AAC hosts Eagle Festival art contests

The Arlington Arts Council will again host art, photography and haiku contests relating to nature as part of this year’s Eagle Festival.

The contests are open to Snohomish County residents and beyond.

“Every year we provide this space at the Eagle Festival for nature art and eagle photographs,” said Sarah Arney, president of the Arlington Arts Council. “All the work will be on display this year at the Olympic Theater and Cafe."

The theater is at 111 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington.

The Arlington Arts Council hopes to encourage local artists to display their work with the contest.

“Our mission is to support community artists by giving them the opportunity to show their artwork,” said Arney. “We want to inspire people to do art and to share it with the community."

The Eagle Festival Art Show’s biggest contest is an eagle photography contest. Each contestant can submit up to one photo.

A $200 cash prize is awarded to the best photograph and that image is printed on next year’s Eagle Festival poster.

The Nature Art contest will collect art pieces of any medium with some connection to the flora and fauna of the Pacific Northwest.

Best of Show winner will receive a $100 cash prize and a ribbon.

The fee to enter is $5 per piece with up to two entries total, including the eagle photo.

The entry fee for children is a donation to the local food bank.

Submissions to the Nature Art Contest or the eagle photography contest can be made at the Olympic Theater and Cafe from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 4.

“All the community is invited to participate in it,” said Arney, who added that artists who reside in Snohomish County, Skagit County or Island County are allowed to submit.

The Nature Haiku contest returns for Snohomish County residents to present poems in the traditional haiku format about nature.

The non-rhyming poems should have three lines of five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line and five syllables in the final line.

“Cash prizes are also available for the Haiku contest winners,” said Arney.

First prize for each group will be $25. Age groups range from 6 to 9, 10 to 15 and 16 and up.

Entries have been used in public art around Arlington in the past.

All entries should be submitted by midnight on Jan. 31.

Submissions can be made at arlingtonwa.gov/haiku or by mail to the city of Arlington’s Recreation office at 238 N Olympic Ave., Arlington, WA.

Art will be displayed at the Olympic Theater and Cafe as part of the Eagle Festival on Feb. 5.

More information about the contests and how to enter is available at arlingtonwa.gov/haiku.