Newcastle Arts Council

10/07/2026

2026 Newcastle Holiday Market

Newcastle Arts Council is now accepting applications for our annual holiday market on November 28th in Newcastle. If you are interested in participating please send an e-mail to [email protected] to receive additional information.

10/02/2026

2027 Newcastle Lunar New Year Celebration

Newcastle Arts Council along with our partners are looking for a few volunteers to help us plan and execute our 2027 Lunar New Year Celebration in Newcastle as members of the steering committee and as support on the day of the event.

The steer committee will meet about once a month in 2026 and more frequently leading up to the event in early 2027. This is one of Newcastle's biggest events of the year.

If you are interested in helping out with the event on the steering committee or are interested in volunteering on the day of the event please sign up using the following link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gbOnP6LZLacXo8p7cc47a5myQxTfUkHy2o9ebDwMoTk/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks for helping in Making the Arts Come Alive in Newcastle.

Ed

10/02/2026

Our 2026 Newcastle Area Fall Art Exhibition concluded last week at the Newcastle Library. As part of the exhibition the public had the opportunity to vote on their favorites in the exhibition. The public has spoken and here are the winners:

Favorite: Gold Creek Pond by Balkrishna E.
Second Favorite: Derpy and Sussie meets Minhwa by Junghwa Cho
Third Favorite: Rose Myrtles and Orioles by Li Han Chen

Congratulations to the winners and to all the artists who shared their artwork with the community while participating in the exhibition.

Winners are receiving some prizes supported by: Newcastle Arts Council, Newcastle Shell, QFC, DIY Tea Lab, Little Kiddos Music Academy, Friends of Newcastle Library, King County Library System, City of Newcastle, and 4Culture.

Thank you to these organizations for supporting the arts in Newcastle.

09/19/2026

Lantern designs are turning out beautiful.
Newcastle Days 26 !

09/14/2026

Do you have textiles or clothes that you do not need anymore? The Liberty High Choirs are holding a textile/soft goods drive. This is an activity the choirs have taken part in for many years and it provides critical funding for the choir program at Liberty High School. Please support the choirs with your unneeded soft goods. All materials donated are reused.

09/10/2026

Here is a way to embrace your culinary art talents.

Think you bake the best apple pie in Newcastle? Prove it!

Join the Community Activities Commission for an Apple Pie Baking Competition on Saturday, October 4 at 10:00 am at Newcastle Fruit & Produce Co. Judges will be scoring on appearance, crust, filling, and flavor, so bring your best recipe and your secret ingredient.
Part of the celebration of America's 250th Anniversary
Register by 12:00 pm on Friday, September 25: bit.ly/NewcastleApplePie
Learn more: newcastlewa.gov/event/apple-pie-baking-competition/

09/03/2026

Newcastle Days - September 19, 2026

Newcastle Days is coming up on September 19th at Lake Boren Park. Lots of volunteers are need for various tasks throughout the day to help put on this event. Newcastle Arts Council has historically been present at this event with an art project for the community to get involved with and showcase their creativity. This year is no different.

Please consider signing up to volunteer whether to support Newcastle Arts Council or in some other capacity. Your reward for volunteering is helping to create community in Newcastle and you get a t-shirt.

Thanks for helping out. The volunteer sign up link is below.

Ed

SignUp.com makes it easy to coordinate school events & classroom activities, fundraisers, snack schedules, potlucks & more!

09/02/2026

Here is an opportunity for youth in our community.

Flag Challenge Information: For the first time, Washington's Ninth Congressional District is hosting an Alternate State Flag Challenge as an opportunity to recognize and encourage creativity and artistic talent in our district. Students will submit their interpretation of an alternate Washington state flag, along with a title and description of the design’s meaning.

Please submit your piece following the 2026 Alternate State Flag Challenge Requirements:

Who May Enter

The Flag Challenge competition is open to elementary through high school students (Kindergarten – 12th grade). The competition will be divided into three categories: elementary students, middle school students, and high school students.

Students should go to school or reside within Washington’s Ninth Congressional District. If you are unsure whether your home or school is located within the district, you may check here.

Flag designs must be the creation of a single student. Students may not collaborate on an entry.

Size Restrictions

Flag design submissions must be the size of a Letter sized paper (8.5in x 11in). If your design is selected as the winner of the competition, our office may ask for the original design copy to be turned in or mailed to either our Washington D.C. or Kent Office.

Acceptable Media

Paintings: oil, acrylic, watercolor, etc.
Drawings: colored pencil, pencil, ink, marker, pastels, charcoal (charcoal and pastel must be fixed)
Collages (must be two-dimensional)
Due Date (RECENTLY EXTENDED): Friday, October 2, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. PT

Learn More: https://adamsmith.house.gov/services/students

Submission Information: Each student must email a copy of their Student Information and Release Form which includes a description of their flag and its meaning (unless elementary-aged), and a photocopy of their submission to [email protected].

08/31/2026

The 2026 Newcastle Area Fall Art Exhibition is now up at the Newcastle Library and can be viewed during normal library hours. Please plan to stop by and view some of the wonderful artistic talent that we have in our greater Newcastle community.

There will be an opening night reception on Wednesday, September 2nd from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at the library. At this event the public will have the opportunity to meet some of the artists, view their artwork and celebrate with them. Everyone is welcome.

During the exhibition, which will run for four weeks, the public will have the opportunity to vote on their favorites of the exhibition as part of our People's Choice Competition. This activity is supported by local businesses and organizations who have provided some prices for the winners and a random individual of the public who completes a ballot.

A special thanks to KCLS, Newcastle Library, Friends of Newcastle Library, and 4Culture for their partnership in these art exhibitions which have been running twice a year since 2018.