APRIL 2026 ARTBEAT

APRIL 2026

ARTBEAT STORY TIME

COMES TO WENATCHEE

WENATCHEE FIRST FRIDAYS MAP INSIDE

A monthly publication by the NCW Arts Alliance and The Comet

Publisher: Ron Evans

Contributors: Meg Sanders, Callie Baker, Jamie Howell

NCW Arts - Elevating the Arts in North Central Washington

NCW ARTS UPDATE

by meg sanders

If you’re a teen or young adult making any kind of art in North Central Washington, I bet you’ve asked yourself at least once: How do I find my people? Whether you’re sketching in a notebook between (or during!) classes, mixing mad beats in your bedroom, rehearsing lines for your next performance, or experimenting with digital design software, creating can sometimes feel solitary and maybe a bit isolating. But it doesn’t have to be. One of the most powerful steps you can take as an emerging artist is to connect with other artists and that’s exactly what

the Artist Index on the NCW Arts website is designed to help you do.

What is the Artist Index?

Think of the Artist Index as a living, growing directory of creatives across our region. It’s a space where visual artists, musicians, performers, writers, and makers of all kinds can create a (FREE!) profile that represents who they are and what they do. Instead of working in isolation, you become part of a larger creative network. A network that’s local and accessible.

Why join?

You might be wondering: “Do I really need to put myself out there yet?” The answer is yes because your voice and your work matter now, not someday in the future.

Also, adult artists REALLY want to see what you’re up to. For real. I guarantee that you and the projects you are working on are inspiring.

Joining the Artist Index gives you:

1. A place to be seen

Your profile acts like a mini portfolio. You can share images, links, descriptions, and your artistic focus. Whether you’re just starting out or already building a body of work, this is a way to show your creativity to your community.

2. Real connections with other artists

This isn’t just about being discovered, it’s also about discovering others. You can find musicians to collaborate with,

artists whose style inspires you, or local performers and performance venues that can help you take that next step. The Index helps break down that “I don’t know anyone” barrier.

3. Opportunities you might not find otherwise

When you’re listed, other artists, organizations, and event organizers can find you. That could mean invitations to participate in shows, performances, workshops, or community projects. Even if those opportunities don’t come immediately, being visible puts you on the map.

4. A sense of belonging

Art can feel isolating, especially in smaller communities. The Artist Index reminds you that you’re part of a regional creative scene that values your contribution, your voice, and all the things that make you your weird, awesome self. Fly your freak flag!

You don’t have to be “professional”

One of the biggest misconceptions young creatives have (well, let’s be honest all of us have this to some extent) is that they need to reach a certain level before sharing their work publicly. The truth? You don’t need to be perfect to participate.

The Artist Index isn’t just for established professionals. It’s for anyone actively creating. Your perspective, your style, and your experiments all count. Early connections can shape the direction of your creative journey in the best

ON THE COVER:

EMERGING ARTISTS, MEET YOUR COMMUNITY ARTBEAT

Worth Brehm (1883-1928)

“Telling Stories”

Read Story Time featuring Jason Sims on pg. 3

possible way, and NCW Arts wants to help facilitate that.

What should you include?

Creating a profile doesn’t have to be complicated. Start simple:

• A short bio (Who are you? What do you create?)

• A few examples of your work (photos, recordings, links)

• Your interests or goals (collaborations, performances, exhibitions)

• Ways to connect with you (social media, email, etc.)

You can always update your profile as you grow.

Build your creative future now. Carpe Diem!

Getting involved in something like the Artist Index can be about building momentum. The connections you make today can lead to collaborations tomorrow. The visibility you gain now can open doors later. And the confidence you build by sharing your work? That’s something you carry with you everywhere.

So, if you’ve been waiting for a sign to take your art more seriously (or at least to take the next step) this is it.

Put your work out there. Find your people. Be part of the creative energy shaping our region. We want you!

Visit ncwARTS.org for more information and for instructional videos to help you get your FREE account set up and active.

SPINNIN’ A YARN...

STORY TIME COMES TO WENATCHEE

By Ron Evans

Spinnin’ yarns. Is there anything more timeless than that? Since humans figured out how to make slightly more sophisticated grunts, we have been captivating each other through stories. Analog stories, in the flesh. It’s essentially the antidote to the chaotic noise of social media where so many human subtleties get lost in digital translation.

There’s a new kind of live show coming to Wenatchee—one that trades 1’s and 0’s for something older, looser, and far more human. It’s succinctly called Story Time. Built around the idea of people getting up and telling stories, this first-of-its-kind event is aiming to create connection, surprise, and maybe even a little perspective. The first one will be taking place Friday,

April 3rd at 7:00 p.m. at ARTWORX in Downtown Wenatchee. We caught up with Jason Sims who is spearheading the project to find out more.

So tell us how this all came about?

It basically started with some of the same comedians that do the local shows at Watercore. I felt like there was another need for this other kind of performance. I’m a combat veteran, and I recently did this thing a couple months ago called Vet Stories, where veterans sit down and just tell some of their real life experiences. This cool old Vietnam vet named Yeti was putting that on. And I really got into it. I told a story. It was close to an hour, and the one thing that really surprised me about that was the fact that all my family members were like, “dude, I didn’t know any of that.” And I realized that there’s

a need for sharing some of this kind of stuff. And it’s not comedy, and it’s not performance, you know—it’s older than that. Storytelling is an ancient human tradition. Sitting around the campfire, spinning yarns. And there’s something really special about that. And with this event, you don’t have to worry about saber tooth tigers attacking. [LAUGHS]

Is there a theme to the event?

Yes, I thought humanity would be a good theme for our inaugural Story Time. Of course, I have a lot of stories about combat and war, but there’s still some humanity in there. And I think that’s the angle I can use to make those stories… maybe a bit less traumatic. I don’t want to horrify a room full of people with war stories. There’s some dark stuff in there for sure, but I want to focus on the bigger

picture—surviving and coming home. And obviously, humanity is not just limited to this kind of tale. Everybody has these important and poignant moments in their life. This is a chance for people to share meaningful stories in an open format.

So you aren’t putting any kind of requirements on this for the storyteller in terms of tone or style?

No, we want people telling their stories, period. Whatever that is to them, and however they want to do it. Some will be funny, some will be sad, some will be inspiring and some will be all over the place.

continued on pg. 6

MAC Gallery “Making a Living Painting

LynnArt Gardens “Flowers,” group art show.

Visit Wenatchee Tasting Owen Barnhart, musician.

Inspirations Mission Street 5-7 PM Open House! Join us for a special open house at our new Mission Street studio. Pottery painting and fused glass activities available. 5. Two Rivers Art Gallery 5-8 PM Wenatchee Watercolor Society group show. Live music. Local wines.

exhibit of graphite works in various techniques and styles featuring 10 artists.

10. Art Alley @ Pybus 5-7 “Liminal Space,” Amanda Whitworth, artist. Jennifer Hinson, live music. Beverages and hors d’oeuvres by donation.

Nena Howell, Claudia Mullek, Cyndi Noyd, Stewart, Jane Zanol.

Cellars 3-6 PM

11. iLa Yoga 7-9 PM

12. Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center 6-9 PM Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead celebration. Free admission. Join us for crafts, mariachi, face painting and more.

EAT & DRINK

1. Horan Estates Winery 3-7 PM $2 off glass pours.

2. Crayelle Cellars 3-6 PM $2 off glass pours.

3. Visit Wenatchee Tasting Room 4-7 PM Happy hour special: $5 flights of cider or beer.

6. Steam Panda 4-9 PM Buy one noodle soup, get 2nd noodle soup $5 off when you mention First Fridays. Dine in only

EAT & DRINK

4. Stones Gastropub 3-9 PM $10 specialty cocktail.

7. Cave Noire 4-10 PM Enjoy a complimentary glass after any wine tasting flight.

5. Watermill Winery On The Ave 3-8 PM Wine specials.

1. Horan Estates Winery

$2 off glass pours.

8. South @ Pybus 5-9 PM Maria’s Dream cocktail special, inspired by the trailblazing Mexican artist Maria

2. Crayelle Cellars 3-6 PM $2 off glass pours.

3. Stones Gastropub

$10 specialty cocktail.

American Shoe Shop PM Extended

FIRST FRIDAYS FEATURED EVENT

6. Steam Panda 4-9 PM Buy one noodle soup, get 2nd noodle soup $5 off when you mention First Fridays. Dine in only

7. Cave Noire 4-10 PM Enjoy a complimentary glass after any wine tasting flight.

8. South @ Pybus 5-9 PM Maria’s Dream cocktail special, inspired by the trailblazing Mexican artist Maria Izquierdo.

5. Steam Panda 12-9 PM

Buy one noodle soup, get 2nd noodle soup $5 off. Must mention First Friday, dine in only

SHOP DOWNTOWN

6. Cave Noire 4-10 PM Enjoy a complimentary glass after any wine tasting flight.

1. American Shoe Shop 5–7 PM Extended hours

4. Watermill Winery on the Ave 5-8 PM Wine specials.

2. Mercantile All Day $10 day pass for First Fridays.

4. Woody’s Classic Man 3-8 PM Happy Hour pricing on all beers and ciders. Extended hours.

5. Time Capsule 3-7 PM

3. The Original Children’s Shop 3-5 PM 10% discount on all merch when you mention First Fridays.

7. South @ Pybus 3 - 9 PM Cocktail special: Burle’s Bloom, inspired by artist Roberto Burle Marx and his love for layering nature and bold patterns.

4. Woody’s Classic Man 3-8 PM Happy Hour pricing on all beers and ciders. Extended hours.

5. Time Capsule 3-7 PM Roll a D20 and get up to 20% off your entire purchase. 30% off Funko Pop figures.

Original Children’s Shop 3-5 PM discount on all merch when you mention First Fridays.

SHOP DOWNTOWN

Roll a D20 and get up to 20% off your entire purchase. 30% off Funko Pop figures.

1. American Shoe Shop 5-7 PM Extended hours.

2. Mercantile All-day $10 day pass for First Fridays.

3. The Original Children’s Shop 10 AM-5 PM 10% discount on all merch when you mention First Fridays.

4. Woody’s Classic Man 10 AM-8 PM Happy Hour pricing on all beers and ciders. 15% off store merchandise. Extended hours.

5. The Time Capsule 11 AM-7 PM Roll a D20 and get up to 20% off your entire purchase. 30% off Funko Pop figures.

6. Simply Unique 2-6 PM Now open: “The Parlor” snack bar. Beer, cider, and 30% off Build Your Own charcuterie boards when you mention First Friday.

FIRST FRIDAYS GARDEN ART WALK AT LYNNART

LynnArt Gardens is celebrating spring this First Friday with “Flowers,” a group art show. Enjoy an evening of vibrant blooms, local artists, and complimentary food & beverages while you stroll through the gardens. If you have not checked out this unique little wonderland of creativity then this is the perfect time to visit.

LynnArt Gardens features hundreds of unique scultpures, yard art, hand-crafted items along with some whimsical surprises along the way. This event is open Friday, April 3, 3–7 PM at LynnArt Gardens at 302 N Miller St. in Wenatchee. You may consider carpooling as parking is limited.

Complimentary food and beverages will be provided.

First Fridays at Clayworks FEATURED EVENT

Clayworks invites you to join them during First Fridays to watch live throwing and hand-building demonstrations by members of their studio. Visitors will have the unique opportunity to participate by touching clay and adding their own hand-stamped mark to a collaborative community piece.

This special piece will be finished and fired in our studio, and during your visit you can enter a FREE drawing for a chance to win the completed pottery.

April 3rd, 5-8 p.m. at Clayworks - 15 Yakima St.

continued from pg. 3

The idea started out as sort of a silly conversation with some of my comedian friends, and then I just kind of ran with it.

I’ve never put together a show before, but it has been fun to kind of spearhead something. That’s all new for me. I marketed our group as the Wenatchee Comedic Association, but full disclosure, that’s just the name of our group text. So don’t be confused if you see that and get to something that’s not a comedy show.

We have one person that wrote a piece of fiction, and I thought that was cool because storytelling doesn’t have to be brutally honest. But the other six readers will be telling personal tales, around 5-7 minutes each. It won’t be a super long thing. Probably about an hour long. We’re going to run the gamut from funny, to dark, to intriguing...exciting! There’s this beautiful, emotional roller coaster that’s been happening in a couple of our run throughs. I’m excited for people to experience that as well. Our readers will include myself, Loren Meloy, Jane Turner, Mark Wavra, Ellen Bruex and Kyle Somers.

What’s the format for the first show? Will there be seating? Is it all ages?

There will be seating, and maybe some standing room if it’s well attended. There will be some First Friday art events happening in the space until around 7ish and then we will move some chairs over and get things going.

For this one we’re kind of just testing the waters. It’s a free event, and we are aiming for it to be all ages. We will likely do some in the future that will be adult-oriented.

We want it to appeal to a wide variety of people concerning genders, age and ethnicity—for story tellers and for the audience. That’s what we hope it grows into. And as it moves from one venue to the next, those spaces might even play a role in what the themes or subjects will be.

How can people looking to share their stories get involved with this?

Anyone can reach out to us at storytimeadmin@gmail.com if they’d like to share stories for a future event. Also, if any venue would like to host this kind of thing, we’d love to hear from you.

Story Time starts Friday, April 3rd around 7:00 p.m. at ARTWORX, 15 Yakima St. in Wenatchee. Note: stairs are the only way to enter the ARTWORX building.

FEATURED POEM OF THE MONTH

Pray - by Polly W.

I saw the lighthouse up on the bluff

the wind carried nothing my way nothing my way

I saw the ship passing by the bluff

the ship carried nothing to me nothing to me

I have tea

I have oil

I have books

I have whatever god I find amusing at the time

I have eveything in the land of nothing

I pray someday to have nothing in the land of everything

2026 NCW Teen Writing Competition FEATURED OPPORTUNITY

Write On The River and NCW Libraries are partnering on our annual High School Writers Competition. Any student currently enrolled in 9-12th grade within the library service area is eligible to submit their original short fiction. NCW Libraries serves Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan, Grant, and Ferry counties.

Write On The River is providing $200 in cash prizes to award three winners for excellence in original short fiction writing. Entry length should be 500-2,000 words. The writing must be the student’s own, original, work and written without the assistance of AI. Students may submit one piece of writing per year. There is no entry fee.

Public school students, private or home-schooled students, and students enrolled in Running Start are all eligible to participate. Submissions will be accepted now through April 10, 2026. For more information on the competition, guidelines, and to submit visit www. ncwlibraries.org/writerscompetition.

Due Date: 04/10/2026

Website: ncwlibraries.org/writerscompetition

Contact: info@ncwlibraries.org

509-663-1117