The Edmonds Creative District
Imagine a walkable seaside city covered in murals, filled with public art, and full of galleries. This would be a sort of utopia, no? Such an artsy Shangri-la can be found in the coastal city of Edmonds, Washington. Meet the very first creative district in Washington State!
Take a tour with us as we explore some of the top studios, galleries, and theaters that help to define this charming waterfront city. If you love art, this is your place.
Read on!
Edmonds Center for the Arts
The broad Art Deco facade of a WPA-style building conceals a 700-seat theater that hosts with singers, dancers, and all manner of performing artists. The Edmonds Performing Arts Center, a nonprofit organization, is a major hub of the arts community in Edmonds. The venue hosts nationally renowned musicians, theater, and vintage cinema screenings.
There isn't a single bad seat in the house, making for a very intimate setting. The building is filled with glass art, featuring ornate works by PNW glazier Dale Chihuly.
Yes, this is a classy establishment. When in Edmonds, be sure to visit the ECA to be blown away by touring talent.
410 4th Ave N, Edmonds, WA 98020
Edmonds Driftwood Players
The arts-loving denizens of Edmonds have celebrated community theater since the late 1950s. Volunteers build all of the sets at the Wade James Theatre on Main Street. The actors and directors are also volunteers. The folks in the ticket booth are all volunteers, too. You get the idea. Grassroots!
Every Driftwood Players season offers a variety of mainstage productions to the public, including musicals, non-musicals, comedies, dramas, and more.
Support local theater in a cozy setting where you feel like you're front and center -- be part of the action with the Edmonds Driftwood Players!
The Wade James Theatre
950 Main St, Edmonds, WA 98020
Graphite Arts Center
Welcome to a brand-new, modern collaborative art space in downtown Edmonds, a stone's throw away from the ferry dock. Graphite is an art gallery that also hosts artists in residence. Painters, sculptors, and potters work in private studios, yet the open-concept center of the building offers a great collaborative environment to the benefit of all.
Graphite is a generally an artistic resource to the community, offering a variety of art classes to the public, as well as a library of art literature. It's quite simply, a beautiful and inspiring place to create your artistic vision.
Check out their art gallery and drop in for a class when you're in town. Their current events and classes are listed here.
202 Main St, Edmonds, WA 98020
Cascadia Art Museum
Inside of this mid-mod building (which is actually, remarkably, a converted grocery store) is a premiere collection of Pacific Northwest paintings and sculpture. Cascadia fills a unique niche by displaying local fine art from the late 19th century through the 1970s. Nothing too abstract. Plenty of detailed portraiture and evocative landscapes.
The curators at Cascadia take care to lift up artists that have been traditionally overlooked by the arts community -- women, indigenous artists, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ population.
Experience the fine art of the PNW for yourself. BTW they have a great gift shop. You'll want to check it out.
190 Sunset Ave #E, Edmonds, WA 98020
The above venues are only a sample of the artistic experiences on tap in the city of Edmonds. Be sure to explore for yourself. You can also find ample public art; a family-run, single screen cinema; a hole-in-the wall record store; murals; live music; and bookstores (to say nothing of the culinary arts).
Viva creative districts! These areas add so much cultural color and flavor to the lives of residents and visitors. Cheers to Edmonds for showing us a meandering path to more inspired way of living.
Visit Edmonds - click here
