Chamber social at Medallion Hotel

A Business After Hours event is scheduled from 5 – 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 29 at the Medallion Hotel, formerly the Hawthorne Inn, at 16710 Smokey Point Blvd., in Arlington. The event is in honor of the new name of the hotel and there will be food, drinks and spa samples. Please RSVP to 360-657-0500.

Play reading

Marysville Community Playhouse Association has announced a new play-reading group will be meeting from 7 – 9 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month starting Feb. 5 at Marysville’s United Methodist Church, 5600 64th St. N.E. Participants will read aloud and discuss comedy, drama, farce and other genres of theater. The first play featured will be a comedy by Sam Bobrick called “Getting Sarah Married.” Scripts will be provided and meetings are free. Local playwrights are encouraged to bring their work for the group to read. Experienced actors are also encouraged, as well as those with a secret dream of acting, or any theater lovers in general. For more information, call Karen Davis at 425-238-5109 or Kelly McClain at 360-653-3402.

Library Friends seeks members

The Friends of the Arlington Library is seeking new leaders to help meet the mission of raising funds for library programs for children, teens and adults. They meet on the second Wednesday of each month and guests are always welcome at the Arlington Library, 135 N. Washington Ave. The next meeting is 3:30 p.m., Feb. 11. For information call the library at 360-435-3033.

Seeking alumni

of Arlington Boys & Girls Club

Bill Kinney and the Arlington Boys & Girls Club is planning a special event at this year’s auction set for May 2. They want to honor alumni of the club at the 15th annual auction. “We are searching for alumni,” Kinney said. “We know there are some college athletes, firemen, police officers, and maybe even United States Representative Rick Larsen,” Kinney said. The Arlington Boys & Girls Club was founded in the early 1970s in downtown Arlington, occupying a couple of different buildings until the new club opened in 1993. “I know for a fact that I played basketball at the club in 1973,” Kinney said. “We are researching history of the club now. We believe it was a teacher named Garrow who started it. His grandson, Dave Garrow is now attending.” The club also welcomes donations for the auction. For more information about the event, call the 360-435-4442.

Auditions

META Performing Arts will hold auditions from 6 – 9 p.m. Jan. 28 and 29 for its upcoming production of the award-winning Broadway classic musical, “Fiddler on the Roof” at the Presbyterian Church, 15th and Broadway, Mount Vernon, across from Skagit Valley Hospital. The large cast includes both adults, and youth ages 7 and up. The show runs May 1-10 at McIntyre Hall, Mount Vernon. Interested parties should prepare a one-minute song, and, if interested in a speaking part, a one-minute monologue. For information and to schedule audition time, call 360-466-3072. Now in its 12th year, META Performing Arts provides multicultural theater arts training for Skagit Valley and North Snohomish County.

Business for artists

Artists of all kinds will discover ways to turn creativity into a sustainable business at the BizArt 2009 conference for visual, literary and performing artists 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 20 – 21 at the Everett Transit Center, 3201 Smith St. in Everett. The cost is $129, which includes all sessions and breakfast and lunch both days. Register by Feb. 6 and pay the discounted rate of $99. Admission for full-time students is $59.

Artist-led workshops at the conference will provide information and opportunities to learn about the business end of being an artist including marketing, resource development and financial and legal issues, presented by Everett Community College’s School of Business Design, Edmonds Community College’s ArtsNow and Self Employment in the Arts of North Central College, Illinois. Find out more at www.bizartinfo.com. To register, call 425-267-0157.

Vistaunet in ‘Go Figure’ and Pace in “Raining Men”

A new exhibit at The Sisters Restaurant in Everett, “Go Figure” features sketches, studies and paintings exploring the fine art of nudes by a group of artists which includes Marysville’s John Vistaunet along with Liana Bennett, Tom Jensen, Irina Milton and Ken Smith. The show includes quick gesture drawings of male and female models which artists use as reference for their future refined art works. The group of artists in the exhibit are regular participants in life-drawing sessions at co-curator Ken Smith’s studio. The show includes studies from their sketch books in graphite, oil, pastel, ink and conte, and finished works in oil and pastel paintings, etchings, collage and mixed-media paintings. The Sisters Restaurant is located in the Public Market Building at 2804 Grand Ave., in Everett right next door to the Solovei Art Gallery, which is offering a new exhibit, “It’s Raining Men” that includes works of a retired Arlington High School art teacher, Keith Pace, opening Feb. 3 and an artist reception scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7. The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. For information about shows at Solovei, The Sisters Restaurant, Sound Holistic Health center and Espresso Americano Cafe go see the Web site at www.SoloveiArtGallery.com or call 425-501-2448 or 425-258-8100.