Art is alive again on the walls of the Mercer Island Community and Event Center.

The walls, which were once adorned with paintings from Mercer Island Visual Arts League (MIVAL) members, were bare for 18 months during the pandemic. An essential pop of creativity and color has returned, and people are thrilled.

“It’s very affirming to the individual and it’s fun to share it with the community,” said MIVAL’s Mary McKelvey. “We get a lot of positive feedback on lots of levels and think it’s very important to include art in every walk of life.”

The city-operated Mercer Island Gallery at the community and event center, 8236 SE 24th St., is displaying the works until Dec. 17. Over at MIVAL’s gallery location at 2836 78th Ave. SE, they are holding their annual holiday show from Nov. 3-Dec. 23.

MIVAL was closed for four months at the start of the pandemic in 2020, but emerged from its dormancy upon receiving the green light and began welcoming art lovers back inside the gallery. MIVAL features about 85 members who display a diverse selection of art, including 2D, 3D, craft, jewelry, glass, ceramics and sculpture.

Gallery manager Judith Roan feels it’s important for people to always have art in their lives. Many MIVAL artists like herself have retired from other careers to focus on the creative side of their brains by displaying their work and pulling in some money from sales.

MIVAL’s Shirley Cherberg said that nothing makes her happier than unleashing her creativity with her art.

Anne Hritzay, another MIVAL member, said that art resides throughout the Island at such places as Suzanne Zahr Gallery, Clarke & Clarke Art + Artifacts and Lighthouse Gallery, and at the first Friday artwalks and various venues where MIVAL hangs art.

“We certainly have a really strong community of artists that support each other, so it’s a really important connection for all of us. When our gallery and art community is active, it extends out to events in the community,” she said.

Examples of this is MIVAL’s involvement in Mercer Island Art UnCorked, the Summer Celebration art show and Mostly Music in the Park with children’s art activities. MIVAL also puts local youth in the spotlight with an art scholarship fund for high schoolers and its Junior Art Show.

“All of these things are kind of a way to bring a diverse group of artists in our community together as a bit of a touchstone,” Hritzay said.

For more information, visit https://mival.org/