Sammamish Art Fair to Bring Color, Shapes, Sounds, Images and fun to the Plateau

The fifth annual will take place this weekend, Oct. 8 and 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at and . The fair will feature the jury-selected work of over 30 local artists and offer live entertainment, refreshments and activities. Available for viewing and purchase will be original paintings, jewelry, mixed media, encaustic art, glass art, ceramics, woodcarving and textiles. Prices will range from $5 to $3,000. 

Fair visitors are invited to bring donations of for a drive to benefit local groups that help people in need. The fair will also offer fun, free activities for the whole family, including puppet shows and the chance to play a “junk chime,” an interactive percussion sculpture made from recycled metal objects. Visitors are also invited to contribute to an exhibit of a community yarn web by  artist .

The yarn web reflects the sense of community the event creates among area artists and Sammamish residents, including Anna Macrae. Macrae is a Sammamish mom of three and a painter of abstract expressionist oil paintings and chair of the Sammamish Art Fair. 

“There are no booth fees and no commission is taken,” she said. “...There is a jury process to ensure high quality and a variety of work.”

“As part of the commitment for participating in the fair, the artists are expected to take on committee work to help run the fair," she added.

"There are many different levels of jobs, all important and valuable in producing this community arts event. Not only do we have a wonderful opportunity to hold a quality arts event in such a nice location as the City Hall, we build our own arts community which provides support and mentoring."

The fair also reflects the partnership between the city of Sammamish, the nonprofit art funding organization 4Culture, the Sammamish Arts Commission and area artists.

That partnership has become especially valuable in the current economy, Macrae said. “The arts can sometimes be overlooked as being a luxury, particularly in this down economy. I feel it is important to support the arts. It is easy to assume that there will always be things of beauty around us, but we, as a community, need to remember to value what art brings to our well being and enrichment,” she said.   

Daphne Robinson is the chair of the Sammamish Arts Commission and a painter who works in mixed media collage. The fair, she said, is the Commission’s largest event of the year and that she appreciates the support of Sammamish residents for the arts year round.

“Sammamish residents really seem to appreciate the variety and quality of programs and events opportunities that the Sammamish Arts Commission is bringing to the community thanks to the generous funding from the and 4Culture. Residents can ensure continued events by showing up, letting us know what they would like to see in the community,” she said.

One of the fair’s founders, painter Carol Ross, has been delighted to watch the event grow over the past five years. “Jamie McKay and I took the fledgling art fair and really enjoyed ramping it up into a wonderful community event," she said.

"Anna Macrae took over the leadership two years ago and has brought the fair to a whole new level. It is no longer just about the visual arts, but now has become a Sammamish tradition that brings performance and visual arts together for the community.”

“Participating in the art fair allows me to connect with people in my community as well as other local artists that I might not get a chance to meet otherwise,” said Janet Gadallah, a Sammamish ceramic artist. 

Photographer and fair exhibitor Mireille Koenders-Kools observed: “The city of Sammamish is very supportive of the artists who live here, having many artists on their walls (at City Hall) during the year. Unfortunately there are not many venues in Sammamish where artists can show their work....For this reason many of us are members of ArtEast in Issaquah. Their UpFront Gallery has been very active in promoting the Arts in this area."

Koenders-Kools also reflected on the opportunities and challenges of being an artist in Sammamish: "It is probably is easier to be an artist in Seattle, where the infrastructure is already in place. In Sammamish we are at the beginning and have to create it. Sammamish is a small town where people know each other and therefore are more likely to support one's endeavors.”

The city of Sammamish is still seeking volunteers to support the art fair.  For more information on this and other local volunteer opportunities, contact Dawn Sanders, city volunteer coordinator, at 425-295-0556 or dsanders@ci.sammamish.wa.us.