Going to Edmonds Historical Museum this morning, Saturday 9 November 2024, I could not clearly…read morerecall if I had been before. Walking the museum exhibits, I found I could recall seeing some of the items on display before - I had come with my Grandma Rosemary maybe over 20 years ago to check it all out. My visits have been all around enjoyable experiences. For parking, I went with street parking about one street away. Parking on the streets nearest the museum was limited due to the Edmonds Saturday Market. I arrived a few minutes before opening (9 a.m.) and was eagerly the first patron of the day. I was greeted by a friendly worker who told me a bit about the museum building and an exhibit that was on its opening day, "Voices of Valor", which covered veterans from Snohomish County in various wars. She informed me I was the first patron to see the exhibit. I thought that was cool! Before proceeding into viewing the exhibits, I made my $5 donation at a box near the entrance/exit though later I did note there was a least one other donation box location in case one forgot and/or did not want to be obvious. Uniforms for the veterans varied depending on the war. It was neat to see how the dark blue for World War(s) morphed into dark green for the Vietnam War and mottled tan (Army) and blue (Navy) for the Iraq War. I appreciated the focus on the efforts of local Snohomish County residents during the war, including what role(s) they served in. Information and artifacts were clearly displayed and easy to understand, and were well laid out and straightforward to navigate (in a clockwise direction displays covered more recent wars). Downstairs, the exhibits were straightforward to navigate as well and included an old jail cell that one could enter, a model train station, and a narrated out loud diorama of an old shingle (wood/logging) mill. A second friendly worker was in the basement when I took the elevator to the lower level, she kindly turned the model train on when I got to the Great Northern Railway section. Other displays also helped contribute to my broader understanding of the development of the area and what daily life looked like in the past.

Museum exhibits are engaging for kids and adults. Old jail cell, diorama of shingle factory, old…read moreschoolhouse -- lots to see. Our main problem was hours of operation. We called their telephone number to get voicemail saying check FB for hours of operation. We looked on FB which told us one set of hours... then drove over to find them closing. The woman at the front desk said they didn't know how to update their FB page to give current/accurate hours. Come on! Pretty basic... I don't recommend driving out of your way to get here given the risk that it will be closed.

I arrived at Cascadia Art Museum at 5:06 PM, expecting to explore the exhibits during regular hours…read moresince Apple Maps had listed them as open until 6:00 PM. Unfortunately, the museum had already closed to the public. Luckily, Sydney kindly invited me to stay for a private evening event that was just about to begin. The $20 admission ended up being incredibly worthwhile. Before the event I was able to walk around and see the gallery entirely while the staff set -up. The event featured a guest lecture by Dr. Simon Lhopiteau, a Paris-based art historian who recently opened a studio in Seattle. His talk centered on Henry Saÿen, a chemist-turned-painter whose work is rarely acknowledged in mainstream art history. We discussed Saÿen's invention of the self-regulating X-ray tube, his move to Paris during the rise of the avant-garde, and the influence of Henri Matisse on his artistic development. Dr. Lhopiteau also spoke about how both Henry Saÿen and Henri Matisse were among the early artists to shape the foundation of modern self-portraiture. Their work explored internal perception just as much as external form, and this introspective approach helped redefine how artists captured the self. He also shared how abstract and impressionist art in the early 20th century was not just rejected by the public, but often met with deep hostility and even violence. One of the highlights of the evening was Saÿen's 1903 painting titled Primitive Agricultures. We also explored the legendary artist gatherings at Le Dôme café in Paris and discussed the deeper connection between light, geometry, and perception in modern painting. The entire conversation felt alive--intellectually rich, spontaneous, and deeply human. It was one of the most engaging experiences I've had in a long time. Before leaving, I visited the museum gift shop and picked out a beautiful orange floral scarf for my mom. The shop was just as thoughtfully curated as the rest of the space. I also had the pleasure of speaking with Nancy, one of the museum ambassadors, who was incredibly kind and insightful. She told me about her travels through the Balkan countries and the museums and art collections she visited abroad. I shared my love for Renaissance art and armor from the Middle Ages and she encouraged me to visit France to experience those collections firsthand. I mentioned that my niece is French and currently studying there, so now I have even more reason to go. Before I left, I met Julie, the museum's education director, and learned that her academic thesis focused on Renaissance art and the representation of women. It was such an energizing conversation. She even gave me a list of local spots to eat, which meant a lot since I needed to grab dinner for my family after the event. I have attached the photos part of the current exhibit to this review to encourage people to see art in person because it is of amazing quality and deserves recognition. Had I arrived during regular hours, I probably would have paid $12 or gotten in free with my student ID, but I'm honestly glad I came when I did. Cascadia is not just a museum. It's a place of conversation, discovery, and connection. Whether you're visiting for the art or open to the unexpected, it's absolutely worth the experience.

I had the pleasure of attending a curator talk at the Cascadia Art Museum, and it was phenomenon!!…read moreDavid Martin is a dynamic speaker and is a world recognized art historian of northwest style arts. He walked us through an exhibit called "Urban Scenes of Seattle: 1910-1960". Apparently in the "old days" and before the internet, Eastern U.S. arts are influenced primarily by European arts, while Western U.S. arts are influenced by both European arts and Asian arts. As a result, these mid-1900s regional arts has an intriguing amalgam of art styles from other parts of the world while serving as a historical data point of our area. I highly, highly recommend attending one of his "coffee with the curator" talks that give so much behind-the-scenes story of the artists, many of whom David personally knows. Other than the Urban Scenes exhibit, they are currently featuring a special exhibit of Christmas cards that are individually made by local artists that were sent to family and friends. No two are the same! The museum is modest size but packs a punch! It is definitely a local gem. Housed in an old Safeway building, it shares space with a bistro in the same building. Their museum store also has excellent pieces from artists and/or uniquely curated pieces. And they sell books written by David Martin. He'll autograph them if you want!

The Bellevue gardens is a pretty quiet and secluded little spot to relax and take in some nature…read more It's not a huge place, but it's big enough that you can spend an hour or two there, casually strolling about. No trouble with parking, and it is free to enter, so you really should stop by if you are nearby. It's worth it.

BOTANICAL GARDEN @ BELLEVUE…read more Parking is available right out front, which makes this place super accessible. There are also designated handicap parking spots. My friend and I visited on a Friday around 2 PM, and there were a few spots open, so getting in was really easy. I loved how simple everything was to navigate, there's even a map available when you enter. Entry and parking are both completely free, which is a huge plus. We walked along the trail and I'd recommend spending about 2-3 hours here if you want to take your time and fully enjoy it. We had to speed-run our visit because we had another errand afterward, but it was still incredibly beautiful. I highly recommend stopping by the bridge, it was very therapeutic and relaxing to walk across. There are plenty of benches and seating areas along the way, perfect for taking breaks or just soaking in nature. The quality of the space is amazing, with a wide variety of rocks, trees, and scenery that make the whole experience feel peaceful. There are also bathrooms located at the front, and you're never too far from other people, which made it feel comfortable and safe. Overall, I definitely recommend stopping by this place.

The Shoreline Museum is where I learned how to type S.O.S. on a telegraph when I was growing up. We…read morecame here for school to learn about the history of our city, Shoreline, and some basics about various technology that existed and played an important role in societal functioning roughly time-coincident with the history of the city, such as the telegraph. That was the museum set-up in the former building, a brick building that has since been integrated into the current Shorewood High School campus. The exhibits did/do a good job of providing foundational knowledge of the city and how it has operated as a community through the decades. It is also one of the best museums I have been to in terms of providing an appropriate amount of broader world context as relevant for the city in its history. The new building has a different layout, but preserves the feel of the former building.

Did you know Shoreline had a Historical Museum? I didn't until I was driving up 99 the other day…read moreand saw a brown sign that said Historical Museum that way, so I went that way, I wanted to check it out. It's housed in the historic Ronald Elementary School building and it's FREE! Yes another free thing to do in Seattle. The museum preserves, records and interprets the history of the Shoreline area which I found out is Broadview, Lake City, Lake Forest Park, North City, Richmond Beach and Ronald. If you like antique radios they have a room on the third floor filled with historic radios and memorabilia and apparently it's where the Puget Sound Antique Radio Association meets each month, in case you're into that kind of thing. The 'exhibit' I liked best was also on the third floor in the Jeanne Crane Room it was filled with newspaper clippings of crimes in the area many years ago. Everything from accidents to murders to prostitutions to missing people to assaults to robberies. Some of the articles were hard to read due to the photocopying of them but the details provided were interesting totally different from the way the news is reported today. The rest of the museum is ok with more bits and pieces of history about the area. I'm glad I went but I doubt I'll ever go back unless for some reason I need to do some research on something that happened in the Shoreline area. If you live in the area I say go check it out but if not don't make a special trip.

What a wonderful theatre! I love that this is a small local spot that's perfect for a daytime or…read moredate night outing. The concessions by donation are perfect and the ushers make you feel like home. Not a bad seat in the house. I know some friends who volunteer their time here. What a great place to have some affordable fine arts fun!

Growing up, my grandmother lived in Edmonds and really enjoyed the Edmonds Driftwood Players…read moreTheater, so we would come with her to various plays. It was a more formal occasion so we got to wear our nice clothes. We would arrive fairly early to avoid the crowd that could form as the play start time neared. The plays we saw here were varied in content, though tended to be musicals. I typically got headaches when I saw plays growing up, and the acoustics hear were better than average. It depended on the play and type of music sung whether I got a headache. During intermission we would make a dash for the restrooms, which could have a long line, however us and other theater goers tended to be quick to keep the line moving. We would also go on the hunt for a small cookie or two that might have been put out.

This art gallery twinkles on 5th Ave, near the heart of Edmonds. If you dare walk by, there are…read moreunconscious forces at work, prompting you to move a little closer to the window. Look in the window and you'll soon find yourself inside, your eyes now scanning the many works of art, so appealing to the heart. My wife and I stopped at Cole Gallery last month and loved some recent additions to the gallery. The staff is so knowledgeable on the artist's work and they have great working relationships to be able to answer most questions on the pieces on display. We walked out with a great prize of a landscape oil painting, only to return the following weekend and purchase a second painting from the same artist. We really enjoyed our connection with Scott, the manager, and will likely be back in the future, if not to buy, then certainly to browse!

This is a beautiful gallery from local artists. As far a galleries go, it is one of the premier…read moregalleries in Snohomish county. I love art and if I had been born with a silver spoon my walls would be covered with paintings of this quality, but I can always dream and be inspired. This is one of the galleries that a person who appreciates art can become enraptured with. The art is that good.

Went to the Edmonds Theatre for the first time last night for the Throwback Thursday screening of…read moreWHEN HARRY MET SALLY in honor of Rob Reiner. My hubs and I love this movie from 1989 and it was wonderful to see it in a classic, vintage theater (100+ years old!) with a good-sized crowd. So fun to laugh and cry with lots of people at the movies again!! The COVID pandemic took this tradition away and I am really hoping more people start going back to the movies again. The staff were friendly and the place was clean and full of good popcorn smells. We didn't partake though because $9 for a small bag of popcorn is just too expensive. But we appreciated this nice, old theater and we will be back.

I used to LOVE this theater. It just had such a great vibe, GREAT employees, who ENJOYED their jobs…read moreAND patrons & it had an old school feeling theater vibe. Just such an enjoyable experience whenever I frequented it. Unfortunately from what I understand it was recently sold. Sigh. It's STILL a great old school theater, but that's about all that has remained. The fun, quirky, employees that always seemed to enjoy their work and showed their commitment to our lovely community have been replaced by dour, seemingly VERY unhappy and just CRANKY employees. I worked in Costumer Service for 30 years, and believe me it's HARD, especially during and after COVID. IMHO employees ACT like this under really bad mangers and management. Miserable employees treat customers with no kindness, no joy. My advice to management is FIX yourselves and the employee will follow. 'Nuf said! Best of luck, you bought a GEM, I hope you can find it again and KEEP IT.

This is an amazing band.. a family band that has an amazing vibe into every song they play.read more

Seattle Event Music was the BEST decision that my husband and I have made to have at our wedding…read more We always wanted a live band and decided to go with this band and they were incredible!! They played throughout our whole wedding and did it so flawlessly. The sound was amazing, their skills were amazing, and everyone around us loved it!! They are all so talented and made the atmosphere of our wedding so much better because of the music. They also had no trouble learning the songs I wanted them to play and I was so so happy with them. Thank you so much Seattle Event Music!!! I definitely recommend having them play at your event, they are amazing and will not disappoint!

If you're looking for an indie art supply store in North Seattle, Shoreline, Edmonds, or Lynnwood,…read morehead to the cute Art Spot in the Edmonds Bowl. They have a good selection of art supplies, the staff are friendly and helpful, and they also offer art workshops. I love how they are a creative hub for the community. Let's shop indie, folks, and keep small businesses like the Art Spot going strong.

I found this art supply store years ago. I love the inventory, there is always so much to look…read morethrough. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. I've never had a bad experience here. No matter which medium you are into they have something for you so it's worth it to check them out and support a small local business.