VIDEO: Shoreline Celebrates the Arts

A flash mob of several dozen dancers flooded the scene at the Shoreline Center Saturday and swung their partners to the beat of Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" as kids munching on ice cream cones looked on.

This weekend marks the 21st annual Shoreline Arts Festival, which brought more than 60 artists and vendors to the city this year to promote and sell their works.

Nancy Frey, executive director of the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council, said she hopes people realize the importance of supporting arts and arts education as state money dwindles for programs in schools and communities.

"I think creativity is the key to our future," Frey said, referencing several programs that brings art into classrooms. "The country faces all these economic challenges, and the way that anything is going to be solved is through creativity. Arts learning—combined with math and science and all of those other subjects—it's going to help people understand how to deal with the future."

Frey said the council chose this year's theme, "Gratitude," to show thanks to the community for all the support for community art in Shoreline during trying times for budgets.

In addition to art displays and vendors, volunteers helped kids create art of their own, with several booths to make collages and colorful stamped cutouts of faces and animals.

Saturday's events also featured a cultural exhibit and the 14th annual Philippine Festival, complete with a small parade through the facility and a dance performance by local artists.

The festival continues Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Shoreline Center.

Click the video to the right to see photos and video from the event. 

Download the movie