Art Commission of Federal Way Sponsors Annual Juried Show

(This blog was originally posted under the headline "Winners of Federal Way's 2007 Arts Alive Juried Show" on the internet website at The News Tribune, a dailly newspaper in Tacoma, WA on 10/02/07 in a reader-generated section entitled "In Your Neighborhood".

For visual artists and photographers in Tacoma's neighboring King County suburb of Federal Way, there is only one show in town, the City sponsored "Arts Alive Juried Art Exhibition" which arrives annually a few weeks after the kids go back to school.

My family and I just returned home from Federal Way City Hall, where an artist reception to commemorate 2007's juried choices was held earlier this evening prior to the regular Tuesday meeting of the City Council.

Despite the lack of a crowd the good news is that the competition sponsored annually by the City of Federal Way's Art Commission has been one of a handful options, aside from the acquisition of public art, that Commission members offer public encouragement in the form of a small competition, an opportunity to be judged by a jury of peers and a small cash award in their roles of stewards of the city’s visual art bank balances.

Successful entrants in this year's juried show include the following artists: Sono Begert, Julie Blakemore, John D.Choi, Paul Glasoe, Marianne Harlor, Elizabeth Hilkey, Tis Huberth, Emma Jonelle, Bob Kim, Kathy McFall-Butler, Lori E. Paulson, Brian Picard, Bobbie Hanson Riddle, Eric Stavney, Judy A. Thompson, Esther Vine, Mari Zaffuto and the author of this blog, Mizu Sugimura.

The official show program listed this year's jurors as: Steve Babb, Judy Free and Patty Halbmaier. Current members of the City of Federal Way Art Commission include: Peggy LaPorte, chair; Bette Simpson, vice-chair; Carrol Clemens, Maggie Ellis, Susan Honda, Richard McPhail, Karen Oleson, Jann Perez, Mary Tynan and alternates: Bruce Lee and Gwen Fenbert.

Winning pieces from this year’s show will be on display at Federal Way City Hall through January 7, 2008, from Monday – Friday, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.