For immediate release 6/1/20

North Bend, WA – Seven local artists have donated their time and talents to creating custom Adirondack chairs for the 4th annual Encompass Take a Seat for Kids Project. Due to the COVID-19 safety precautions, the chairs will not be displayed in person around the Snoqualmie Valley like they have been in past years, but interested buyers can still view and bid on the chairs online beginning June 8, 2020. The chairs will be for sale through June 22 as a fundraiser for Encompass programs.

This year’s artists—Pepper Allphin, Ricardo Espinoza, Mary Grigg-Colter, Carly Koczarski, Lady Kagura, Maddy Mangra, and Nancy Wray—have transformed plain wooden chairs into functional art pieces. The design of several sets of chairs this year are inspired by nature, making them perfect for a porch or backyard. Koczarski’s set As the Crow Flies features geometric designs and two birds in flight, while Lady Kagura’s Ganbatte and Persevere! depicts two koi fish swimming among lily pads. Grigg-Colter’s Happy Little Orcas and Wray’s Into the Woods evoke the natural beauty and wildlife of the Pacific Northwest, Grigg-Colter using vibrant color to depict her scenes while Wray renders black-and-white animals in dramatic contrast against deep brown stained wood. Mangra’s set Paraíso plays on the concept of home, with one chair representing her home in Washington and the other her home in the tropical wonderland of Hawaii. Espinoza’s Magnolia and Allphin’s Lani use simple decorative patterns to stunning effect. Allphin scrolls a metallic leafy motif across the chairs with hints of color beneath, while Espinoza utilizes meticulous dots to create an ethereal design against a bold red backdrop.

Visit encompassnw.org/take-a-seat-for-kids to learn more about the project and to bid on these chairs starting June 8! Thank you to Ace Hardware of North Bend for generously donating the Adirondack chairs for this project. We would also like to thank the following businesses who had generously agreed to display chairs at their location before the COVID-19 outbreak: Carnation Café, Safeway Snoqualmie Ridge, JL the Boutique, and the Duvall Visitor and Community Center.

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