The Theatre at Meydenbauer Center will host the Grammy-nominated Clayton Brothers Quintet at 8pm on Thursday, May 31; four-time Grammy-award winner Booker T. Jones at 8pm on Friday, June 1; and the internationally-renowned Hubert Laws Quintet at 8pm on Saturday, June 2.

Tickets for these headline performances cost $34 general admission or $17 for students.

The festival’s full schedule has been announced and features more than 40 free shows throughout the community. The schedule includes:

Wednesday, May 30

-          4:30 PM          Murl Allen Sanders Duo – Pianist

Lincoln Square 1st Floor [ FREE ]

-          6:00 PM          June Tonkin – Pianist

El Gaucho Bellevue * [ FREE ]

-          8:00 PM          Thomas Marriott – Trumpeter

Grand Cru Mixologie Lounge * [ FREE ]

-          8:00 PM          Tom Grant – Pianist

Bake’s Place [ Make reservations ]

-          9:00 PM          Stephanie Porter Quartet – Vocalist

Lot No. 3 [ FREE ]

-          9:00 PM          Lamar Lofton’s Rhythm Quartet with special guest Assia Hamani

520 Bar & Grill [ FREE ]

Thursday, May 31

-          4:30 PM          Clayton Murray Duo – Pianist

Lincoln Square 1st Floor [ FREE ]

-          6:00 PM          June Tonkin – Pianist

El Gaucho Bellevue * [ FREE ]

-          8:00 PM          Clayton Brothers Quintet

Theatre at Meydenbauer Center [ Buy tickets ]

-          8:00 PM          Tom Grant – Pianist

Bake’s Place [ Make reservations ]

-          9:00 PM          Heather Sullivan Jazz Piano Trio

520 Bar & Grill [ FREE ]

Friday, June 01

-          4:30 PM          Karin Kajita Duo – Pianist

Lincoln Square 1st Floor [ FREE ]

-          6:00 PM          June Tonkin – Pianist

El Gaucho Bellevue * [ FREE ]

-          8:00 PM          Booker T. Jones

Theatre at Meydenbauer Center [ Buy tickets ]

-          8:00 PM          Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto – Pianist

Bake’s Place [ Make reservations ]

-          8:00 PM          Dawn Clement Duo – Keyboard & Vocalist + Jon Hamar on Bass

Grand Cru Mixologie Lounge * [ FREE ]

-          8:00 PM          Isabella Du Graf – Vocalist

Cypress Lounge and Wine Bar at The Westin Bellevue * [ FREE ]

-          9:00 PM          Heather Sullivan Jazz Piano Trio

520 Bar & Grill [ FREE ]

Saturday, June 02

-          12:00 PM        Bellevue High School Jazz Combo

Bellevue Square Center Court [ FREE ]

-          1:15 PM          Music Works NW Honor Jazz Ensemble

Bellevue Square Center Court [ FREE ]

-          2:30 PM          Edmonds-Woodway High School Jazz Combo

Bellevue Square Center Court [ FREE ]

-          3:45 PM          Mountlake Terrace High School Jazz Combo

Bellevue Square Center Court [ FREE ]

-          5:00 PM          Newport High School Jazz Combo

Bellevue Square Center Court [ FREE ]

-          5:00 PM          June Tonkin Duo – Pianist & Vocalist

El Gaucho Bellevue * [ FREE ]

-          6:15 PM          Ingraham High School Jazz Combo

Bellevue Square Center Court [ FREE ]

-          7:30 PM          Fusion – High School Jazz Combo

Bellevue Square Center Court [ FREE ]

-          8:00 PM          Hubert Laws Quintet

Theatre at Meydenbauer Center [ Buy tickets ]

-          8:00 PM          Lary Barilleau and the Latin Jazz Collective

Bake’s Place [ Make reservations ]

-          8:00 PM          Patti Summers – Vocalist

Cypress Lounge and Wine Bar at The Westin Bellevue * [ FREE ]

-          9:00 PM          Lamar Lofton’s Rhythm Quartet with special guest Faith Beattie

520 Bar & Grill [ FREE ]

-          10:00 PM        Collaborative Works Jazz Trio – Traditional & Modern Jazz

Black Bottle Postern [ FREE ]

Sunday, June 03

-          11:00 AM        Jose Gonzales Trio – Funk, Swing & Pop

Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill Jazz Brunch [ FREE ]

-          11:00 AM        Red Shoes

520 Bar & Grill Patio [ FREE ]

-          11:00 AM        Edmonds-Woodway High School Jazz Combo

Bellevue Square Center Court [ FREE ]

-          12:15 PM        Mount Si High School Jazz Combo

Bellevue Square Center Court [ FREE ]

-          1:30 PM          Hamilton International Middle School Jazz Combo

Bellevue Square Center Court [ FREE ]

-          2:30 PM          Jeff Johnson Duo – Bassist + Dave Peterson on Guitar

Ruth’s Chris Steak House [ FREE ]

-          4:00 PM          Hamilton International Middle School Vocal Jazz

Bellevue Square Center Court [ FREE ]

-          5:00 PM          Primo Kim Duo – Pianist

El Gaucho Bellevue * [ FREE ]

-          5:15 PM          Sammamish High School Jazz Combo

Bellevue Square Center Court [ FREE ]

-          5:30 PM          Human Spirit – Thomas Marriott, Mark Taylor, George Colligan & Matt Jorgensen

Rock Bottom Brewery & Restaurant * [ FREE ]

-          7:00 PM          Rising Stars

Bake’s Place [ Make reservations ]

-          7:00 PM          Lamar Lofton’s Rhythm Quartet with special guest Eric Fridrich

520 Bar & Grill [ FREE ]

-          9:00 PM          4 on 6 – House Jazz Band

Black Bottle Postern [ FREE ]

*Please note: Venue is for ages 21 and up.

The fifth annual Bellevue Jazz Festival will feature more than 40 free performances by local jazz musicians throughout downtown Bellevue. Headliners include the Clayton Brothers Quintet at 8pm on Thursday, May 31, Booker T. Jones at 8pm on Friday, June 1, and the Hubert Laws Quintet at 8pm on Saturday, June 2.

Individual show tickets cost $34 general admission or $17 for students. A theatre package offers preferred seating to all three shows for $78. The headline performances will take place at the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center.

The full festival line-up will be announced in May.

• March 17-18 - International Ballet Theatre will present “Chipollino,” a family-friendly story of honor and friendship featuring a colorful cast of vegetable and fruit characters, at 7:30pm March 16-17 and at 2pm March 17-18. For tickets, call 1-800-838-3006.
• March 21 - ParentMap will host a lecture by local pediatrician Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, titled “Seattle Mama Doc: Healthy, Happiness, and Family Balance,” at 7-9pm on Wednesday, March 21. Swanson, a mother of 2 young boys, will discuss balancing family and a career, the role of smart decision-making in caring for children, and deciphering medical terminology as a parent. Tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
• March 24 - The public is invited to the “Sing-A-Long Sound of Music” at 7pm on Saturday, March 24, at 2pm on Sunday, March 25. The film, shown on the big screen, will include subtitles for the songs. Guests are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters from the movie. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes, courtesy of John Howie Steak and Seastar Restaurant & Raw Bar. Tickets are available in advance.
• April 19-22 - The Bellevue Youth Theatre will offer 2 versions of the musical “Grease” at 7pm April 19-22 and at 2pm April 21-22. The student version of “Grease” stars children, ages 8 to 13, and is suitable for all ages. The PG-version of “Grease” will be presented by the Bellevue Youth Theatre community with age-appropriate roles. All tickets cost $12 at 425-452-7155.

Meydenbauer Center is located at 11100 NE 6^th St.

The museum’s “BAMignite: Meditation Rave” runs from 8 to 11pm on Friday, March 9. The event features the museum’s new exhibition, “Making Mends,” which focuses on the power of art to transcend grief and offer comfort. During the evening guests may practice open-eye meditation in the galleries and participate in a community art project.

BAMignite will also include KEXP DJ Hannah Levine and Seattle’s Kaylee Cole performing indie pop. A cash cocktail bar will be open throughout the night.

The event is free for BAM members and tickets cost $10 for non-members. BAM members are invited to come early for the Members Celebration, from 6:30 to 8pm.

The 1960s-themed party will feature DJ Greg Vandy, live music by Seattle’s the Nightcaps, and improv theatre by Plaid Men, as well as a cash bar and Vegas-style gambling with paper money.

The event kicks off at 8pm and runs until 11pm on Friday, Jan. 20. Vintage attire is recommended, and prizes will be awarded for the best outfits.

The party is open to ages 21 and up. Tickets cost $5 for BAM members and $10 for non-members.

The biggest thing missing in this city is live entertainment, and I’m not talking people-watching at the mall or karaoke night! We’re missing plays, musicals, ballets, concerts, and the like. With Tateuchi Center in the works, the breadth of music, dance, theater, and arts will be expanded.

On a recent trip to Seattle for a showing of Teatro Zinzanni, it got me to thinking; this sort of thing needs to be in Bellevue. In fact, the show I saw even made reference to the Eastside city. Some of the featured performers in the show were Diva and The Dixies, in which they referred to as the songstresses from Bellevue. Bellevue is ready for more song and dance!

From cabaret, to circus arts, to dinner shows, the Downtown Bellevue crowd is ready for what’s next. There are many aspiring and professional artists that call Bellevue their home. They are singers, dancers, acrobats, actors, and performers. Even though Bellevue has evolved from a suburb to a city, these artists still cross the bridge for gigs in Seattle. After seeing the spectacle that is Teatro Zinzanni, it really brought to light the fact that Bellevue is ready for what’s next.

More than 400 art supporters attended Artful Evening, the Bellevue Arts Museum’s largest fundraiser of the year, on July 27.

The evening included a curator tour of the auction art and a champagne reception where guests bid on more than 130 pieces of art, donated by this year’s arts fair artists. The fundraiser continued at The Westin Bellevue with a dinner and live auction featuring works by celebrated artists, including Dale Chihuly, Preston Singletary, and Julie Speidel.

Over the past 3 years, the Bellevue Arts Museum has raised more than $550,000 through its annual auction gala. Proceeds support exhibitions and community programs and help keep the museum accessible and affordable, according to a press statement.

The Bellevue Arts Museum Artsfair
The Bellevue Arts Museum will host its 65th annual Artsfair on July 29-31 in downtown Bellevue.

The artsfair recently ranked as one of the top 100 fairs in the nation by Art Fair Sourcebook, the “Definitive Guide to the Best Juried Art & Craft Fairs in the United States,” according to a press release. The 3-day festival includes artist demonstrations, performance art, live music, and food.

More than 325 juried artists participate each year. Art enthusiasts can buy unique pieces of art, including paintings, ceramics, and jewelry, directly from the artists during the event.

This family-friendly festival runs at 9:30am to 9:30pm Friday and Saturday, July 29-30, and at 9:30am to 6pm Sunday, July 31, at Bellevue Arts Museum and Bellevue Square. Admission is free, including admission to Bellevue Arts Museum’s galleries. Visit www.bellevuearts.org/fair for more information, and weekend activities.

6th Street Fair
The 6th Street Fair, which is put on by the Bellevue Downtown Association features unique work from over 130 artists and is located next to the Bellevue Galleria. It showcases sculptures, jewelry, home décor, wood and glass work, fabrics and more.

This fair is known for its music stage, which will feature jazz, blues, and rock musicians to entertain visitors. Also available are a great variety of foods. Several food trucks and vendors set up shop within the Barnes and Noble parking lot.

The 6th Street Fair runs Friday, July 29 & Saturday, July 30 10:00 am – 8:00 pm, & Sunday, July 31 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.

http://www.bellevuedowntown.org/events/sixth_street/

Bellevue Festival of the Arts
The Bellevue Festival of the Arts is celebrating their 27th year. The festival, which is located within the World Market parking lot, features 180 of the most talented and popular artisans and craftspeople, many of which originate from the Northwest.

The festival is put on by the Craft Cooperative of the Northwest, which supports several non-profits with proceeds from the event. Festival organizers estimate the attendance to be 150,000 this year.

The Bellevue Festival of the Arts runs Friday, July 29 & Saturday, July 30 10:00 am – 8:00 pm, & Sunday, July 31 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.

http://www.bellevuefest.org/

The museum plans to expand its weekend hours, and will continue to offer free admission to all visitors on the first Friday of each month. The new hours are: 11am-5pm Tuesday through Sunday, and 11am-8pm on Free First Fridays.

The museum will offer a $25 family ticket for 2 adults and up to 4 children under the age of 18. Families signing up as museum members, for $75 per year, will receive unlimited access to the galleries, and complimentary access or discounts to family and children’s programs.

On April 1, BAM’s next Free First Friday, California-based ceramic artist Wanxin Zhang will also give a free lecture at the museum at 6:30pm. Seating is limited; visitors may RSVP at www.bellevuearts.org.

The class includes painting supplies, a 16-inch by 20-inch canvas, an apron, and a glass of sparking, red, or white wine. Purple’s chef will also prepare complimentary snacks. Students can learn from Purple’s artists, and each student will take home a piece of art. No experience is necessary.

The class runs at 2-4 pm, at Purple, located at 430 106th Ave. NE. The cost is $40 per person, and space is limited. To sign up, call (206) 838-3853 or e-mail groupdining@heavyrestaurantgroup.com.