The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival started early this season over the Easter holiday weekend, bringing copious blossoms and visitors to the Skagit Valley and surrounding areas. While festival activities are in full swing, several art events happening throughout the month of April offer bold imagery, movement and new perspectives. They’re all worth a visit, whether or not you’re here to see the flowers.
Visual arts
In Edison, the Smith & Vallee Gallery will feature “Where the Wild Things Are,” a solo show by artist Holly Hudson. The exhibition includes collages, paintings and ceramics. Hudson said most of the included work is about “the natural world and humanity’s relationship to it; specifically, how we are part of the natural world, not separate from it.”
Hudson — who is from Southeast Alaska, studied art on the East Coast and is now based in Bellingham — inventively works across a variety of mediums, resulting in expressive and colorful pieces that convey a deep reverence for the natural world.
“I am inspired by so many different artists and art forms: classical low relief sculpture, painters like Bosch, the decorative arts of William Morris, 16th-century tapestries,” she added.
Hudson’s online artist statement also mentions how her childhood attending Catholic school while “being steeped in the art and cultures of the First Peoples of the area, the Tlingit tribe” had a deep influence on her work. The show runs April 4–28, with an artist reception from 3–5 p.m. Saturday, April 6.
In La Conner, the Pacific Northwest Quilts and Fiber Arts Museum has three shows happening simultaneously. While masterful craft and imagination are on display throughout the first and third floors of this historic mansion, something new and invigorating is happening in “Shift Change,” the second-floor exhibition conceived by the museum’s new curator, Brian Nigus.
According to the museum’s website, “’Shift Change’ not only refers to a new staff member starting their ‘shift,’ but also references the shift that happens at a museum when a new curator is hired, acknowledging the reality of a different perspective and broader selection of artists.”
Experimental and evocative, the 21 artists from across the U.S. and Canada repurpose feed bags and wedding dresses, knit narratives into sweaters and present the vibrant spectrum of what fiber arts can do. Joey Veltkamp’s “Cherry Blossoms in Pink Vase,” a subtle yet stunning still life in fabric, speaks to the artist’s mission to “look for joy in unexpected places.” This show indeed imbues joy, deep reflection and curiosity — don’t miss it. “Shift Change” runs from March 6 through Sunday, April 28.
Films, festivals and live events
The Museum of Northwest Art (MoNA), also in La Conner, will host Moving Memories with Alicia Mullikin, an all-ages dance workshop, followed by a screening of “EL SUEÑO,” a contemporary dance film directed and choreographed by Mullikin in collaboration with filmmaker/dancer Devin Muñoz. This event will occur on Saturday, April 27 and advanced tickets can be purchased online ($35 for both Movement Workshop and film screening/$5 for film screening only).
Mullikin, a first-generation Mexican-American dance artist, founded the organization of the same name which uses dance as a platform for community engagement, healing and empowerment of marginalized communities. The MoNA Education team discovered Mullikin’s work after she participated in an Indigenous Beading Workshop at MoNA in January 2023. Last September, she offered an intergenerational crown-making workshop at the museum in honor of Grandparents Day.
Ellie Cross, director of education at MoNA, said, “Alicia’s work is powerful and inspiring and it is an honor to get to collaborate with her on events.” Learn more about Mullikin on her website, aliciamullikin.com.
While downtown Mount Vernon will be bustling with annual events, including the 40th annual Tulip Festival Street Fair (April 19–21) and Spring Window Contest, the historic Lincoln Theatre is offering two, one-of-a-kind events.
“It’s Only Life After All,” by Sundance award-winning director Alexandria Bombach, features the life and work of the iconic folk-rock band, The Indigo Girls. This film is showing in theaters one night only on Wednesday, April 10.
Later in the month, Skagit Drag — Spring Edition, presented by The Simply Curious, returns to the Lincoln stage on Saturday, April 20. Sponsored by PFLAG Skagit, the Skagit Valley Drag Show was created for newcomers and seasoned performers to share their hearts, art and talent, while also creating a space for connecting the community through that creation, sharing love, knowledge and support. More info and tickets available at lincolntheatre.org.
Jessica Gigot is a poet and writing coach. She lives in a little sheep farm in the Skagit Valley. See her work at jessicagigot.com.
