ARTi Gras honors its jury selection artists

Although the Monroe Arts Council ARTi Gras Masquerade Ball was postponed until March 19, the show went on earlier this month at the Saaski Gallery, as local artists were recognized and honored during the ARTi Gras 2016 Juried Art Exhibition.

Saaski Gallery owners Leonie and Elric Saaski, who hosted the event at their Monroe gallery, sponsored the art show. The event was organized in conjunction with the Monroe Arts Council, and showcased numerous artists from the Sky Valley and beyond. Certificates were awarded for first, second and third place, along with honorable mention and people's choice.

First place went to Yael Zahavy-Mittelman for her acrylic on canvas piece, "The Guardians.GÇ¥ Zahavy-Mittelman is an abstract artist known for bringing bold images to life with passion and imagination. "The GuardiansGÇ¥ is meant to represent "the ones that had the reason for us being on earth an endless time ago.GÇ¥

Second place was awarded to longtime Monroe Monitor photojournalist Jim Scolman for his photograph, "Bus Stop Snow.GÇ¥ Scolman's versatile portfolio captures moments in life, including landscape, architecture and people. When shooting for the Monroe Monitor, Scolman specializes in action shots, community events and special occasions.

Third place went to David McCrae for his piece "Ebi (Shrimp),GÇ¥ an image printed with pigment ink on Japanese mulberry paper. McCrae has refined a technique he refers to as "From a Scanner, Darkly,GÇ¥ to capture images using computer equipment, including a scanner and printer.

Sarah Goss won honorable mention for her digital painting, "Void.GÇ¥ Goss is a 2011 graduate of the Sky Valley Education Center, and has been an artist "since she could first hold a crayon,GÇ¥ according to a Monroe School District news release. She earned accolades for her artwork while in high school, including a Gold Key Award in 2011 during the Snohomish County Scholastic Art Awards.

The People's Choice Award went to Trinity Osborne for her acrylic and charcoal on cardboard piece, "Hope in Triumph.GÇ¥ Osborne is an art teacher, a photographer and a mixed media artist.

Other artists featured at the show included Mark O'Malley, Laurie Miller, Rob Irwin, Barbara Shun Lee, Una Wirkebau, Vince Cavanaugh and Melissa Herzog.

The show at Saaski Gallery was the precursor to the Monroe Arts Council's ARTi Gras 2016 Masquerade Ball and Fundraiser Auction, which takes place 5-10 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. Admission to the ball is $35, and discounted rates are available for groups. The evening includes a Cajun-style dinner, a drink known as a Hurricane, live Zydeco music by Seattle band Fil+¬ Gumbo, dancing and a photographer.

The event will feature live and silent auctions, including bronze sculptures, jewelry, cut glass, Chinese pottery, complimentary wine tastings, a rare bottle of vintage scotch whiskey and much more.

The masquerade ball takes place in the 4-H building at the fairgrounds, also known as Building 501. To see a complete list of the auction items or to learn more about the event, visit the MAC Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MONROEWAMAC/?fref=ts or the ARTi Gras page at www.facebook.com/artigrasmonroe.-á