Cascadia Art Museum
Yes, the site of the old Waterfront Antique Mall has become the Cascadia Art Museum. Opening Day, September 12, brought a nice local crowd to take advantage of the free admission and view the ribbon cutting by Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling and Board President Lindsey Echelbarger. As all ages meandered through the five galleries, you could hear hushed groups “oohing and aahing” over their favorite pieces. All were impressed by the spacious and tasteful renovation to the classic iconic building of the late 1950s, with its glass frontage, a curved roofline and stone walls. The Cascadia Art Museum will be truly a multi-function experience for the Edmonds community. In addition to the five galleries of paintings and sculpture, there is a large, education room. Here, local youngsters can have a real, up-close and personal experience meeting contemporary artists. Elements of style, patterns of design and professional techniques can be explained and hopefully inspire a budding junior artist. The museum will also be a great resource for serious art students at the college level and beyond. The event space at the museum lends itself to specialized presentations for the community at-large by visiting artists demonstrating their skills. Another exciting aspect of the Cascadia is that the large, main gallery is available to rent for any special occasion, from anniversaries to birthdays to business receptions. There are accommodations for 80 seated guests or 120 standing visitors. Board President Lindsey Echelbarger shared that there are five reservations so far. Since the museum is a nonprofit, admission fees and sales from the gift shop are all important to the success of Cascadia. Unlike an art gallery, which is commercially based, the art museum has a mission of education. Also, a gallery will focus on only one or two artists with a given theme or medium and for a short time period. In the gallery setting each work has a price. The art museum, on the other hand, will focus on a specific period or era and works by several artists. All the Cascadia pieces have been loaned by private collectors or other museums and universities. Another uniquely modern feature of the Cascadia, is its perfectly controlled environment. There are sensors regulating heat, cold and humidity, so that temperature sensitive works can be displayed, “worry-free.” The current exhibit is “A Fluid Tradition: Northwest Watercolor Society,” and focuses on the first 75 years of this prolific and respected group of artists. Coming in November will be a unique presentation of vintage Christmas cards by Northwest artists from 1909 to 1990. So, don’t wait until the next Thursday Art Walk to see this newest Edmonds attraction. Located at 190 Sunset Avenue, the museum hours are: Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 11am to 6pm and Thursday 11am to 8pm. For admission prices and volunteer opportunities, visit their web site; cascadiaartmuseum.org
