Making a Splash in the Pool of Local Artists

Take a detour from the usual galleries during this Thursday’s Art Walk and head down Dayton Street to the Art Works building. There, artists will showcase their works to the public during a four-day collective show.

“There will be over 40 artists showing their work,” said Meredith Arnold, the director for the Art Works building. “There will be everything from pastel to watercolors, fused glass, ceramics, painters, print makers and jewelry artists.”

The annual event, called Art Splash, has been taking place for four years, and serves as a means for the artists belonging to the ArtistsConnect group to show their work.

“ArtistsConnect is a networking group of artists,” Arnold explained. “They help and support each other, and usually meet once a month to hear guest speakers or listen to a panel.”

The most recent meeting, held last weekend, brought in four different artists who spoke about working with color in different forms. Speakers included an underwater photographer, a jewelry maker, a pastel artist, a painter and a mixed-media artist. In order to participate in Art Splash, an artist must have attended at least four meetings in the prior year.

According to Arnold, ArtistsConnect group is open to anyone with an interest or passion for art. Affiliated with the Edmonds Arts Festival Association, ArtistsConnect has no president, no board and no dues.

“Everything that happens here is for the artists,” said Arnold. “Art Works is a gathering place where artists can talk, work and connect.”

Art Splash opens on Thursday night, and will include the weekend-long show, live artist demonstrations, and a Friday night reception. If the weather is nice (here’s hoping!) they can open up the garage-style doors to the studio space. There will be a special section called Tiny Treasures devoted to artwork measuring eight inches and under. The event is free and open to the public.

“It’s probably one of the best setups as far as how many artists are represented,” Arnold described. “Just seeing how they set up all the art is interesting because there are so many mediums and techniques represented.”

Art Splash runs from July 21-24. Hours: Thursday and Friday 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.