09/03/2026
These are the stories that made the Meyer Art Festival on Saturday, August 29, so meaningful!
Musician, Michael Gotz and his band opened the festival with our first concert at 10am.
Here's the back story,
Michael, and artist, Dianna Shyne moved to to Camano Island in 2005. Dianna taught painting and participated in the communities art related activities, and Michael played guitar and keyboards for local events.
In 2014, Michael was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an aggressive blood/bone cancer, and needed chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. Fortunately, insurance paid for much of the treatment, but other costs were rising.
The Stanwood Camano Art Guild, in conjunction with many local artists, created a community fund raiser in the Art Guilds’ Stanwood Gallery. The event was beautiful, meaningful, and filled with the kind of love and care that happens when community comes together in love.
The funds from that evening helped Dianna remain as caregiver during the most difficult parts of Michaels treatment. The Autologous stem Cell transplant was a complete success, and within months of the procedure, Michael was diagnosed as cancer free.
Since then, Michael and Dianna moved to Portland, Oregon to be a part of their grandchildren’s lives. But the connection to the arts community of Stanwood/ Camano remained…through friendships created during those special years, and through Mary Pilkington and John and Linda Hadley and the Dorsey family…a lasting friendship with Jack and Ann, Through Jed and Renae Dorsey, (Dianna Teaches at Acrylic University), and Jason and Jenny Dorsey (Sunnyshore Studio and the Meyer Center). Just to name a few.
In some way, Michael and Dianna wanted to do something to give back to the community that gave so much, so they are volunteering to be a part of the Meyer Center summer celebration. Dianna as Plein air juror, and Michael as performing musician. So please come say hello to Dianna and Michael. They are eager to reconnect with their many friends from the community.
This is just one story of many for how art can weave community, building bridges between people. Thanks Michael for your contribution!
