Mercer Island Town Center was all abuzz with the excited chatter of well-heeled aficionados on Thursday during the opening of Suzanne Zahr’s gallery and office. It’s a spiffy space next to The Islander restaurant in the Aviara, replete with clean lines, exposed concrete, lush paintings and Sputnik-light snazz. Zahr is an architect who’s had a hand in many powerfully-popping modern projects spanning the land from Palm Springs’ prestigious Smoke Tree Ranch right on up to our own cloudy, northwestern shores of Semiahmoo.
Zahr’s new firm boasts an impressive host of services, from architecture to interior design, construction to corporate brand development. Perhaps the most bold and eyebrow raising move on Zahr’s part is to represent the works of artists Gitte Peters & MUGGI in her new space. Peters is a Danish-born painter, headquartered now in the glamourous principality of Monaco. A cursory look at Peters’ promotional materials and we see glossy shots of her hobnobbing with impressive Euro-notables, up to and including Prince Albert the II himself. But aside from her most remarkable coterie, Peters’ impressionistic style and nature-centric theme is perfect for the Northwestern sensibility.
Ours is a hale and hearty lifestyle, embracing of the outdoors and all its rugged riches, and Peters’ work romanticizes these very ideals with bracing composition and wild bursts of color. One can easily imagine these lustrous works prominently displayed in the homes of Mercer Island’s own distinguished citizenry.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for Zahr’s gallery was graced by the supportive attendance of Mayor Bruce Bassett and several Chamber Officers & Directors. Looks like Zahr is adding a fresh burst of artsy energy to the commercial epicenter of our fine island. And with talks of MICA potentially starting construction in 2017, Zahr is leading the way for a cultural renaissance for our bodacious burb. And that is something that many of us have been desiring for years.
T. Tableau, Cultural Blogger
Tableau Knows, Mercer Island Musings and Meanderings
Special Thanks to Mayor Bruce Bassett & the Mercer Island City Council & Chamber of Commerce for welcoming us so warmly to the Mercer Island retail community.
Featured Artists (traveled from Europe):
Gitte Peters & MUGGI
5% of Art sales donated to:
Art with Heart
Food & Drink:
The Islander
Event Planning:
Bold & Fancy
Fire-Nado by:
Architectural Elements
Event Photos:
Alice Kalis Photography
Additional Credits: SZ: Under Construction