintings

• First place: Shannon Gaul, Simply Primary
• Second place: Stuart Hitchner, Fusion Jazz
• Third place: Carol Lelivelt, Shadow

Mixed media 2D

• First place: Stacy Day, The Fox
• Second place: Steve Kennedy, Pismo 1966
• Third place: Tracy Felix, GAIA Diptych

Prints

• First place: Janelle Johnson, Sky Gulls
• Second place: Gene Jaress, Sunset on the River
• Third place: Sandra “S.E.” Penney, Beachcomber Sock in Magenta Light

For the categories of sculpture, artisan works and small artisan works, Juror Arunas Oslapas said his primary criterion was emotional impact.

“Does it move me or resonate with me heart and soul,” Oslapas said. “I look for originality, for creative expression that treats a subject in a new or fresh way. I also look for how well the artist has mastered their craft.” The winners are:

Sculpture

• First place: Jeanette Zeis, Giver
• Second place: David Varnau, Got It!
• Third place: Jennifer de Mello e Souza, Reverie
• Honorable mention: K.L. Wollongong, Huitzilin
• Honorable mention: Mike O’Day, Anubis
• Honorable mention: Rebecca Ralston, A Moment of Trust

Artisan works

• First place: Diane Marie Chaudiere, Unfurl
• Second place: Jerry B. Steffen Jr., Koi Fish
• Third place: Rupa Palasamudram, Copper Triangle Lidded Vase

Small artisan works

• First place: Barry Roitblat, Santos Mahogany Platter
• Second place: Lori Soderberg, Rainbow Platter
• Third place: Khorsian Blanc-Ridings

Photography and digital art juror Arnie Lund said he sought work that challenged viewers and captured universal experiences.

“In the digital category, I looked for artists trying things we haven’t seen before,” Lund said. “I was especially looking for artists that made me think and feel through what they were doing by leveraging this evolving set of tools.” The winners are:

Photography

• First place: Sung Park, Together
• Second place: Yuri Shvets, Tenderness
• Third place: Mike DeCesare, Storm at Sea
• Honorable mention: Ben Beehner, Big Horn
• Honorable mention: Nicole Mamola, Willpower
• Honorable mention: Sara Kushner, Soft Landing

Digital art

• First place: Kenneth R. Windsor, Weather Report, Day Zero
• Second place: Stuart Hitchner, Borrowed Shade – Bangkok
• Third place: Pam Little, Talkin’ Here 01

Painting and drawing juror Ron Stocke said he focused on understanding each artist’s motivation.

“With every piece I try to stand in the artist’s shoes for a moment and understand what compelled them to create the work, which ultimately is what great art invites us all to do,” he said. The winners are:

Paintings

• First place: Dave McKeague, Hope
• Second place: Scott Anstett, She Sells Sanctuary
• Third place: Stephen Chang, The Last Place on Earth
• Honorable mention: Roger Whitlock, Family Farm
• Honorable mention: Olga Bolgar, Street Interference
• Honorable mention: Toshi Esumi, Sunset at Port Orchard
• Honorable mention: Brittany Ambauen, The Step
• Honorable mention: Stacy Day, The Fox

Drawings

• First place: Ned Mueller, Gypsy Woman
• Second place: David Henkel, Parking Lot
• Third place: Jerry B. Steffen Jr., Sign Language

Gallery Arts is part of the Edmonds Arts Festival’s annual event, featuring two-dimensional and three-dimensional works displayed across multiple venues. Proceeds from artwork sales help fund scholarships, school grants, community art projects and public art initiatives.

For more information, visit the Edmonds Arts Festival website.