Gallery Opening

• Including regular gallery hours, the Creative Arts Center will open its doors the second Friday evening of each month. The next “Create Art Night” is tonight – 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. On these nights, membership of the Maple Valley Creative Arts Center is welcome to gather and share past projects for “show and tell” and/or use this block of time to work on art projects. The center, located at 23220 Maple Valley Hwy. S.E., Suite 15, will also be available at this time to the general public to view gallery works and to come and see the works in progress of the talented MVCAC membership. If you’re an artist and are interested in sharing your talents, while visiting with fellow artists and work on projects away from home, go to www.maplevalleyarts.com and sign up for membership, and to view regular business hours. Mark your calendar for the next second Friday and see you then.

Open Mic Night – Sweetheart Style

• Saturday is your date night and the next Open Mic night at the Creative Arts Center in the Wilderness Business Park. Bring your sweetheart, honey babe or “insert pet name here” and take in the local talent. Singles will have great fun too! Irreverent tongue in cheek lovesongs and mushy ballads are the order of the evening. Champagne and chocolate will be served, The Maple Valley Creative Arts Council’s version of a ‘Stimulus Package’. Crooners will check in at 6:30 p.m. to sign up to perform. Audience members: open mic begins at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Jimhanna78@yahoo.com

Youth Actors Workshops

• Thursday two workshops will be offered at the Creative Arts Center, located at 23220 Maple Valley Hwy. S.E. in the Wilderness Business Park. Youths ages 9 to 11 can join in a acting/improv studio from 4 to 5 p.m. every Thursday for eight weeks. Theater games will motivate children to think in new ways and move in new directions to explore their relation to each other, themselves and their environment. This inspires an “I can!” attitude that stays with them long after they’ve left the stage.

• Teen actors ages 12 to 14 can participate in a Young Actors Workshop from 5:30 to 7 p.m. and will also run Thursdays for eight weeks. This class will introduce games that will give teens the ability work as a group on stage as well as introduce them to the building blocks of improv, ensemble work (group agreement), who (relationships), what (the action of scenes) and where (locations of scenes). Players will also become familiar with stage techniques and work towards producing small mini-plays in the form of Story Theater. Gary Schwartz, director of Valley Center Stage is the workshop instructor. Both classes are subject to sufficient enrollment. For class rates and registration info, go to: www.maplevalleyarts.com and click on the “News” link.

• Children’s Art Workshop at the Creative Arts Center

begins Feb. 25th, for six consecutive weeks, a Children’s Art Workshop will be held at the Creative Arts Center located at 23220 Maple Valley Hwy. S.E. in the Wilderness Business Park. Wednesdays from 4 to 5 p.m. for children ages 5 to 9. If your child has shown his/her art talent and you would like a creative outlet for your child to grow in the visual arts, this workshop is for you. Children will learn fine art basics, geared for their age group in a fun environment. Go to www.maplevalleyarts.com for rate information or email art instructor, Dina Nichols, at artkid.nichols@gmail.com with your questions. While obtaining her bachelors degree, Dina completed art and creative writing courses at Cal State Long Beach University. Dina Nichols is an established youth advocate. Her experience includes working for the city of Long Beach Parks and Recreation Department and coordinating many youth oriented activities, with an emphasis in art programs. She has also served San Diego County, by working with disadvantaged youth in creative writing and art expression. Her love of art began as a child and continues to grow. She maintains her status in the Maple Valley Creative Arts Council as a volunteer. Dina lives in Maple Valley with her husband Ramon and their two children. Deadline for enrollment is Feb. 20.

Tahoma High Alumni Film Showing

• March 7 at the Creative Arts Center located at 23220 Maple Valley Hwy. S.E. in the Wilderness Business Park from 4 to 6 p.m., Rick Haag of the Tahoma High School Audio Visual Film department the Maple Valley Creative Arts Council will honor Rick’s past students with an alumni film showing. All are invited to join in what center hopes to become an annual event. Come and view for yourself the creative talent of past Tahoma film students. Concessions will be on hand and advance ticket sales are encouraged. Proceeds from this event will benefit Tahoma High School film-video production scholarship, applied for by graduating film students. For ticket pricing and for more information on purchasing your tickets go to www.maplevalleyarts.com, or you may contact Rick Haag at rhaag@tahomasd.us to reserve your tickets. As a bonus a ticket purchase to the Alumni Film Show will be honored at the Maple Valley premier of “Expiration Date” to be shown later at 7 p.m. the same evening. “Expiration Date” is a film by Rick Stevenson. A feature film shot in Seattle and has garnered wide acclaim. Look for more information on this exclusive showing in the Maple Valley Reporter and on www.maplevalleyarts.com.