Sammamish-Issaquah Students, Seniors Present Collaborative Art Exhibit

Sammamish and Issaquah students from three Issaquah School District high schools and residents from the University House Issaquah retirement community, will open their first ever the weekend.

The cooperative art exhibit is inspired by the story Harold and the Purple Crayon. The exhibition’s opening reception is Saturday, March 17 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. at University House Issaquah, located at 22975 S.E. Black Nugget Road, in Issaquah.

The exhibit features 75 pieces of art from 13 students at Skyline, Issaquah, and Liberty high schools, and 12 University House Issaquah residents in a variety of media including paintings in watercolor, oil and acrylic; drawings in pastel, ink and colored pencil; mixed media decoupage, batik, and beaded needlepoint; sculptures made from wood and glass. Issaquah High School’s Complicated Quartet accompanies the art exhibit with a performance during the opening reception.

In the classic children’s book, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Harold, the main character, has the power to create a world of his own by drawing it with his purple crayon. In the exhibition, student artists and seniors join in imaginative expression inspired by Harold’s story.

The high school students and University House seniors created their art separately but agreed to have a collaborative exhibit of the art from the beginning of this project. The University House seniors selected the story Harold and the Purple Crayon to serve as inspiration for the art project because it is the book's 50th anniversary. The students have not visited University House formally, so for many, this will be their first time meeting the University House Issaquah residents in person.

“You will generally find that most school districts are facing budget cuts and dwindling arts programming,” says Vicki Hoffman, who volunteers with the Issaquah School District. “This exhibit is a first for these teen artists. Many want to pursue art after graduation, so this is a huge experience for them and a wonderful opportunity to work with seniors, many of whom are very knowledgeable about art, artistic expression and the whole art world.”

The exhibit is free and open to the public through Aug. 7. To attend the opening event reception, call 425-557-4200 to RSVP.

University House Issaquah is one of eight premier retirement living communities owned by Era Living, a private, family-owned company based in Seattle.