Twelve years after the business burned in a Valentine's Day electrical fire, Gargoyles Statuary will celebrate its annual Cremation Sale starting Wednesday, Feb. 14, through Saturday, Feb. 17.
"It was a really horrific sight," owner Gayle Nowicki said. "We did have a lot of scorched stuff."
From the ashes
The gothic business celebrates its resurrection from the ashes every year with a sale. One year, Nowicki put items in a fireplace for a nostalgic, burnt look; another year items were taken to a glassblower's studio and torched.
Now, the sale is less about novelty and more of a way for customers to find a bargain.
"It was a big event, and I try to thank our customers every year by having this sale," Nowicki said. "It's our biggest sale of the year."
T-shirts, statuaries and jewelry will be on sale, and assorted damaged pieces will be 10 to 75 percent off.
"People have a lot of fun with it," Nowicki said. "You never know what you're going to find."
Art walk
This year, the sale coincides with the monthly University District art walk, on Friday, Feb. 16. Gargoyles Statuary, 4550 University Way N.E., will feature paintings by North Seattle resident Lis Wright Ivec, who has been selling artwork there for about five years.
Ivec's show will have a "saints and sinners" theme, with icon-style paintings of actual saints, some of whom were martyred. The paintings are made with egg-tempera paint on wood panel with gold-leaf accent. They can be viewed on-line at www. orgsites.com/wa/liswrightivec.
Ivec studied art history in Italy and found inspiration from the altars in old European churches. She also earned a bachelor's degree in painting.
When she is not painting, Ivec works in the pediatric therapy department at Swedish Medical Center. She also has volunteered at Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center for three years, where she practiced art therapy with kids.
Ivec will give a gold-leaf demonstration at Gargoyle Statuary on Saturday, from 5 to 9 p.m. In addition to her paintings, Ivec's playing cards, pendants and prayer candles will be for sale.
There will also be a wine-and-cheese reception, with harpist Lizzy Bertrand, who will sing and perform Celtic and medieval music.
Jessica Davis can be reached at needitor@nwlink.com.
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