Kirkland, Wash. — Vintimate at Kirkland’s Heathman Hotel will skillfully combine original works of art by local artisans Michael Ferguson, Toni Lagoria Almerico and Mike “Piano Man” Mansour; freshly hand-picked farm ingredients from Brian Scheehser’s 18-acre plot; and wine from Pondera Winery on Thursday, September 15, 2016, from 5-8pm in the San Juan Ballroom. The expressive event will feature exclusive pours from the family-run boutique winery located in the Warehouse Winery District of Woodinville.
Winemaker Shane Howard has been making wine since 2003 and the winery officially launched as the Pondera brand in 2005. Pondera specializes in the production of premium red blends and varietals using grapes sourced from several outstanding Washington state vineyards. Every wine is hand-crafted in limited lots with the entire production totaling around 3,000 cases annually.
Pondera is owned by the Howard family, who also owns and operates the Howard/Mandville Gallerym a fine art establishment located in downtown Kirkland. The owners regularly feature a rotating exhibit of original paintings from their gallery’s artists at their Woodinville tasting room, many of whom have graced some of the winery’s artist series wine labels.
Mike Mansour is a highly accomplished solo and concert pianist, who was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and has proudly spent the last 33 years in the United States. Mansour studied at Eubank Conservatory of Music and Art in Los Angeles and earned a Master’s Degree in Music. He has maintained a keen interest in contemporary music and consistently adds new content to his extensive repertoire. Mansour has traveled to several countries, playing for all types of audiences. He produced his first studio album, “Midnight Moods.”
“My painting approach is fundamentally representational. The reality of the scene is readily apparent, followed by a fracturing of shape and color upon closer inspection. I enjoy using the oil medium for field painting during assorted road trips and hikes,” Ferguson shares. “Outdoor painting encourages a more impressionistic and suggestive quality due to the ever-changing conditions.”
Almerico’s artistic composition spans the extraordinary. “The work is primarily an exploration of and obsession with symmetry and geometry, specifically the play of flat patterns against three dimensional content,” she says.
“The compositions are about high contrast, bisecting lines and jarring color combinations. There is a consistent interest in the depiction of movement through the grouping together of similar shapes juxtaposed with larger more hard edged static images. Some of the smaller clustered shapes are seen to break free and travel.”
Ferguson and Almerico’s artwork will be on display at the Hotel through September 2016.
Vintimate is a 21 and over event. Tickets are $35 per person in advance and $40 per person at the door. Both price options are inclusive of tax, gratuity, and commemorative glass. To purchase, call 425-284-5858 or email events@heathmankirkland.com.