Kirkland And Our Love For The Arts
June 9, 2020
Kirkland is known for many reasons, like our beautiful waterfronts and robust local community involvement. But did you know the arts play a large role in our community here in Kirkland? We encourage local artists to express themselves through all forms of art.
With dedicated members of our community who are advocates for the arts, like Merrily Dicks, we are always moving forward. Her passion fueled the culture and heritage in our community, including forming the Creative Arts League, which is now the Kirkland Arts Center, the Heritage Society, Summerfest, and the Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission. As 2019 Kirkland Chamber award recipients of the Merrily Dicks Community Arts and Culture Award, we are proud to be passionate supporters of the local arts.
Here are some ways you can enjoy the many forms of local art here in Kirkland!
Public Art
Did you know there are over 40 pieces of public art throughout the city? You may have seen abstract statues like “Winter” found in Houghton Beach Park, or human-like bronze statues like “Puddle Jumpers” found in Marina Park. Explore anywhere in Kirkland and we guarantee you will find public art to admire!
Artists Outside the Box
If you have ever visited our office you might have caught a glimpse of unique art on our walls. This art comes from Artists Outside The Box, an organization that promotes artists in the greater Seattle area. Over the years we have enjoyed partnering with them to support local artists and discover new unique art that the whole office gets to enjoy! This past Christmas, artists from this organization were selling one-of-a-kind handmade gifts in our office as one of the stops on the Assistance League of the Eastside’s Holiday Home tours. A portion of the proceeds went to their cause and participants got a chance to stock up on unique gifts. We look forward to continuing our support of local artists through Artists Outside the Box and encourage you all to check out blog posts & interviews from past artists we featured here!
Kirkland Arts Center
Found in the Peter Kirk building, the oldest building in Kirkland, the Kirkland Arts Center offers classes and events for people of all ages. This organization serves as a cornerstone for the thriving local arts community here in Kirkland. Their mission:
“Kirkland Arts Center unleashes the power of art to ignite individual growth and self-expression, build community spirit, and cultivate cultural vibrancy.”
We are proud to have such an organization in our community to fuel the passion of budding artists and professionals. To learn more about the Kirkland Arts Center click here!
Kirkland Performance Center
The Kirkland Performance Center is the perfect example of the local community in support of the arts. When it was being built, there were over 1,000 local donors who came together to raise the $5,800,000 it took to build the center. Since then, the theater has been a space where artists can express themselves through theater, music, and art. The 394 seat theater allows for a large audience, however the way it is designed helps maintain the intimacy of the theater. The farthest seat in the house is only 13 rows back, literally 40 feet from the stage. There is no bad seat in the house! To learn more about the Kirkland Performance Center, click here!
Our goal at Windermere Kirkland is to be a resource for the community. Aside from helping you buy or sell your home, our team is dedicated to adding value to our city. Every other Tuesday we will be posting a blog post highlighting different people, businesses, communities, and more throughout Kirkland. Stay tuned!
