Arts Briefs

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Lizzy and the Triggermen

Called “one of the hottest swing bands in LA” by Fox 11, Lizzy and the Triggermen is set to perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 1 at Vashon Center for the Arts.

The band’s front woman, Lizzy Shapiro, captures audience with her rare vocal power, reminiscent of artists like Amy Winehouse, Ella Fitzgerald and Ertha Kitt according to NPR. Influenced by musical forces like Count Basie and Duke Ellington, the band is known for their old-school sound with unexpected influences that resonate with a broad range of audiences. Together, Lizzy and the Triggermen curate vintage swing for the modern listener.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit vashoncenterforthearts.org.

Sofia Talvik

Swedish folk singer, songwriter and guitarist Sofia Talvik will perform an intimate evening of music on Friday, May 1 at Vashon’s Open Space for Arts & Community. Compared to artists like Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins and Buffy Sainte-Marie, Talvik’s artistry combines her vocal talent, guitar picking and storytelling to curate a rich experience for audiences. Talvik has performed at festivals like Lollapalooza and South by Southwest in addition to touring across the globe.

Her latest album, “Center of the Universe,” which explores topics including women’s rights and domestic violence, charted on USA’s folk radio charts in August 2023. Doors for the event are at 6:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at openspacevashon.com.

Jam in the atrium

Vashon Center for the Arts will host a “Jam in the Atrium” from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 2 — an ongoing event where bassist Bruce Phares performs with special guests. This iteration will include drummer Steve Korn — an integral part of Seattle’s jazz scene. Korn’s quintet has been featured at Seattle’s Earshot Jazz Festival, and Korn is a former artist in residence at the University of Washington’s School of Music.

The event will also feature pianist Matt Williams. Known for engaging improvisation, Williams is an active performer in Seattle’s jazz scene. Williams has released albums with his group Multiplayer, and is the permanent host of Seattle’s late night jam session, “Owl Jam Tuesdays.”

Tickets for this event are free, and more information can be found at vashoncenterforthearts.org.

Vashon Island Chorale concerts

The Vashon Island Chorale will present “You are the Music,” in two concerts, at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 2 and 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 3 at Vashon Center for the Arts. Directed by Dr. Gary D. Cannon and with piano accompaniment by Linda Lee, the 70-voice chorale will perform a number of short chorale works that intertwine humanity and music — following a theme inspired by the poem “Listening” by Amy Lowell.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit vashoncenterforthearts.org.

Plays in a snap

The Vashon Repertory Theatre will return their “Plays in a Snap” evenings at 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 2 and 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 3 at Snapdragon Bakery & Cafe. Island favorites will perform a curated list of 10 short plays written by playwrights both new and seasoned from around the region.

Both evenings will include performances of “Meet and Greet,” a play written especially for the event by Pulitzer and Tony award winning playwright David Auburn. The play follows the comedic events that ensue after an aging rock star accidentally meets his biggest fan. Auburn’s award-winning play “Proof” is currently running on Broadway, and is being co-produced by Michelle and Barack Obama’s production company.

The audience will have an opportunity to provide feedback during the evening, and food and drink will be available for purchase. The event is pay what you will at the door, and organizers ask that those interested in attending arrive early to the Black Cat Cabaret to assure a good seat. For more information visit vashonevents.org.

Music at Moonwood

Join pianist Cole Anderson for an evening of classic works from composers including Debussy, Scarlatti and Liszt at on Saturday, May 2. Cole — who is part of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s pre-college division faculty— is an innovator in the world of classic piano music drawing on influence from great pianists of the early 20th century.

The event will be held at a private residence on Vashon, with drinks and hors d’oeuvres at 5 p.m., and music beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at tinyurl.com/nwrencmm.

Vashon for Palestine film series

Vashon for Palestine, in partnership with the Vashon Film Institute is bringing a lineup of award-winning films to the Vashon Theatre this spring.

On Tuesday, May 5, the Vashon Theatre will screen “The Seed Queen of Palestine,” which follows Palestinian Vivien Sansour as she works to reintroduce produce disrupted by the Israeli occupation by distributing rare, ancient heirloom seeds to farmers in the West Bank and beyond. Also on May 5, the Vashon Theatre will screen “Free Fish,” a documentary by Palestinian journalist and activist Bisan Owda, following two brothers separated by war and displacement as they struggle to fish under the Israeli blockade.

On Sunday, May 17, the Vashon Theatre will show the 2025 drama, “All That’s Left of You,” which follows a Palestinian family across three generations, spanning from the 1948 Nakba to the Israeli occupation of the 2020s.

For more information about the film series visit vashontheatre.com.

Sera Cahoone at The Country Store

Singer-songwriter Sera Cahoone will give a solo acoustic performance at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 9 at The Country Store in celebration of 20 years since the release of her self-titled album. Cahoone got her start as a drummer for bands “Carissa’s Weird,” and “Band of Horses,” and has released several albums as a solo artist.

Cahoone’s performance on Vashon will revisit the music that have defined her powerful voice in an intimate, reflective evening. Tickets can be purchased at TicketTomato.com.

Take 10 at Open Space

Open Space for Arts & Community will host “Take 10: We Don’t Move Alone,” a showcase of new and in-progress work by multidisciplinary performing artists, at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16. Jointly curated by Open Space and UMO Ensemble, the program will feature a mix of dance, clowning, theater, music and more — the kind of night built for creative risk and works still taking shape.

The lineup includes UMO Ensemble (three works in progress), Vashon High School theater students led by Andy James, and VHS junior Declan O’Brien previewing his full-length piece “Piano Lad.” Also performing are Seattle’s Dragon Duo, solo clown Emma Cady, the clown/improv collective Certified Nonsense, and islander Joan Hanna with a new dance-lecture, “One Grey Hair Here’s a Chair.”

Tickets and details are at openspacevashon.com.

Deep water dialogues: art beneath the surface

Vashon Center for the Arts is inviting artists to submit work to “Deep Water Dialogues: Art Beneath the Surface,” a juried exhibition featuring art that explores underwater ecosystems and marine life.

The exhibition is inspired by the gray whale that washed onto Vashon’s shores in 2024. The bones — recovered by scientists — will be apart of a sculpture installed in the VCA’s atrium in June. Merging science, ecology and artistic exploration, artists are given a unique opportunity to reflect on life beneath the waters surface using any medium they please. The exhibition will take place at VCA from June 5 to June 28. Artists interested in taking part can submit up to four works by May 1. For more information about the exhibition and submitting work, visit vashoncenterforthearts.org.

Richard Moore

Vashon Theatre will host comedy benefit show “Richard Moore Will Not Be Shushed,” at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 16, raising money to support island comic Richard Moore as he recovers from two strokes. Twin sister comedians and hosts of podcast “The BROADcast,” the Filson sisters, will host the event, with performances from a lineup of comedians from around the Pacific Northwest.

More information can be found at vashonevents.org.

Vashon Summer Arts Fest 2026

For the ninth consecutive year, this summer Vashon Center for the Arts will host Vashon Summer Arts Fest, and they’re asking artists to apply to be apart of the annual tradition.

The festival is a nine-week long celebration of the island’s art scene, presented as a series of rotating exhibitions featuring more than 125 artists. From July 3 through August 30, VCA will showcase three exhibitions, each running for three weeks long, dedicated exclusively to the work of Vashon’s artists.

The festival is open to artists of all levels and mediums. Those interested in being apart of the festival can learn more by visiting vashoncenterforthearts.org, or emailing gallery@vashoncenterforthearts.org