NWAA’s Monthly Newsletter for Artists & Patrons of the Arts - February 2026

Best of the Northwest Spring Show April 11-12

Sat: 10am-6pm & Sun: 10am-5pm

Join us at historic hangar 30 in Magnuson Park for 100+ talented PNW artists - fine art, jewelry, glass, wood, leather, apparel, accessories, home furnishings, garden art and more! Enjoy food and coffee trucks during the event.

Northwest Stone Sculptors Association will be joining us with a large display of hand carved stones and stone carving workshops.

Free parking, ADA parking available, kids 12 and under get in free. Advance discount tickets on sale later in February.

Don’t forget - become a Patron of the Arts and get 8 free passes to the Spring Show!

Advance discount tickets on sale in March

Final weeks to apply for Emerging Artists Program

If you have not shown at a Best of the Northwest art show in the past, apply today!

Emerging artists are juried separately, still using criteria similar to our other events. The EAP artist(s) are selected and paired with a Northwest Art Alliance legacy artist who acts as a mentor. The EAP artist is awarded a booth space free of charge (including pole, drape, and electricity) in the Best of the Northwest Spring show and featured prominently in show promotional materials.

Don’t Wait! Applications close February 13.

Call to Artists to Exhibit at PCC Community Market Locations

We are looking for one Best of the Northwest artist to exhibit at one of our PCC Community Market exhibit locations in Seattle at Greenlake - Aurora. See more about this opportunity here PCC Community Market Exhibits and submit your request via email at info@nwartalliance.org

Please email only if you have shown at a Best of the Northwest show in the past.

Meet Shrunga Malavalli, Our New Event Coordinator

We are thrilled to have Shrunga joining our team as Event Coordinator, working with our Event Director, Marissa Motto. Combining creativity as an artist with her Program Management experience at Microsoft, she has both the skills and passion for creating fine art shows that meet the needs of our artists and patrons. Be sure to check out her art @malaval_artstudio and welcome her when you see her at the Spring Show!

“I’m really excited to be joining the Northwest Art Alliance as Event Coordinator. A little more about me - I seem to always be in the unique position of bridging the gap between two worlds! I was born in the U.S., grew up in Bangalore, and came to Washington planning to study creative writing alongside computer science. Due to life circumstances, I was forced to choose between the two and eventually I lost touch with my creative side - Until the pandemic in 2020, when I picked up a paintbrush for the first time. What started as curiosity turned into a deep love for painting, and eventually into a leap of faith: in 2023, I left my role as a Program Manager at Microsoft to pursue art full time. While art has been a deeply personal journey, I found myself missing the sense of community and the chance to use my organizational skills for something I truly care about. Northwest Art Alliance brings those pieces together for me, and I’m grateful to be part of a community that believes—like I do—that the arts only thrive when they’re supported, shared, and built together.” - Shrunga Malavalli

Give something unique for Valentine’s Day!

Shop Artline Market for jewelry, paintings, limited-edition prints, housewares, and more!

Handmade jewelry by Sandy Spear and mixed-media by Brett Varney

Get free passes to the Spring Show!

Encourage artist diversity, sustainability, and education by supporting NWAA! With your annual membership you will receive:

√  8 PASSES to the Best of the Northwest Spring & Fall Shows, including the Fall Preview

√  Exclusive Best of the Northwest artist tote bag

√  Patron of the Arts ‘Founding Member’ status

√  Entry into $100 Drawing for a gift certificate to use at any NWAA show

In Loving Memory of Dee Carson

Northwest Art Alliance was saddened to hear about the passing of our friend, Dawn (Dee) Carson. Dee had many roles in NWAA from early 2010's through 2019, including the Executive Director, Board President, and Event Director. She led the organization through a rough period in its history and helped it to become the strong nonprofit it is today. Dee lost her battle with Cancer in December, 2025. She was a force of nature and will be sorely missed. Our deepest sympathies go out to her husband and NWAA supporter, Geoff Carson and their family. 

Other PNW Art Events

Samish Island PaintOut

NEXT CAMP: FEB 18 – 22, 2026
REGISTRATION PERIOD: JAN 1 TO FEB 10, 2026
REGISTRATION CLOSES  1 WEEK PRIOR TO START OF CAMP

Three wonderful times each year, approximately 40 artists arrive at beautiful, 90-acre Samish Island Campground (about an hour north of Seattle, WA) to breathe the clean air and concentrate on painting. We call it “paint camp.” The view is breathtaking, the ambiance welcoming, the food delicious. Artists make new friends and reunite with old friends they’ve not seen in awhile. At PaintOut, you leave your obligations behind.

Visit https://www.nwws.org/camp-samish-paintout/ for more information

Northwest Art Alliance's mission and goals include expanding general and targeted outreach to all communities and artists to better serve artists' needs and help sustain support for their vocation. NWAA connects artists to the broader community through it's shows. Artists would not have this critical exposure without this connection. 

Northwest Art Alliance produces three or more in-person shows each year with 1000+ artists represented during the last three years (unduplicated count). NWAA needs community support and donations to continue its mission. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to our non-profit organization and click here. Thank you for continued support of the Best of the Northwest shows!