Arts Briefs | June 11 edition
Published 12:10 pm Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Vashon Film Institute screenings
The Vashon Film Institute will host screenings of new and notable films at the Vashon Theatre through the month of June.
At 8:30 p.m. on June 12, The Vashon Theatre will screen “Hokum,” a new horror film starring Adam Scott from the TV series “Severance” and “Parks and Recreation.” The film follows the events that occur after a novelist is consumed by lore of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite in a remote inn where he has chosen to scatter his parents’ ashes.
At 1 p.m. on June 21, the theatre will screen “Field of Dreams,” starring Kevin Costner, an Iowa farmer who hears a mysterious voice encouraging him to build a baseball diamond in his cornfield.
Keith Murphy and Yann Falquet
Acclaimed folk musicians Keith Murphy and Yann Falquet will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at the Church of the Holy Spirit, at 15420 Vashon Hwy SW.
Their instruments include guitar, mandola and mandolin. A native of Newfoundland, Murphy performs a traditional repertoire drawn from Eastern Canada and Quebec as well as his current home, Vermont. His performance style, in English and French, infuses old ballads and songs with a powerful immediacy.
Falquet, a Québécois guitarist, is also well-known in the world of traditional music. In 2000, he co-founded Genticorum, a traditional music trio with Pascal Gemme and Nicholas Williams, that has now traveled the world. Tickets to the show have a suggested donation of $25. Contact Jan Strolle for reservations at janstrolle@comcast.net or 206-228-0730. Advance reservations are appreciated but walk-ins are also welcome.
Mary Gauthier
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier, celebrating the 20th anniversary of her landmark album “Mercy Now,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at Vashon Center for the Arts. The show will feature songs spanning Gauthier’s extraordinary career. With musical collaborations spanning from Leonard Cohen to Tim McGraw, Gauthier’s artistry and storytelling bridges folk, Americana and country traditions. Find out more and get tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org.
The Montvales and Creekbed Carter Hogan
Cincinnati-based folk/alt-country duo The Montvales and Minneapolis-based songwriter Creekbed Carter Hogan will take the stage in concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at Open Space for Arts & Community.
The Montvales’ new album, “Path of Totality,” has been praised by indie music outlets including No Depression, which called the songs “fierce and thoughtful.” Americana Highways compared the duo’s storytelling to that of Jason Isbell. Bandcamp Daily described the album as “a set of 12 catchy-country-folk-pop tunes that feel like a long drive full of comforting conversation by a good friend.” Hogan, who has shared stages with Emmylou Harris, Willi Carlisle and other well-known musicians, will perform songs from “Peasants Revolt,” a new album that will be released in July. Get more information and tickets at openspacevashon.com.
Opera patron preview party
Vashon Opera will present a painting, “Composer’s Aria,” for auction at a patron preview party at 5 p.m. Sunday, June 14 at Vashon Center for the Arts. The project is a joint effort between Vashon artist Britt Freda and musical director James Brown. Since 2011, Freda has focused on painting endangered species, and her painting, “Composer’s Aria,” will depict a humpback whale. In collaboration with musical director James Brown — the general director and principal conductor for Vashon Opera — the project will also feature music from Richard Strauss’ “Composer’s Aria.”
The preview party will include food, drink and performances from Vashon Opera’s upcoming operas, “Un Ballo in Maschera,” “Amahl and the Night Visitors” and “The Crucible,” sung by Vashon favorites. For more information and tickets, visit vashonopera.org.
The Concert Truck on Vashon
Mobile music venue, The Concert Truck, will make a stop on Vashon at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 19 at Ober Park. Created from a converted box truck, The Concert Truck brings world-class classical music directly to communities for free — making live chamber music accessible to everyone. With dozens of stops between June 18 and July 6, the truck will host Seattle Chamber Music Society musicians, as well as concert truck founder, Susan Zhang, performing engaging hour-long programs across the Seattle-area. Fore more information, visit tinyurl.com/4ua9ab8y.
Vashon Dance Academy
Vashon Dance Academy will showcase their performance of, “The Wizard of Oz,” between June 19-21 at the Vashon High School theatre, with four showtimes to choose from. Produced by non-profit organization Dance! Vashon, the show will feature dance across various styles, from classical ballet to hip hop.
To purchase tickets, visit tinyurl.com/fjcpkc4j.
Weird Music Night
Experience an evening of experimental, boundary pushing music at “Weird Music Night,” between 6-9 p.m. on Saturday, June 20 at Black Cat Cabaret. The free, all-ages community event will feature a diverse array of performers pushing the bounds of what music can sound like with instruments inluding guitar, bass and keyboard as well as homemade ones built by artists themselves.
“Weird Music Night” is a celebration of the Pacific Northwests’ tradition of adventurous music in a welcoming, family-friendly setting. Admission is free with a suggested $5 donation at the door. For more information contact vashon.weird.music.night@gmail.com.
VCA birthday bash
Celebrate 60 years of Vashon Center for the Arts with a joyful, all-ages birthday bash from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 20, at VCA.
The festive free event will take place both indoors and out, filled with music, movement, memories and plenty of surprises. Enjoy performances by Vashon’s own Portage Fill Harmonic and Riverbend, jump into some line dancing and explore hands-on arts and crafts for all ages.
Come hungry — food vendors will include Iyad Syrian Food and Dre Neely’s Gravy. The event will include door prizes, a treasure hunt, and the official announcement of VCA’s 61st season, with most shows being offered free to those 18 and younger. The Birthday Bash will also feature the official unveiling of an installation honoring Singer the Whale — a restoration project completed in partnership with Vashon Nature Center and local artist Ela Lamblin that will hoist Singer’s bones aloft in a stunning new display in VCA’s atrium.
Have a favorite VCA memory? Send scanned images and a short description to info@vashoncenterforthearts.org for inclusion in a community slideshow inside the Blue Heron Education Center during the event.
What trans joy sounds like
Celebrate Pride month with the Seattle Trans and Non binary Chorus Ensemble (STANCE), who will perform their Spring 2026 concert, “What Trans Joy Sounds Like,” at 7:30 p.m on Thursday, June 25 at Vashon Center for the Arts. The performance blends contemporary choral works with pop and Broadway pieces, honoring identity, connection and the beauty of togetherness through song.
STANCE is Seattle’s first and only all-trans and non binary choir whose mission is to create a vocal community by and for transgender and non binary singers, free from gendered expectations.
For more information about the concert and to purchase tickets visit vashoncenterforthearts.org.
One thing after another
Vashon-based theatre company, “Ghost Boat Theatre,” will run it’s inaugural show, “One Thing After Another,” between June 26-28 at Open Space for Arts & Community. The production is a one-act ensemble comedy based on Homer’s “The Odyssey” — bringing a fast-paced, absurd twist to the iconic tale. The show will include a live band, inventive sets, puppets and props, taking audiences on a journey through stormy seas from Mount Olympus to several mysterious islands.
For more details and to purchase tickets visit openspacevashon.com.
XO, Edie
Professionally trained ballet dancer turned drag artist, EDIE, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 27 at Vashon Center for the Arts. Best known as the “mistress of sensuality,” and called “Dazzling,” by Time Out New York, EDIE emceed Cirque du Soleil’s hit show ZUMANITY in Las Vegas for 13 years. EDIE has performed on Broadway, at the iconic drag festival Wigstock, on the MTV Video Music Awards, and appeared on “Sex and the City.”
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit vashoncenterforthearts.org.
PianoFête
PianoFête 2026, featuring internationally acclaimed artists Vyacheslav Gryaznov, Daria Kiseleva, Rexa Han and Konstantin Soukhovetski, will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, July 8 to 11, at Vashon Center for the Arts.
PianoFête, now in its fifth year as a signature event for VCA, is a beloved and rare festival devoted to two-piano repertoire.
Transforming Vashon Island into a high-summer celebration of the piano, PianoFête boasts two Steinway concert grands played by four virtuoso artists in thrilling combinations over the course of four nights. The week culminates in an expanded final-night concert with both live and virtual orchestras bringing the festival to a close.
PianoFête 2026, as curated by award-winning pianist, transcriber and composer Vyacheslav Gryaznov, will showcase a repertoire that travels from Old World legend to American celebration — all revealing the power and versatility of the piano as a musical instrument. For more information and tickets to single concerts ($42 for adults and free for youth), visit vashoncenterforthearts.org. All-access passes (free for youth and $125 for adults) can also be purchased at the VCA box office (open 12 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday) or by calling 206-259-3007.
