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April is National Poetry Month, and last month, I sat in the intimate space of the Edmonds Bookshop, listening to Priscilla Long read from her freshly minted book. She was introduced by Edmonds poet Bethany Reid, and an inspiring conversation unfolded. Their voices filled the shop with poetry.
This month the Edmonds Bookshop continues its celebration of poetry with another gathering of poets during the next Edmonds Art Walk on April 16.
On a different evening, I participated in Missy Hancock’s Watercolor for Relaxation class at Graphite Arts Center, where mindfulness and pigment bloomed on the page.
I set the intention to show up with presence, and it was in these small moments of connection that wonder existed – in noticing what is already there, inviting us in.
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Spotlight: Art Student Scholarships
Deadline: Friday, April 10
Eligibility: High school students in the Edmonds School District or attending Edmonds College
The Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation is accepting applications for its Art Student Scholarships, which support students planning to pursue visual arts in college. Previous recipients are eligible to apply for a renewal award.
The scholarships are fully endowed by the Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation board, with support from the Mummy Foundation. Community members who wish to sponsor a scholarship in their own name or in honor of someone are encouraged to contact the foundation’s scholarship committee chair.
The foundation has expanded eligible fields to reflect today’s creative careers. Students planning to study animation, studio art, graphic design, game design, UX/UI design, photography, illustration, motion graphics, digital media arts, videography, product design, art education, art therapy, art history, painting or sculpture may apply.
Scholarship recipients will have their work featured on the Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation website and social media channels. Award winners will also be honored at a reception on June 3, 2026.
Money for these scholarships is raised through donations, a portion of the profits earned from the yearly Edmonds Arts Festival and the fundraising efforts of the Foundation, which includes Edmonds Arts Festival sponsorships and ticket purchases for the Celebrate the Arts Party.
For more information, contact Barbara Norgaard-Reid at 206-334-2552 or [email protected].
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Spotlight: Cascade Symphony Orchestra (CSO) presents two Chamber Music Concerts
Cascade Symphony Chamber Music Concert: Lynnwood
Saturday, April 11, 7:30 p.m.
Maple Park Lutheran Church, 17620 60th Ave. W.
Cost: $15 adults; $5 students
Tickets online, by phone at 425-275-9595, in person at Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA) or 30 minutes before the performance at the venue
“Maple Park Church in Lynnwood, which hosts a concert on April 11, has fine acoustics and great sightlines for the audience,” said Executive Director Edward Benyas.
The Lynnwood concert features nine different ensembles performing music from the 18th through 21st centuries. The concert will include music by well-known composers such as George Frideric Handel, Ludwig van Beethoven, Gioachino Rossini, Antonin Dvorak and lesser-known established composers like Anton Reicha and William Grant Still.
Chamber ensembles include the Cascade Symphony Wind Quintet, Cascade Symphony Percussion Ensemble, the Vilachel String Quartet and several duos and trios.
Cascade Symphony Chamber Music Concert: Edmonds
Tuesday, April 28, 7 p.m.
Edmonds Waterfront Center (EWC), 220 Railroad Ave.
Cost: $15 adults; $5 students
Tickets online, by phone at 425-275-9595, in person at ECA or 30 minutes before the performance at the venue
The CSO continues its Fall/Spring concerts partnership with the EWC. “We are especially excited to present these two full-length works by 19th century composers at the Waterfront Center,” said Benyas.
Unlike the shorter excerpts on the April 11 concert, this program comprises two full-length works: Antonin Dvorak’s String Sextet in A Major, Op. 48, and the Sinfonietta for Ten Winds in F Major, Op. 188 by the German Romantic-era composer Joachim Raff. Performing artists are longtime members of the Cascade Symphony string, woodwind and brass sections.
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Spotlight: Edmonds Laugh-A-Thon
Saturday, May 2 at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7:30 p.m.)
Old Edmonds Opera House, 515 Dayton St.
Ages: 21+
Cost: $40 online; $45 at the door; $60 VIP (includes VIP seating plus a meet-and-greet with the comedians before the 7 p.m. show)
The Edmonds Chamber of Commerce and Edmonds Chamber Foundation announce the return of the Edmonds Laugh-A-Thon, a comedy show fundraiser benefiting the WISH Fund and other chamber programs.
Host Vince Valenzuela returns to lead the audience through five comedy acts featuring himself and fellow comedians Traci Tergeson, Tyler Boeh, Taylor Clark and Tim Kelleher.
Proceeds from the show will benefit the Edmonds Chamber Foundation WISH Fund and other foundation programs. The WISH (When Inconvenient Stuff Happens) Fund was created to help businesses recover more quickly from small disasters, particularly when an incident is not covered by insurance or a business is underinsured.
Sponsorships for the Edmonds Laugh-A-Thon are available from $250 to a $2,500 title sponsorship. For more information, email Lillyan Hendershot at [email protected].
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Upcoming Art Happenings:
Cole Gallery presents two artists
Exhibition: April 2-28
Cole Gallery, 107 5th Ave. S., Edmonds
Where Color Grows featuring Linda Wilder
One of Cole Gallery’s artists, Linda Wilder, presents a collection of abstracted landscapes in which trees, flowers and foliage come alive with color and movement.
The Illuminated Forest featuring Teresa Smith
In The Illuminated Forest, Teresa Smith transforms familiar landscapes into luminous rhythm, inviting viewers to experience the forest as much as to see it.
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Walt Wagner performance benefits the Edmonds Waterfront Center
Thursday, April 16, 7:30 p.m.
Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 4th Ave. N.
Tickets online or by calling 425-275-9595
Seattle pianist Walt Wagner has had a long and remarkable career, performing with renowned artists including Bob Hope, Roberta Flack, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis Jr. and Bob Newhart.
Wagner’s program will feature an eclectic mix of jazz from composers including Chick Corea, Dave Brubeck, Dizzy Gillespie, George Cables and Bill Evans. He will also perform his original compositions, creative covers of songs by Talking Heads and DJ Shadow, and the much-anticipated return of his improvisational rendition of Chariots of Fire, a fan favorite.
The evening will be emceed by Wagner’s longtime friend and travel expert Rick Steves.
Email Joan Morrison for sponsorship or questions at [email protected].
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Big Band Night
Thursday, April 16, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (during Art Walk Edmonds)
Edmonds Opera House, 515 Dayton St.
No cover
Join Jake Bergevin and The Javatown Swing Orchestra for an evening of classic big band and swing music.
Amateur musicians are also invited to participate in a sight-reading session alongside professional musicians, offering a unique collaborative experience.
Refreshments will be provided by Vinbero.
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Celebrate National Poetry Month at Edmonds Bookshop’s ‘Festival of Poetry’
Thursday, April 16, with readings at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Edmonds Bookshop, 111 Fifth Ave. S.
Free
At 5 p.m., the Edmonds Poets will open the evening with readings by 9 members of the group, led by Gerald Bigelow and Judith Works.
At 6:30 p.m., David D. Horowitz of Seattle’s Rose Alley Press will emcee a reading featuring poets Robinson Bolkum, Mary Eliza Crane, Kristen McHenry, David Post and Alex Smith.
Each poet will be reading from their own work and will be available after the event to sign books. All are welcome.
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Roald Dahl’s ‘Willy Wonka KIDS’
Friday through Sunday, April 17-19
Edmonds Heights K-12, K-12, 23200 100th Ave. W.
Run time: 50 minutes with intermission
Edmonds Heights Performing Arts (EHPA) presents Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka KIDS, directed by Dorothy Rosenthal Pierce, and performed by Young Artists (YA; grades 3-5) and Emerging Artists (EA; grades 6-8).
The production features five performances:
- Friday, April 17, at 7 p.m. – YA
- Saturday, April 18, at 1 p.m. – YA (ASL interpreted)
- Saturday, April 18, at 7 p.m. – EA
- Sunday, April 19, at 1 p.m. – EA
- Sunday, April 19, at 4 p.m. – EA
Charlie Bucket’s experiences on his visit to Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory light up the stage in this adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic tale. Featuring songs from the 1971 film starring Gene Wilder, along with new songs, the musical follows Willy Wonka as he stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five candy bars. Winners receive a tour of the Wonka factory and a lifetime supply of candy. The children must follow Wonka’s rules in the factory or face the consequences.
Two casts will perform, each including 28 children onstage, supported by more than 20 middle and high school technical students backstage and in the booth. In addition to the adult creative team, each cast includes student directors, choreographers and stage managers.
Willy Wonka KIDS is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), which provides authorized performance materials and licenses productions for schools and theaters worldwide.
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Skandia Third Friday Dance
Friday, April 17 at 7:30-10:30 p.m.
Cedar Valley Grange, 20526 52nd Ave. W., Lynnwood
Level: All levels
Cost: $15; $10 for Skandia members
Harry and Pat will teach the Rättviks polska, a traditional dance from Rättvik in Dalarna, Sweden.
The band for the first half of the evening will be the Lilla Spelmanslag. Led by Elise Snoey, the group includes Itsani Murfin Paz, Eva Odderson and Alex Geisendorfur. They will play energetic music to get attendees onto the dance floor, possibly including one or two Hardanger fiddle tunes.
The long-time duo of Irene Myers and John Peekstok will perform during the second half of the evening. Myers on fiddle and Peekstok on strummed instruments will play music from across Scandinavia.
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ArtWorks Spring Artist Garage Sale
Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.,
ArtWorks Building, 201 2nd Ave. S., Edmonds
Free
17 artists will offer a wide range of materials, from art supplies and unique craft tools to original artwork and an assortment of artsy finds.
Artworks is a non-profit gathering place for artists, providing studio space for monthly Locker Artists and weekly Open Studios and classes.
Artworks is sponsored by the Edmonds Arts Festival and Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation.
For more information, email ArtWorks Director Melissa Wadsworth at [email protected].
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The monthly ‘book club’ for young readers
Sunday, April 19, 3-3:30 p.m.
Edmonds Bookshop, 111 5th Ave. S.
Ages: 8-12 with an accompanying adult
Free
Edmonds Bookshop welcomes children ages 8-12 to participate in a monthly “book club” just for them. There will be activities centered around the book of the month to help participants engage in the fun of sharing books.
The book for April is Cartoonists Club: A Graphic Novel, written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud. The story follows a group of creative friends and also serves as a how-to guide for making cartoons and graphic stories.
The monthly meet-up will include creating a cartoon story.
This is not a drop-off event.
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Wednesday, April 22 at 6-8 p.m.
Graphite Arts Center, 202 Main St., Edmonds
Ages: Adults (18+)
Level: All levels
Cost: $50
Instructor: Mary Olsen
Discover the expressive power of ink in this hands-on class exploring mark making with a variety of tools and techniques. Working with alcohol inks, India ink and pens, students will experiment with line, texture, color, contrast and layering to see how different inks interact on different papers.
These papers can then be used as the foundation for collage, journaling and other mixed-media projects. The class encourages play, experimentation and personal expression while demonstrating how ink can be both precise and unpredictable.
This class is part of the Spring 2026 ArtLab series, which includes two classes on paper design and culminates in a third class of mixed-media collage using the papers participants created.
Graphite’s ArtLab classes encourage experimentation and collaboration, with an emphasis on process over product. The classes are designed to be taken sequentially, but participants may sign up for one, two or all three.
All supplies are included, though participants are welcome to bring their own materials.
* If you would like your event included in future Art Beat listings, email Nahline Gouin at [email protected].
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.
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