Arts Briefs | July 18 edition | Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

Studio Ghibli Festival

Friends of Mukai’s popular Studio Ghibli Festival will continue with three more screenings of masterworks by revered animator Hayao Miyazaki at 7 p.m. every other Tuesday.

Next up in the series are “Spirited Away” on Tuesday, July 23; “My Neighbor Totoro” on Tuesday, Aug. 6; and “Princess Mononoke, on Tuesday, Aug. 20. All films will be shown in English.

Leah Mann, executive director of Mukai Farm & Garden, said the festival, so far, has been a sweet success, with “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind” on June 25, and “Castle in the Sky,” on July 9, both attracting full houses.

The success of the series has prompted an additional attraction at future screenings: Karaoke, starting at 6:15 p.m. to encourage earlier arrival as the concession line is so long, she said, adding that poet/magician Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma will be the master of ceremonies at the screening for “Spirited Away” on July 23.

Screenings are free to the public with a suggested donation of $5 per person at the door.

Miyazaki, who at age 83 is one of the world’s most revered filmmakers, has spoken eloquently about his life’s work and purpose.

“It is the fate of modern life that we repeatedly lose touch with nature, the environment, the planet,” Miyazaki said. “But we try to regain it again and again. It’s like a circle. In children’s hearts and souls when they’re born into the world, nature already exists deep inside them. So what I want to do in my work is tap into their souls.”

Visit mukaifarmandgarden.org for additional information about the shows.

Summer Arts Fest

Vashon Center for the Arts will have its second opening reception for its Summer Arts Fest from 5-8 p.m. Friday, July 26.

Artists with new works on view will include Carolyn Buehl; Michelle Friars; Jeff Good; Kassana Holden; Rachael Osborn; Ilse Reimnitz; Deborah Taylor; and John Woodard. Also showing is the Vashon Potters group show with Marla Smith; Chuck Bonsteel; Sara Barry; David Olsen; Eric Nelsen; Liz Lewis; Lin Holley; Karen Fevold; Mary Rose O’Reilley; Mary Hosick; Roxanne Thayer; Gale Lurie; and Laurie Thorpe.

VCA’s Summer Arts Fest (SAF) is a nine-week festival dedicated solely to Vashon artists. The basis of the festival is to present “mini-galleries” within the Koch Gallery to spotlight collections of many different artists’ work. These artists make a wide range of work: glass art, paintings, jewelry, metal works, mixed media, print, up-cycled art, sculpture, and pottery.

SAF’s schedule is slightly different than VCA Gallery’s regular monthly rotation. It consists of three rounds of exhibitions, with each running for three weeks. The gallery will also be open from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2, for the First Friday gallery cruise. Regular gallery hours are 12-5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The gallery will be closed for installations on July 24 and 25, and Aug. 14 and 15.

For more information visit gallery.vashoncenterforthearts.org.

Disney’s Descendants

The latest production of Vashon Center for the Arts’ youth theater program, “Disney’s Descendants,” will be performed at 7 p.m. Friday, July 26, and 2 p.m. Saturday, July 27, at VCA.

The show, with song and dance, takes audiences to the Isle of the Lost — home to the teenage children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella De Vil. When the four troublemakers are sent to attend prep school alongside the children of beloved Disney heroes, they have a difficult choice to make: should they follow in their parents’ wicked footsteps or learn to be good? Jam-packed with comedy, adventure, Disney characters, and hit songs from the films, the show is fun for the whole family.

The Saturday matinee for the show is “sensory-friendly,” and recommended for seniors and small children. It will feature accommodations including increased lighting in the seating area and house throughout the performance; lower sound levels; fewer ticket sales to allow for more space and movement between patrons; the approved use, with headphones, of tablets and other electronic devices during the performances; and the option to bring in and use special seating devices as needed. Fidget toys are always welcome at the matinee.

Find out more and get tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org.

Making Movies

Making Movies, a psychedelic Panamanian band that National Public Radio has described as “sensual, smoky and seductive” will place a show at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 24, at Open Space for Arts & Community.

“Making Movies is on a mission — to reconnect with the rebellious spirit in Latin folk music and harness its power for today,” said Open Space’s description of the band. “Their music represents the culture of the Americas in a way that delivers the chills of hearing something singularly special, yet feels oddly familiar.”

Find out more and get tickets at openspacevashon.com.

Stupid Bike Night fundraiser

Vashon’s merry band of pedal-powered visionaries needs community support and has launched a GoFundMe campaign to keep the treasured tradition rolling down the road on Vashon.

The campaign, at tinyurl.com/uv8mjb8r, details the costs of the event, including storage space and necessary tools and other costs, for the next three years.

Another chance to support Stupid Bike Night will be “Barn Burner,” a micro music festival to take place from 3-8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at Dig Deep Gardens. The fest will feature performances by The Duration, Twig Flicker and Croaker.

“We want to build a sustainable event for our community that fuels impractical creativity, sparks childlike joy, and uses bicycles as a means of expression,” said Emily Burns, who is helping organize the fundraising campaign.

Correction

The July 11 edition of “Arts Briefs” contained a notice of a July 18 performance by the band, Elevator Operator, at Open Space for Arts & Community. After press time, the band postponed its performance.

Next up in the Mukai’s Studio Ghibli Festival are “Spirited Away” on Tuesday, July 23; “My Neighbor Totoro” on Tuesday, Aug. 6; and “Princess Mononoke, on Tuesday, Aug. 20. (Courtesy photos.)