LiveARTS Bothell on tap this weekend
By ANDY NYSTROM
Editor
The time has come. Art will soon be alive at the Park at Bothell Landing.
It’s been a year in the making, and this weekend the 18-member board of art lovers will unveil LiveARTS Bothell 2008. The free event will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 28-29 and will feature 35 artisan booths and 100 pieces of art, live entertainment and food booths.
To officially get things rolling, an invitation-only preview celebration will take place June 27 at the park. Then, it’s up to the artisans, musicians and food folks to engage the crowd the next two days.
“I think that we are extremely lucky because the community has come together in support of this festival,” said LiveARTS Bothell Co-Chairwoman Lucy Stokstad.
“It’s a rejuvenation of the old (Bothell) art festival.”
Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe joins Stokstad as co-chair of the group, which has also benefitted from the diligent work and arts expertise of Lynn and Larry Asmann of the Kaewyn Gallery at Framewright.
“This is something that she (McAuliffe) has dreamed about for a very long time,” Stokstad added.
The event has come to fruition thanks to the group’s dedication and a $15,500 Lodging Tax Advisory Council grant (via the city of Bothell), donations and money from sponsors, arts sales, entry and booth fees, sales of John Ringen’s limited-edition poster (pictured) and raffle sales for two handpainted umbrellas from Pia Messina and Donna Keyser.
The main event at LiveARTS Bothell will be a juried art exhibit, which will feature $4,300 in prizes for standout paintings, prints, drawings and miniatures.
A cool $900 will go to the artisan who wins the best-of-show award.
Stokstad said LiveARTS Bothell is modeled after the successful Edmonds art show. But the local show will have its own flavor.
“It’s not quantity, it’s quality. We’ve really been picky in choosing the artisans,” she said.
On the entertainment front, there will be music by Midlife Crisis and the Alimony Horns, Ancient Sounds, Rock ‘n’ Roll Hypnotist Rob Stubbs and a marimba band.
Cameo/Carrabba dancers will strut their stuff, as will the Performing Pigs and members of the Dragon’s Lair, Evergreen Karate and NW Martial Arts dojos.
There will be parking and an all-day shuttle from the Cascadia Community College/University of Washington, Bothell campus.
According to Stokstad, money earned from the event will go to local art docent programs, art education scholarships and public art displays.
“The city of Bothell is proud to have the LiveARTS event here. It’s a great part of the community involvement thread that makes Bothell what it is,” said Bothell Public Information Officer Joyce Goedeke.
For information, visit www.liveartsbothell.com or www.explorebothell.com.
