Arts Briefs | July 24, 2025
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Author event
Kim Brian Snyder will read from his new novel, “Death Valley,” at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 24 at the Vashon Bookshop.
Set in the barren desert of its namesake, the novel is genre agnostic — blending elements of time travel, historical and science fiction, poker, and romance.
Synder is a retired tax partner of the international accounting firm Deloitte. He and his wife, Dianne, have lived on Vashon for more than 30 years, where he has enjoyed the occasional poker game with friends at the Bada Bing poker club.
Summer Arts Fest
This week, the 8th annual Vashon Summer Arts Fest rolls into its second round of exhibitions at Vashon Center for the Arts, featuring a new lineup of local artists and a robust showing of Vashon’s finest ceramicists. The exhibition opens from 5-8 p.m. Friday, July 25, and runs through Sunday, August 10.
The gallery will also be open for the First Friday Gallery Cruise from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1.
Artists in the new exhibition include Andrea Walker; Brooke Gassiot; Carol Tufford; Dianne Grob; Ilse Reimnitz; Kassan Holder; Terry Donnelly and Tim Anderson.
This round also features an exhibition by the Vashon Potter’s Group, showcasing a wide range of ceramic styles and techniques. Participating potters include Beth Anne Freiling; David Olsen; Gale Lurie; Jane Neubauer; Jessica Lapano; Karen Fevold; Kedar Mankad; Laurie Thorpe; Marla Smith; Maya Breitburg-Smith and Sara Barry.
In the gallery gift shop, Lisa Witherspoon’s jewelry is still showing until the end of July. Jewelry by Christine Pelling will be shown in the gift shop from August 1-31.
Mean Girls, Jr.
Vashon Youth Theatre will present performances of “Mean Girls, Jr.,” at 7 p.m. Friday, July 25, and 2 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at Vashon Center for the Arts. The show is the culmination of a VCA summer musical theater camp for ages 12-18.
The show is adapted from the hit movie written by Tina Fey and starring Lindsay Lohan. It tells the story of Cady Heron, a girl who is a recent transplant to life in a suburban Illinois town.
How will this naive newbie rise to the top of the popularity pecking order? By taking on “The Plastics,” a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a queen bee without getting stung.
Get tickets and find out more at vashoncenterforthearts.org.
Dani-Rae Clark
Queer singer-songwriter Dani-Rae Clark will bring their distinctive voice and emotional country melodies to a concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 25, at Open Space for Arts & Community. The show is in collaboration with ORBIT Youth Space and will be an intimate evening of music and community in Open Space’s Black Box Theater.
Find out more and get tickets at openspacevashon.com.
Studio Ghibli Festival
Friends of Mukai’s popular annual Studio Ghibli Festival will wrap up at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 29, with a screening of “The Tale of Princess Kaguya,” a 2013 film directed by Isao Takahata.
Pre-show karaoke — a popular offering in last year’s festival — is on tap again this year, so show up early at the theater to grab the mic, and also to avoid long lines at the concession counter.
Tickets to the event cost $6 each, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Visit mukaifarmandgarden.org for additional information and to donate to support the series.
First Nations Stories
Vashon Island Unitarian Universalists’ Social and Environmental Justice Committee will continue its summer series of free films focused on First Nations voices. The series began on July 13.
Two additional films will be shown at 10 a.m. Sundays, July 27, and Aug. 10, at Lewis Hall, located on the hill behind Burton Community Church. Discussions will follow the screenings.
These films are ”Bring Them Home,” chronicling a decades-long initiative to bring wild buffalo back to the Blackfoot Reservation, shown on on July 27; and “Promised Land,” a documentary that follows Duwamish and Chinook tribal members as they fight for the restoration of treaty rights they have long been denied, shown on Aug. 10.
Find out more at vashonislanduu.org.
Concerts in the Park
Object Heavy, a powerhouse band from Humboldt County, California, will kick off this year’s series of free Concerts in the Park, from 7-9 p.m Thursday, July 31, in Ober Park.
The concert series, running on Thursday nights throughout Aug. 28, is presented by Vashon Park District and curated by Vashon Events.
Known for infectious grooves, rich harmony and explosive musicianship, Object Heavy blends classic soul with dance-able rhythms, led by the dynamic vocals of Richard Love. The band’s latest album, “Love & Gravity,” produced by Kelly Finnigan of Monophonics, has earned national acclaim and placement on Apple Music’s top Soul and R&B playlists.
Opening the evening will be Vashon’s own Madeleine Wolczko. As a merchant mariner and sailboat dweller, she crafts songs inspired by the ocean, often recording aboard her ship between voyages.
Open Air
Open Air, an annual aerial festival presented by UMO Ensemble, will take flight from 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Aug 2, at Open Space for Arts & Community, located at 18870 103rd Ave SW.
The event features a cast of top aerialists from throughout the Northwest region, defying gravity in acts presented on the great lawn of Open Space.
Admission to this event will be free thanks to funding from 4Culture, but donations are welcome. Bring your own blankets and seating. Doors to the event open at 3 p.m.
Find out more at openspacevashon.org.
Ocie Elliot concert
Ocie Elliot, a duo made up of Jon Middleton and Sierra Lundy that have gained millions of streams and widespread acclaim for their 2023 EP, “Know The Night,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, at Vashon Center for the Arts.
Their songwriting and performances are described in advance publicity for the concert as a “living and breathing vision for 21st century folk amplified by alternative nuance and unassuming pop appeal.”
The couple have shared the stage with likes Joshua Radin, Sons of The East, Kim Churchill, and Hollow Coves.
Get tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org. There is free admission for audience members 18 and younger, with a reservation.
