Poetry at the Postmark
Come to our monthly Postmark Poetry Nights! On the first Wednesday of each month the Postmark will have a lineup of featured readers followed by opportunities for open mic readers. 

Date: Wednesday, April 3, 6:30-8:30PM
FREE!

Patrick Dixon will be the featured reader for April 3rd!

Featured Reader: Patrick Dixon is a retired educator and commercial fisherman living in Olympia, Washington. Published in Cirque Literary Journal, Panoplyzine, Raven Chronicles, National Fisherman magazine, The Smithsonian and the anthologies FISH 2015, WA129 (2017), and I Sing the Salmon Home (2022). He was also included in the Washington State Book Award anthology, Take a Stand: Art Against Hate (2020). Dixon is on the Board of Directors of the Olympia Poetry Network. He is a past poetry editor of National Fisherman magazine’s quarterly, North Pacific Focus (2010-2019). He received an Artist Trust Grant for Artists to edit Anchored in Deep Water: The FisherPoets Anthology (2014). His poetry chapbook Arc of Visibility won the 2015 Alabama State Poetry Morris Memorial Award. In June of 2023 he won the Cirque Poetry of Place competition. His memoir, Waiting to Deliver, about his 20 years fishing for salmon on Cook Inlet, Alaska, was published in 2022.

The Art of Collage
A collage can be many things. Magazine and newspaper clippings, paint, bits of colored or handmade paper, portions of other artwork or texts, photographs and 3 dimensional found objects. It can be a notebook page, a framed show piece, or it can fit in the back of your phone case. In this class learn about the endless scope of collage work and make your own (or many!). Materials will be provided, but as always, we encourage you to bring anything that inspires YOU!

Ages: 15+, Mixed
Fee: $16/$20 Resident/Non-Res
Instructor: Aidyn Dervaes
Date: Thursday, April 4, 2024 | 5:30-7:00PM
@ The Postmark Center for the Arts.

Register Now!

Painting with Coffee
Come experience coffee painting. Experiment and explore different techniques with coffee to create interesting results. Come away with unique coffee paintings. Bring regular watercolor supplies and paper (supply list available). Coffee and other supplies provided.

Ages: 18+, Mixed
Fee: $55/$69 Resident/Non-Res
Instructor: JoAnne Iwasaki
Date: Friday, April 5, 2024 | 12:00-4:00PM
@ The Postmark Center for the Arts.

Register Now!

Intro to Songwriting
Are you interested in expressing yourself through the craft of songwriting? In this workshop you can expect to learn the basics of lyric writing, song form and structures, how to analyze your favorite songs, and create songs of your own. We will go through examples and do writing exercises that you will be able to use as you develop your process. This class is meant for complete beginners to those who have written a few songs and want to develop their process.

Ages: 15+, Mixed
Fee: $35/$44 Resident/Non-Res
Instructor: Allison Preisinger
Date: Thursday, April 17, 2024 | 5:00-7:00PM
@ The Postmark Center for the Arts.

Register Now!

Visible Mending
Learn how to give new life to your well-loved clothing. Beginners and experienced hand stitchers alike will learn to repair and artfully customize clothing with a few basic techniques. Bring a garment that you want to repair or practice stitching on a provided denim patch to use in the future. All materials provided.

Ages: 13+, Mixed 
Fee: $25/$31 Resident/Non-Res  
Instructor: Christy Caravaglio  
Date: Thursday, April 18, 2024 | 5:00-7:00PM 
@ The Postmark Center for the Arts.

Register Now!

Watercolor on MASA Paper
Come try this great new class! Apply watercolor techniques on thin rice paper, create different effects with a variety of textures and interesting results that enhance your unique original watercolor painting. Learn how to prep and mount your masterpiece for framing. Bring your regular watercolor supplies (supply list available). MASA paper will be provided.

Ages: 18+, Mixed
Fee: $60/$75 Resident/Non-Res
 Instructor: JoAnne Iwasaki
Date: Friday, April 19, 2024 | 12:00-4:00PM 
@ The Postmark Center for the Arts.

Register Now!

Drawing Herd Session 1
Reverberations: Experimental Looping in Sound and Drawing
Learn how to use cell phone audio recording and a loop station we will make a collaborative composition sourcing found sounds throughout the park. We will dive into the long history of looping, from heartbeats to bird calls, to drum circles, and discuss how it has shaped contemporary music. Joining a lineage of artists and musicians, we will work across disciplines, drawing from music, and seeking sounds inspired by our drawings. By the end of the workshop, you will walk away with a copy of our unique looped soundtrack with accompanying art!

Ages: All Ages
Fee: FREE
Instructor: Coco Allred
Date: Saturday, April 6, 2024 | 10:00-12:00PM
@ The Postmark Center for the Arts.

Register Now for Session 1!

Drop-in Drawing
Come stop by for our new Drop-In Drawing sessions at the Postmark! A free, no-pressure environment for artists and creatives to drop-in. Draw from a still life or the gallery, stay for whole two hours or only 10 minutes! Bring tools to either shade or color with, and your own sketchbook or drawing pad. On-site help for critique/questions/advice. All are welcome.

Ages: Suggested 18+, Mixed
Fee: FREE
Instructor: Postmark Staff
Dates: Every Friday, 10:00AM - 12:00PM
@ The Postmark Center for the Arts.

No need to sign up or register, just drop in!

Drop-in Painting with Amy Sie
Amy Sie is offering Drop-In Gongbi Painting sessions at the Postmark! A free, no-pressure environment for you to start a new painting or work on an old one. Please bring your own tools and materials. On-site help for critique/questions/advice. All are welcome.

Ages: Suggested 18+, Mixed
Fee: FREE
Instructor: Amy Sie
Dates: Every Friday, 10:00AM - 12:00PM
@ The Postmark Center for the Arts.

No need to sign up or register, just drop in!

Artist Open Studio
Stop by for our Artist Open Studio! Come join us for a cup of coffee with whatever art project you might be working on! This is a free, no-pressure environment for artists and creatives to gather. You can talk with other artists, ask for feedback or critique from on-site staff if available, bring your sketchbook to work out ideas, or just quietly draw in the gallery or work on your art! All are welcome.

Ages: Suggested 18+, Mixed
Fee: FREE
Instructor: Postmark Staff
Dates: Every Wednesday, 10:00AM - 12:00PM
@ The Postmark Center for the Arts.

No need to sign up or register, just drop in!

Postmark Center for the Arts Gallery
and Vault Gallery
20 Auburn Ave

Exhibition:
Muckleshoot: Alive and Strong
Exhibition dates: January 17th - May 1, 2024

The Postmark Center for the Arts is proud to present ”Muckleshoot: Alive & Strong,” a group exhibition featuring artists from the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. The Postmark Gallery and Vault Gallery is filled with artwork in a variety of mediums, sizes, and themes by a variety of incredibly talented artists from January 17 to May 1, 2024.

Featured artists include: Isiah Corwin, Julie James, Sam Obrovac, Kim Saladin, Tyson Simmons, Joyce Starr, Donny Stevenson, Keith Stevenson, and Gail White Eagle.

A Closing Reception for the Muckleshoot: Alive & Strong gallery exhibition will take place on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 from 5:00 - 6:30PM.

Come and view the closing of a wonderful exhibition, engage with the artists, and enjoy light snacks!

Auburn Community and Event Center
910 Ninth St. SE

Artist: Auburn School District Students
Exhibition Dates: March 8 - May 9, 2024

On display in the Auburn Community Center Gallery will be an array of artworks created by Auburn School District Students! 

Cheryl Sallee Gallery
Auburn Senior Center
808 Ninth St. SE

Artist: Valentina Voronkova
Exhibition Dates: March 6 - May 8, 2024

We are happy to introduce Valentina Voronkova as our new Cheryl Sallee Gallery artist! Valentina Voronkova did not always identify as an artist. "In 1993 I moved to Seattle from St. Petersburg, Russia to study biochemistry at the UW Ph.D. program...I worked as a researcher at different companies in the biotech industry" explains Voronkova. "However by the end of my university study I became more and more fascinated with Art. In 2012 my unfinished dialog with art became very loud and I decided to leave science and continue it at the Mark O’Higgins atelier program at Gage Academy of Art, Seattle." Voronkova now participates in art programs and Plein Air groups to hone her impressionist style.

Art on Main Gallery
One Main St.

Artist: KT Hancock
Exhibition Dates: January 8 - April 8 , 2024

View the work of KT Hancock at our Art on Main gallery until April 8! Hancock will be creating "an illuminated, site specific and immersive display of neon that illustrates a grounded view of the function of transmission towers and high voltage electrical." In this neon piece, Hancock focuses on communicating how essential these structures have become in forming interpersonal relationships. "Transmission towers are vital to our daily lives and yet they remain unseen; unremarkable against our urban landscapes. They are the silent workers, a seemingly unexceptional interconnected network of lines and towers."

Artist: Lalitha Bandaru
Exhibition Dates: April 8 - July 8, 2024

We are happy to announce Lalitha Bandaru as our new Art on Main Installation artist! Bandaru aims to tackle the concept of "unfurling" and the life cycle of a butterfly. "The ‘Unfurling’ installation explores the fragility of things in nature more specifically— the metamorphosis and disappearance of the most beautiful, delicate little beings – the butterflies. Their journey from being an egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and then into a butterfly is both unique and magical and has always fascinated me." Seven painted canvas pieces will be installed draping from a center point, mimicking a butterfly that has just emerged out of its chrysalis. Says Bandaru, "I find this stage of the butterfly –where the butterfly is drying and stretching its wings – intriguing and beautiful as it is the start of its new journey of facing the challenges of the world. "

Vault Gallery
20 Auburn Ave

Artist: Sunnam Manuel
Exhibition Dates: April 8 - July 8, 2024

We are eager to announce Sunnam Manuel as our new Art on Main Installation artist! Sunnam's primary focus is in Korean Calligraphy and Ink Brush Painting. For the Vault gallery, Sunnam "would like to create an installation piece [transforming] the room into a surreal Hanok house...I would like to create an almost still life scene to decorate the gallery like a real living space, and then create a 'brought to life' painting experience by suspending petals, floral elements, and parasols from the ceiling. All of this would create an environment I hope reminds people to simply slow down and breathe in when they can in a world that is ever feeling rushed." 

Lights on! Stage set! BRAVO Performing Arts is ready for the Spring season! The City of Auburn is excited to present an incredible lineup of music, comedy, theater, and kids’ programming as part of the BRAVO Performing Arts Season. Check out the full schedule at auburnwa.gov/theater.

Upcoming Shows:

• Saturday, April 6 | Whiskey River - Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute| 7:30pm
• Saturday, April 13 | Kalimba - The Spirit of Earth, Wind & Fire| 7:30pm
• Friday, April 19 | Zan Fiskum| 7:30pm
• Friday, March 8 | Yesterday Once More: a Tribute to Songstresses of the 1970s| 7:30pm
• Saturday, May 4 | BRAVO Kids: Little Mermaid| 2:00pm

Where Castoffs Go to Heal and Grow: The Art of Marita Dingus

Nationally recognized artist and Auburn native Marita Dingus is taking over the Museum! Where Castoffs Go to Heal and Grow displays over 40 pieces spanning Dingus’s career. The exquisitely upcycled assemblages range from under 1 ft to 20 ft tall. The sculptures fill the Museum’s gallery space reflecting the indoor and outdoor experience of visiting Dingus’s family home now artist studio. In the Museum’s permanent exhibits, Dingus’s work invites the visitor to contemplate what it means to see black faces in historic spaces where they have traditionally been castoff, excluded, or forgotten.

Exhibition Dates: February 7 - May 26, 2024
@ the White River Valley Museum.
Museum Open Wednesday – Sunday, 12 – 4PM
Admission is Free

Artist Talk and Book Signing: Mommy's House

Join us as we welcome nationally recognized Auburn artist Marita Dingus for a talk about her life, work, and Auburn past and present.

Marita and photographer Joan Beard will be signing copies of their new book Mommy’s House after the talk. Books will be available for purchase for $30.

Ages: All Ages
Fee:  Free
Date: Thursday, April 4, 6-7:30 PM
@ the White River Valley Museum.

Spring Break Rhythm & Rhyme Story Hour with Auburn Symphony

Enjoy a fun, interactive music presentation with ASO musicians Sarah Viens, trumpet, and Lana Van Boven, voice and guitar, followed by a story read-aloud. Take home a craft kit to continue the fun at home!

This program is best for ages 3-8 but families of all ages are encouraged to attend.

Ages: 3+, Adult Chaperone Required
Fee: Free
Instructor: 
Date: Thursday,  April 11, 2024 | 1:00-2:00PM
@ the White River Valley Museum.

Register Now!

Spring Break Manga Drawing Workshop

Join us as we learn the basics of Manga, the graphic style developed in Japan. Attendees will be able to work on self portraits or create their own characters! No experience necessary.

Ages: 7+, Adult Chaperone Required
Fee: Free
Instructor: Amanda Jenkinson
Date: Thursday, April 12, 2024 | 2:00-3:00PM
@ the White River Valley Museum.

Register Now!

Spring Break Printmaking Workshop

Learn some of the techniques of printmaking, a centuries old art making practice. Take home your own creations and help us build a community garden!

Ages: 7+, Adult Chaperone Required
Fee: Free
Instructor: Brian Lane
Date: Saturday,  April 27, 2024 | 11:00-12:30PM
@ the White River Valley Museum.

Register Now!

Story Club with KCLS - Look! Look! Look! at Sculpture

Learn some of the techniques of printmaking, a centuries old art making practice. Take home your own creations and help us build a community garden!

Ages: 7+
Fee: Free
Instructor: Brian Lane
Date: Saturday,  April 27, 2024 | 11:00-12:30PM
@ the White River Valley Museum.

Register Now!