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Spotlight: Olympic Ballet Theatre presents ‘Spring Rep’
Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12
Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 4th Ave. N.
Olympic Ballet Theatre (OBT) celebrates the full spectrum of classical and contemporary ballet with Spring Rep.
La Fille Mal Gardée (excerpts)
Choreography: Mara Vinson and Oleg Gorboulev after Alexander Gorsky
Composer: Peter Hertel
Premiere: 1789, Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux
One of the oldest surviving ballets performed today, La Fille Mal Gardée, is a comedy ballet. Set to music by Hertel and originally choreographed by Gorsky, OBT presents selected excerpts restaged by artistic directors Oleg Gorboulev and Mara Vinson.
Audiences will enjoy highlights, including the lively Waltz and the technically demanding Pas de Deux for Lise and her beloved Colas, the young couple at the heart of the story. With its playful humor and joyous dancing, the ballet brings warmth and brightness to the program.
From the Dark Land
Choreography: Donald Byrd
Composer: George Crumb
Premiere: 2023, Olympic Ballet Theatre
OBT revisits Donald Bryd’s From the Dark Land for the first time since its 2023 premiere. It is set to George Crumb’s Black Angels: 13 Images from the Dark Land, a contemporary composition written for an electric string quarter and Franz Schubert’s Death and Maiden, which is set to a classical string quartet.
The ballet explores tensions between beauty and dissonance, chaos and calm. Byrd’s choreography embraces discomfort, prompting reflection and inviting audiences to examine their responses to the unfamiliar.
A Tony-nominated and Bessie Award-winning choreographer, Byrd is known for using dance as a social and civic instrument. With From the Dark Land, he challenges both dancers and audiences to step beyond comfort, engaging deeply with music, movement and meaning.
Check out the online interview.
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Spotlight: ‘Silver Lining’ by Sandi Toksvig, directed by Renee Gilbert
March 27 through April 19; Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.
The Phoenix Theatre, 9673 Firdale Ave., Edmonds (at Firdale Village)
The Phoenix Theatre presents Silver Lining, a comedy by Sandi Toksvig, co-host of The Great British Bake Off, and directed by Renee Gilbert.
Set in a retirement home, Silver Lining follows a group of spirited, and often overlooked, women who find themselves facing an unexpected crisis during a storm.
Confronted with the reality that no rescue is coming, the women resolve to take matters into their own hands. What unfolds is a daring, irreverent bid for survival as they band together with humor, resilience and ingenuity.
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Upcoming Art Happenings
Sketcher Fest tickets now available
Tickets are now on sale for the Sketchbook Fair, Artist Talks and Artists’ Reception.
Sketcher Fest in Edmonds is a weekend‑long arts festival celebrating travel sketchbooks and urban sketching, bringing together artists, enthusiasts and visitors to share, learn and draw.
It features a Sketchbook Fair showcasing original sketchbooks and art supplies, workshops and community sketching events.
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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
This class focuses on using the process of painting as a mindfulness tool, removing the pressure to create a finished product.
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 as a way to calm the mind.
Instructor Missy Hancock, who also serves as director of school programs for Art Start NW, will share watercolor techniques and color theory throughout the class. No prior watercolor experience is required.
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Teens (ages 13-18): Wednesdays. April 1-22 at 6:30-8 p.m.
Adults (18+): Fridays, April 3-24 at 6:30-8 p.m.
Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main St., Room 206
Levels: All levels
Cost: $80 (non-resident added fee is $12)
Looking to loosen up your drawing skills and have some fun? Join Andrew M. for a 90-minute, low-pressure session focused on sketching and creative exploration.
Students begin with quick warm-ups, then move into guided prompts and a free sketch session, allowing time to refine their ideas. The session concludes with a low-pressure, short discussion of the works created.
Expect to work quickly, make multiple drafts and embrace “bad” drawings – the only way to make good ones.
Premium pencils and paper will be provided; feel free to bring your favorite pencils, sharpener or erasers.
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Live music in Lynnwood with The Guise
Saturday, April 4, 7-8:30 p.m.
Cedar Valley Grange #306, 20526 52nd Ave. W., Lynnwood
Ages: All ages
Free
Enjoy an evening of live music featuring The Guise, a local funk, soul and rock band that performs throughout the Puget Sound region.
The event is presented in partnership with the City of Lynnwood.
Attendees are encouraged to bring donations to support the Lynnwood Food Bank.
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The third ‘We Love Books Club’
Tuesday, April 7, 2-3 p.m.
Edmonds Bookshop, 111 5th Ave. S.
Ages: 8-12 with an accompanying adult
Free
Held during Edmonds School District’s spring break, the event will feature Seattle-based, award-winning children’s author Lynn Brunelle, bringing a playful, science-focused approach to learning.
Attendees will have the opportunity to make a bird feeder and learn about local bird life.
Brunelle is the author of more than 60 books, including Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall, illustrated by Jason Chin, which received the 2025 Robert F. Sibert Medal, the Flora Stieglitz Strauss Award and an Orbis Pictus Honor Award.
Her other titles include Haiku Ew!, a finalist for a 2025 Washington State Book Award, as well as Turn This Book Into a Beehive! and Turn This Book Into a Bird Feeder!
The event is open to middle-grade readers, ages 8-12, accompanied by an adult. This is not a drop-off event.
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Friday Night Art & Wine – Irises in acrylic with Shirley Sakatani
Friday, April 10, 5-8 p.m.
Levels: All levels
Cost: $135
(all supplies included)
Start your weekend with color, creativity and a splash of wine.
Instructor Shirley Sakatani will lead a hands-on acrylic painting class, guiding participants step by step in creating an iris floral.
The class welcomes beginners and experienced artists alike, with an encouraging, low-pressure approach.
All supplies are provided, including canvas, paints and brushes, so participants can focus on the experience and leave with a finished, ready-to-hang piece.
Attendees can come solo or bring a friend, partner or date. Wine, seltzer water and snacks will be available; guests may also bring a favorite beverage or treat to share.
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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. during Art Walk Edmonds
Edmonds Bookshop, 111 5th Ave. S.
At 5 p.m., the Edmonds Poets will open the evening with readings by nine 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 to attend and celebrate the art of poetry.
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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
Running low on art supplies?
Mark your calendars: 17 artists will offer a wide range of materials, from art supplies and unique craft tools to original artwork and an assortment of unexpected, creativity-sparking 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 also a rental space for art- and craft-related events, workshops and meetings. ArtWorks is a local community asset for regional artists and an artist community hub, where friendly support, input and the creative exchange of ideas takes place.
Artworks is sponsored by the Edmonds Arts Festival and Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation.
For more information, contact ArtWorks Director Melissa Wadsworth at [email protected].
*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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