Arts al Fresco 2012

A Sculpture Stroll, Piano Time sights and sounds and a Shoreline City Hall Gallery Opening all rolled into one. It’s Arts al Fresco in Shoreline’s Town Center! August 2, 2012 from 6:00-8:30 pm marks the debut of Shoreline’s first outdoor sculpture exhibit and “street piano” events and you are invited. 

Monument to the Ordinary (Milk Can)
Sculpture and photo by Michael Johnson

Ten significant sculptures on loan from regional artists will be installed for at least a year on the lawn at City Hall and across Midvale in the Park at Town Center. The work includes pieces by sculptors Jeff Tangen, Shoreline, Rodger Squirrell, Lake Forest Park, as well as Michael Johnson, Kevin Au, Lin McJunkin, Leon White and Thor Myhre. 

Eight pianos visually enhanced by artists will be in the City Hall courtyard and in other locations around the Town Center area for scheduled performances and casual play by passers-by. Pianos will be painted by Shoreline artists Jennifer Carroll, Ann Blanch and Lynn Turnblom, Judith Heim, KJ Bateman and Jill Rogers, and Seattle artists Heather Carr, Kelly Lyles and CJ Swanson. Performers include Deems Tsutakawa and Shoreline’s own Bill Anschell playing jazz on opening night on the City Hall and Red Brick Road pianos. During performer breaks you can show off your skills. At other times and places during August there will be performances by Shoreline jazz pianist Karin Kajita with trumpeter Tony Grasso, contemporary pianist and composer, Peter Stevens, classical pianist Beinuo Gong, balladeer Colleen Taylor and others. 

Skater by Kevin Au, painted steel
Photo by Kevin Au

Maps with piano locations, artwork information and performance schedules will be available at the event, on the City of Shoreline website and at local businesses near each piano. 

The Gallery at Shoreline City Hall will feature multi-generational paintings and video by Amy Pleasant and landscape paintings by Paul Lewing, both Shoreline artists.

Local businesses, particularly Prosser Piano and the Richmond Beach Shopping Center, are collaborating with the City to make this event possible. A 4Culture Group Project Grant for Piano Time and the 2012 Artech Service Award for sculpture installation are also contributing to the event’s success. Come stroll, listen and play while enjoying an evening out with your family and friends. 

For more information contact Ros Bird, City of Shoreline Public Art Coordinator, 206-801-2661.