A&E BRIEFS — July 22, 2026

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Writing workshops for youths

The North Olympic Library System (NOLS) invites teens and tweens in grades 4–12 to a free writing workshop with Seattle-based author Sujin Witherspoon. Participants will take part in a creative brainstorming exercise designed for writers of all skill levels and hear about Witherspoon’s path to becoming a published author of teen rom-coms and thrillers.

Witherspoon is a Korean American author and artist. She earned her degree in English from the University of Washington. During the one-hour program, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions about novel writing and the publishing industry.

The writing workshop will be offered at the Sequim Libray, 630 N. Sequm Ave., at 3 p.m. Thursday, July 23. It will be offered at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St., at 3 p.m. the following day, on Friday, July 24. Visit NOLS.org/events for program information.

The workshops are part of the “Plant a Seed, Read” Summer Reading Program, running through Aug. 22.

Artist reception

Gallery of the Arts, located in the lower level of the Gardner Community Center at 980 Old Gardiner Road, will host an opening reception for local artist Jean Glaser on Sunday, Aug. 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The gallery is showing her work throughout the month of August.

Animals are at the heart of Glaser’s work, and she has developed a local following.

Storytime for families

The Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave., is teaming up with local partners to offer special storytime events for children and their families. All of them will be outdoors except in cases of inclement weather. Here is the schedule:

Wednesday, July 29, 10:30 a.m., Sequim Library: Storytime with the Royal Court. Come dressed in your favorite gown, cloak or dragon costume and meet Sequim Irrigation Festival Royalty.

Thursday, July 30, 10:30 a.m., Sequim Library: Stories with Fin the Salmon. Learn about salmon, their life cycle and conservation through stories with the North Olympic Salmon Coalition. Kids can explore murals inside Fin, a 25-foot-long traveling salmon sculpture, after the presentation.

Saturday, Aug. 8, 10:30 a.m., Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson Road: Nature Storytime. Listen to nature-related stories, songs and rhymes on the plaza at the nature center.

For more information about storytime events at North Olympic Library System (NOLS) locations, visit NOLS.org/storytime, call 360-683-1161, or email Discover@NOLS.org.

These events are part of the “Plant a Seed, Read” Summer Reading Program, running through Aug. 22. Sign up for the reading challenge, earn a T-shirt or tote bag, enter to win prizes and participate in free events.

The Summer Reading Program is generously supported by local Friends of the Library groups.