Celebrate at First Thursday event in Mercer Island
At February’s First Thursday Art and Wine event, Islanders can celebrate Art with Heart at the SZ Gallery and the 50th wedding anniversary of Clarke and Clarke Art and Artifacts owners Jim and Ginny Clarke.
The Island’s downtown art galleries open their doors from 5-8 p.m. on Feb. 2 as the community celebrates its monthly art walk event, accompanied by tastings of wine, champagne and small bites.
Clarke and Clarke’s display will be titled “Clay of the Craftsman,” and feature pottery and porcelains. The collection includes ancient to modern works from Africa, Turkey, India, Thailand, China, Japan as well as the Southwest and Northwest.
The SZ Gallery is currently exhibiting the artwork of Steffanie Lorig, the founder of Art with Heart, through February. Raise a glass at 6:30 p.m. to celebrate Lorig as she departs Art with Heart for new creative ventures, and hear from both Lorig and her successor, Heidi Durham.
MIYFS Foundation Breakfast is next Wednesday
The entire community is invited to join the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services Foundation at one of Mercer Island’s most important community gatherings of the year.
The compelling personal stories shared by Islanders represent the profound impact the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services Department has on people here in your community. Donations to MIYFS Foundation directly support the eight programs and services offered by the city.
The foundation welcomes all Islanders (and friends) to attend the 15th annual breakfast fundraiser, learn about MIYFS and make a donation to support future programming. Register at www.miyfs.org, or call Sari Weiss at 206-275-7756 for more information.
Doors open at 7 a.m., and the program runs from 7:30-8:30 a.m.
Help the city maintain parks
Each year, Mercer Island citizens donate hundreds of hours of their time to maintain the community’s parks and open spaces: picking up litter, planting trees, cutting down ivy, painting over graffiti or repairing trails.
Many people are interested in preserving the forested character of the Island, but are not sure how to help. Fortunately, there are dozens of opportunities annually, and the city just published the 2017 list of restoration events at www.mercergov.org/files/2017RestorEventCal.pdf.
For more information on forest stewardship, or custom service opportunities for large groups, call the Parks Department’s natural resource manager at 206-275-7879.
