Art Beat Review: Artists explore flight, community and materials in Lynnwood art exhibition

April rain cast a soft glow through the large windows of the Lynnwood Event Center at The District on Tuesday night, where guests filled the galleries for a “Meet the Artists” reception. The event celebrated Flight Patterns: The Art & Motion of Winged Life, a juried exhibition exploring the symbolism of winged life in motion.

Surrounded by works depicting birds, owls, butterflies and feathers, alongside more abstract interpretations of flight, the evening transformed into a mix of upbeat energy and quiet reflection.

Guests moved through the space in small clusters, and I drifted with them, pausing at certain works to look more closely as artists stood nearby discussing their creative process. For many artists, this was their first exhibit.

Two metal canvases glinted in the light and caught my attention. The works appeared etched, luminous with detailed bird imagery, and My Neighborhood News Group asked artist Graham Schodda about them.

“It’s on 20-gauge stainless steel, which is about the thickness of a dime,” Schodda said. “I use an angle grinder to grind the images into the surface of the steel.”

He said the material creates a shifting visual effect. “It’s got a little holographic thing – every angle you look at it, you get a different effect,” he said.

Curator Mary Adams said the exhibition drew more than 150 submissions and brought together more than 45 works by 27 regional artists across a wide range of mediums.

“We wanted to highlight winged life in the Pacific Northwest,” Adams said. “We got some really interesting things, everything from ceramics to mosaics to photography and painting and woodwork, lots of really cool stuff.” 

“It was a team effort between myself and Julie [Carlos],” she said, adding that the two typically collaborate on exhibitions. Adams said that she was pleased to include fiber art in the show.

At the center of the evening, a participatory installation by artist Alexandra Nason drew steady attention. Guests decorated individual aluminum butterflies, contributing to her piece, The True Butterfly Effect. Each individual butterfly seemed to flutter across the wall as it grew throughout the evening as more and more people joined in the creativity.

Nason said the project has been in development for some time, rooted in her interest in community engagement and creative empowerment. 

“This has been something I’ve been dreaming of for a while,” she said. 

She described the installation as a community-driven effort inspired by the butterfly effect, focused on storytelling and creating art that helps build a sense of belonging.

Nason, a Seattle-based muralist and project director at Urban ArtWorks, said collaboration plays a central role in her practice. “A lot of my practice has been informed by the work that we do at the organization,” she said, adding that while not all of her work is community-driven, this project represents a significant part of that aspect of her work.

“Something that really excites me about the project is how we show up, and how small things that we might not consider important are actually quite impactful,” Nason said. “And it’s fun because it’s colorful.”

At one point in the evening, Marketing and Business Development Manager Julie Carlos, stepped up to the mic and thanked attendees for braving the typical Pacific Northwest downpour.

Carlos recognized Adams, saying that this marks her sixth and final exhibition as curator at the event center. “Mary has brought such a thoughtful eye, creativity and care to every exhibit she’s curated here,” Carlos said. She told My Neighborhood News Group that Adams is focusing her career at Schack Art Center in Everett and has been working as an independent contractor with the event center the whole time.

“She has a real gift for not only selecting beautiful work, but for working closely with the artists to bring each exhibit to life. We’re going to miss you,” Carlos said.

“I have to say, one of my favorite things about being a curator here is giving people the opportunity for the first time to show their art in public,” Adams said.

Also, Adams introduced several participating artists, including artist Peggy Shashy, a retired veterinarian whose work features fused glass feather pieces mounted on driftwood and displayed on the wall. Up close, the pieces appear to be ceramic feathers attached to found driftwood.

“A lot of people think these are ceramic, but they’re actually made from glass powders,” Shashy said. 

Photographer Rebekah Core shared a story behind a wildlife photograph taken near a pond, describing the patience required to capture the moment – much like holding a yoga pose – as lighting conditions changed and the heron remained still before suddenly taking flight. “It was almost as if it posed,” Core chuckled.

Also present was Birds Connect Seattle, a local nonprofit focused on urban bird conservation, education and community engagement, which brought preserved specimens from local bird species. The Edmonds-Woodway Jazz Trio also performed throughout the evening, filling the galleries with jazzy vibes.

Toward the end of the evening, after a delicious lemon bar from a table of sweets, I circled back to some works I had noticed earlier and spoke with artist Juliana Brandon about her collages. 

They look like layered vintage wallpaper patterns with a multitude of bird silhouettes in flight. Her work, Beethoven’s Revenge Triptych, also featured on the cover of the exhibition pamphlet, reflects what she describes as “pattern collage.”

She explained that she uses digital scrapbook pages, cutting and layering them into increasingly intricate compositions. “It didn’t used to be this complex,” she said. “So it kind of grew and grew and grew and snowballed and now it’s what this is.” She has been working in this style since 2021.

Brandon says the process began more simply, “just like drawing on top of a patterned background,” before evolving into what she dubbed “crazier collages.” 

I asked how it all started, and Brandon traced it back to a difficult period in art school. “I had a bad experience in art school, so I just couldn’t feel, didn’t feel like I could draw anymore,” she said. “Like the thought of drawing made me nauseous.” 

During that time, she continued making art in other forms, including singing and puppetry, but avoided visual art. She eventually returned to visual art by experimenting with materials she had on hand. She began “playing with a collection of papers” and found she enjoyed the process. That discovery, she says, helped her reconnect with art: She “started to like art again.” 

As she continued, the work grew more and more complex, developing into what she describes as “kind of my artistic Renaissance,” adding, “I finally love art again.” This marks her second time showing her art publicly.

One final look around the galleries, made it clear how much creativity, support and appreciation is here for all the artists and their work – just the right amount to soar with. Though I didn’t get the chance to speak with every artist, I’ll definitely return for one last look before the exhibition closes.

Flight Patterns: The Art & Motion of Winged Life remains on view through June 22, 2026. 

The exhibit is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with additional evening and weekend viewing when the building is open. Visitors may call 425-778-7155 to confirm exhibit availability.