Meeting the artists: reception for Gallery at Shoreline City Hall

Maria Porter with Fred Wong,
Director of Lake Forest Park/Shoreline Arts Council
Photo by Devon Rickabaugh

A reception for the opening of the new exhibit at the Gallery at Shoreline City Hall, 17500 Midvale Ave N, was held on Tuesday March 5th. The show runs through April 26th. The Gallery is open to the public during normal business hours.

Beth Betker, oil painting
Photo by Devon Rickabaugh

Oil Painter Beth Betker said she is aware of infrastructure since her engineer father took the family to visit dams on vacation. The large cityscapes in bright colors scraped into patches show the controlled forms of bridges and buildings bursting out of their boundaries.

Ed McCarthy, Steel Sculptor
Photo by Devon Rickabaugh

Steel sculptor Ed McCarthy says his studio and shop are in Renton Technical School where he arrived five years ago to learn to weld so well he wouldn’t have to think about it when he started doing his art which takes a whimsical turn away from the original utilitarian scrap pieces. He fashioned a spiked heeled shoe with a chain around it.

Ellen Witebsky, Photographer
Photo by Devon Rickabaugh

Photographer Ellen Witebsky had been taking photographs since the late ‘80s when she decided to become a photographer. She attended school at Photographic Center Northwest. A variety of work can be seen on her website. The pictures on display are close ups of shoes, bottle stoppers, objects found in the home.

“I seek the accidental order, the harmony, and the chance beauty hiding within the clutter and distractions of daily life.”

Maria Porter, acrylic painting
Photo by Devon Rickabaugh

Maria Porter, an acrylic painter, is exploring several styles. Several paintings have many dots. She describes them as Pointillist. In the past two years she has felt a lot of energy flowing around her work which has shown up in her paintings with bright colors and textures.