Arts Briefs | Jan. 1 edition
Published 7:00 pm Monday, December 29, 2025
Jim Page
Northwest folk legend Jim Page will play a show at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, at Vashon Havurah, at 15401 Westside Hwy SW.
Page, a singer, songwriter and social justice activist, has made 24 full-length albums, been on a dozen compilations, done numberless tours, and written hundreds of songs. Some of them have been covered by Christy Moore, Dick Gaughan, Roy Bailey, The Doobie Brothers, and Michael Hedges. He’s toured with Dick Gaughan, Planxty, Leftover Salmon, and Rob Wasserman. He’s shared the stage with Bonnie Raitt, Donal Lunny, Barry Melton, Robert Hunter, and Björn Afzelius.
He sings about politics and romance, adventure and comedy, tragedy, history, and meditations on life, death and the absurd. His show on Vashon, with tickets $20 at the door, is being presented by his friend and admirer, local singer and songwriter Kat Eggleston.
Contact kat@kateggleston.com for reservations.
Second Friday gallery cruise
It regularly happens in January: Vashon’s monthly gallery cruise moves from being held on the first Friday of the month to the second Friday. This month, it will happen from roughly 5-8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9, with many of the usual art spots — Vashon Center for the Arts, VALISE, Swiftwater and others — hosting opening receptions for new shows.
Be sure to include a new stop on the Jan. 9 cruise: an open house for Sarah St.Germain’s new business, Island Sunsation, a tanning salon adjacent to her hair salon in Thriftway Plaza at 9730 SW Bank Rd. From 5–8 p.m., the event will feature refreshments, beverages and a chance to win gift certificates at the salon. Works of art by Marianne McDonnell will be on display, along with kitchen and bath designs by Julie Hart of Poppy & Company.
McDonnell, who now lives on Vashon, was born in Hollywood, California, and grew up in Calistoga among the orange poppies and oak trees. Her family moved to the Northwest, where she first lived on Friday Harbor and then in Gig Harbor. She graduated from The Evergreen State College with a degree in performing arts, and since that time, her life has been dedicated to artistic pursuit in one form or another. After nearly four decades, she has found her passion in painting works with bold color — a tribute to the beautiful places she has lived.
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
For more than 45 years, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band has been redefining the sound of New Orleans brass. Now, they’ll play a show at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10, at Vashon Center for the Arts.
Fusing jazz, funk, R&B and soul into what they call a “musical gumbo,” this Grammy Award-winning ensemble has toured the globe, recorded with artists from Norah Jones to Widespread Panic, and released more than a dozen acclaimed albums. Their high-octane performances are legendary — bursting with rhythm, joy and an unstoppable groove that will have you on your feet.
Tell off-island friends about the show — it’s part of a collaboration between VCA and Vashon Lodges, which is offering a package of discounts. Find out more and get tickets (free for those 18 and younger) at vashoncenterforthearts.org.
Dogs in Art
Noted art historian Rebecca Albiani will present a talk, “Dogs in Italian Renaissance Art,” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, at Vashon Center for the Arts. Find out more and get tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org.
Americans in Paris
Four noted musicians from the Governor’s Chamber Music Series will perform a tribute to the City of Lights in “Americans in Paris,” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at Vashon Center for the Arts.
Pianist Judith Cohen will lead the evening of chamber works by American composers inspired by their time in Paris — George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Aaron Copland, and Astor Piazzolla. Featuring Brittany Breeden (violin), Kevin Krentz (cello), and Stephanie Porter (American Jazz Vocalist), the program brims with romance, sophistication, and jazz-infused flair.
Find out more and get tickets (free for those 18 and younger) at vashoncenterforthearts.org.
14/48 Vashon
Join the madcap company of 14/48 Vashon as the annual festival returns for a thrill-packed two-night run, with performances at 7 and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 23 and 24, at Open Space for Arts & Community.
The festival — whose company includes seven writers, seven directors, a gaggle of actors and designers, musicians and technical wizards — famously dares to create 14 new plays from scratch in only 48 hours.
Here’s how it works: On Thursday night before the first show, the theater-makers gather — some meeting for the first time — and throw themes into a hat. After a theme is drawn, the writers head home to write new 10-minute plays overnight. The next morning, directors draw the play they will direct, then draw their cast, and then they get to work. The result? Seven new plays are rehearsed, designed and scored throughout the day and performed twice on Friday night. Then the whole process starts all over again. By the end of Saturday, 14 new plays have been born, produced and presented in just 48 hours.
Get tickets and find out more at openspacevashon.com.
