TACOMA ARTS MONTH is this OCTOBER!

Join Us for the 2023 Tacoma Arts Month Celebration!

We’re celebrating 22 years of arts in Tacoma, and we couldn’t be more excited. Prepare for an unforgettable month-long journey into the world of creativity, expression, and community engagement. The 2023 Tacoma Arts Month brings you a captivating lineup of events that showcase the city’s vibrant arts scene, inviting you to immerse yourself in the magic of artistic expression.

Event Highlights:

• Kaleidoscope Opening Party – October 5th: Kick off Tacoma Arts Month with a kaleidoscope of music and dance performances, hands-on activities, visual art, and more. Join us on October 5th from 6:30 to 9:00 pm at the STAR Center, 3873 S. 66th Street, for this free and family-friendly community festival. Indulge in appetizers, savor a no-host bar, and be part of honoring the 2023 AMOCAT Arts Award recipients. It’s a night of celebration and artistic wonder that you won’t want to miss!
• Artist Studio Tour – October 14th & 15th: Step into the working studios of Tacoma artists on October 14th and 15th, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Explore the artistic process up close, engage in hands-on activities, and take the chance to purchase one-of-a-kind creations. This unique experience offers a personal connection with local artists, fostering a deeper appreciation for their craft. The studios across Tacoma are your gateway to the heart of the city’s creative spirit.
• Arts at the Armory – November 11th & 12th: Don’t miss the grand finale of Tacoma Arts Month! On November 11th and 12th, from 11 am to 5 pm, the Tacoma Armory, 1001 S Yakima Ave, transforms into an interactive arts haven. Discover the creations of Tacoma artists from diverse disciplines and mediums. Engage with artists, learn about their creative process, ask questions, and find that perfect, one-of-a-kind piece to take home. Local food trucks will also be on-site to satisfy your hunger during this creative immersion.

We’re celebrating 22 years of fostering creativity, expression, and community through art in Tacoma. This year’s Tacoma Arts Month promises an even more enchanting experience as we honor our artistic heritage and pave the way for the future. Join us in this celebration of art, culture, and connection. The 2023 Tacoma Arts Month is your invitation to be part of a vibrant tapestry that continues to weave the spirit of Tacoma’s creative legacy.

Celebrate Arts! Experience Culture!

Learn more at https://tacomaartsmonth.org/

Nominations sought for 2019 AMOCAT Arts Awards

AMOCAT Arts Award illustration designed by Chandler O’Leary

The Tacoma Arts Commission is accepting nominations for the 2019 AMOCAT Arts Awards, which recognize the people and organizations that positively impact Tacoma with their passion, innovation and commitment to the arts. Nominations will be accepted through Aug. 4, 2019.

The Tacoma Arts Commission will review all nominations and select one finalist in each award category based on the breadth and depth of the nominee’s community impact as well as the quality of the work being done by the nominee. Mayor Victoria Woodards will present the 2019 AMOCAT Arts Awards at Kaleidoscope, the Tacoma Arts Month opening party on Oct. 2, 2019.

Award Categories:

1. Community Outreach by an Individual– Community outreach, engagement and involvement in the arts in Tacoma by an individual
2. Community Outreach by an Organization– Community outreach, engagement and involvement in the arts in Tacoma by an organization
3. Arts Patron– A community partner who significantly supports or contributes to the arts in Tacoma

To Make a Nomination:

Fill out the online nomination form via Submittable: https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit. You must create a Submittable account in order to complete the form.

Past Award Winners:

In the category of Community Outreach by an Individual, past winners include: Jackie Fender, Michael Haeflinger, Christopher Paul Jordan, Connie K. Walle, Jessica Spring, David Domkoski, Katy Evans, Stella Haioulani, Oliver Doriss, William Kupinse, Linda Danforth, Lance Kagey & Tom Llewellyn, Laura and Matt Eklund, Jared Pappas-Kelley & Michael S. Lent, and Lynn Di Nino.

In the category of Community Outreach by an Organization, past winners include: Tacoma Little Theatre, Monkeyshines, Tacoma Youth Symphony Association, Tacoma Public Library, Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Puget Sound Book Artists, The Grand Cinema, D.A.S.H. Center for the Arts, Fab-5, Hilltop Artists, King’s Books, Victory Music, Barefoot Studios, Tacoma School of the Arts, Tacoma Art Museum & Museum of Glass Education Programs, and Arts Impact.

In the category of Arts Patron, past winners include: MultiCare Health System, Tacoma Housing Authority, Metro Parks Tacoma, University of Washington Tacoma, ArtsFund, Erivan and Helga Haub and Family, Key Bank, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Urban Grace Church, City Arts, Hotel Murano, The Weekly Volcano, 6th Avenue Business District, Pierce Transit, and Sound Transit Art Program.

More Information:

More information about the AMOCAT Arts Awards is available at cityoftacoma.org/amocat.

Nominations sought for 2019 AMOCAT Arts Awards

AMOCAT Arts Award illustration designed by Chandler O’Leary

The Tacoma Arts Commission is accepting nominations for the 2019 AMOCAT Arts Awards, which recognize the people and organizations that positively impact Tacoma with their passion, innovation and commitment to the arts. Nominations will be accepted through Aug. 4, 2019.

The Tacoma Arts Commission will review all nominations and select one finalist in each award category based on the breadth and depth of the nominee’s community impact as well as the quality of the work being done by the nominee. Mayor Victoria Woodards will present the 2019 AMOCAT Arts Awards at Kaleidoscope, the Tacoma Arts Month opening party on Oct. 2, 2019.

Award Categories:

1. Community Outreach by an Individual– Community outreach, engagement and involvement in the arts in Tacoma by an individual
2. Community Outreach by an Organization– Community outreach, engagement and involvement in the arts in Tacoma by an organization
3. Arts Patron– A community partner who significantly supports or contributes to the arts in Tacoma

To Make a Nomination:

Fill out the online nomination form via Submittable: https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit. You must create a Submittable account in order to complete the form.

Past Award Winners:

In the category of Community Outreach by an Individual, past winners include: Jackie Fender, Michael Haeflinger, Christopher Paul Jordan, Connie K. Walle, Jessica Spring, David Domkoski, Katy Evans, Stella Haioulani, Oliver Doriss, William Kupinse, Linda Danforth, Lance Kagey & Tom Llewellyn, Laura and Matt Eklund, Jared Pappas-Kelley & Michael S. Lent, and Lynn Di Nino.

In the category of Community Outreach by an Organization, past winners include: Tacoma Little Theatre, Monkeyshines, Tacoma Youth Symphony Association, Tacoma Public Library, Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Puget Sound Book Artists, The Grand Cinema, D.A.S.H. Center for the Arts, Fab-5, Hilltop Artists, King’s Books, Victory Music, Barefoot Studios, Tacoma School of the Arts, Tacoma Art Museum & Museum of Glass Education Programs, and Arts Impact.

In the category of Arts Patron, past winners include: MultiCare Health System, Tacoma Housing Authority, Metro Parks Tacoma, University of Washington Tacoma, ArtsFund, Erivan and Helga Haub and Family, Key Bank, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Urban Grace Church, City Arts, Hotel Murano, The Weekly Volcano, 6th Avenue Business District, Pierce Transit, and Sound Transit Art Program.

More Information:

More information about the AMOCAT Arts Awards is available at cityoftacoma.org/amocat.

Tacoma Arts Month is coming, what do you have planned?

Call for Arts Activities
18th annual Tacoma Arts Month
October 1 – 31, 2019

Will you be hosting an arts event in October? Do you want to contribute to the arts programming offered in Tacoma, build community, and benefit from free publicity?
Submit your arts activity for inclusion in the 2019 Tacoma Arts Month online calendar!

The Tacoma Arts Commission is seeking submissions of arts activities happening during Tacoma Arts Month this October. We are looking for a variety of activities spanning all categories of art and culture including but not limited to music, visual art, literary art, dance, theater, and film.

If you will be hosting an exhibition, performance, class, workshop, reception, lecture, tour, artists’ market, celebration, meeting, presentation, or any other programming, let us know. We will list your arts event in an interactive and searchable online calendar of events on tacomaartsmonth.com. There is no cost to you. We will be promoting the many events going on throughout the month through newspaper and magazine advertisements and articles, electronic newsletters, television ads, radio ads, and through a variety of social media outlets.

This month would not be possible without the participation of local businesses, organizations, and community members. We encourage you to participate by hosting your own arts activity or event.

The deadline for the first round of submissions is August 5, 2019. We will accept activities on a rolling basis after that but submitting your information by August 5^th will ensure that your activity is included in the first round of information that will go out.

To Qualify:

Your arts activity must be located within the City of Tacoma limits and occur during the month of October.

To Participate:

Fill out the online submission form via Submittable: https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit. Please note: If you are submitting multiple events, please fill out an individual form for each event.

Questions? Contact Chevi Chung at (253) 591-5171 or cchung1@cityoftacoma.org or Naomi Strom-Avila at (253) 591-5191 or nstrom-avila@cityoftacoma.org

Call for Tacoma Artists: 2019 Tacoma Studio Tour

Application deadline: Monday, July 1, 2019, 11:59 pm

Tacoma Studio Tour dates: Saturday, October 12 & Sunday, October 13, 2019

Are you a professional artist that lives in Tacoma and/or has a working studio in Tacoma? Help us advance the visibility of the arts in Tacoma by applying to participate in our 18^th annual Tacoma Studio Tour! The Tacoma Studio Tour is an exciting way to open your studio to the public, give demonstrations of how you make your work, or host a hands-on activity for the community.

The Tacoma Arts Commission is seeking professional artists who are willing to open their studios to the public for the Tacoma Studio Tour, one of the features of Tacoma Arts Month this October. The emphasis of this tour is to raise visibility of the arts and provide artistic opportunities for the community to connect to the arts. We encourage artists to have work for sale. Studios will be open on Saturday, October 12^th and Sunday, October 13^th from 11 am to 5 pm. Artists can choose to be open on Saturday, Sunday, or both days. The Tacoma Arts Commission will produce extensive electronic publicity materials including email newsletters, social media posts, and an interactive website and map. We will also produce a printed brochure for the Tacoma Studio Tour. The studio tours are free to both the artists and visitors. Artists are encouraged to use the Tacoma Arts Month publicity materials to invite personal guests and patrons to attend this event.

This year, we will be continuing the Studio Tour Passport program as an incentive for people to visit new and/or multiple studios. Each studio space will receive a unique stamp to indicate guests’ attendance. Studio Tour artists are encouraged, but not required, to donate a small art item that can be included in the prize packages.

Deadline for applications is Monday, July 1, 2019, 11:59 pm. Applicants will be juried in a competitive process by a sub-committee of the Tacoma Arts Commission and selected based on the quality of artwork and the overall diversity of the work presented, as well as geographic diversity of the studios.

People who are members of historically disenfranchised racial, ethnic, cultural, and other identity groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Eligibility:

• You must live within the City of Tacoma limits and/or your working studio must be located within the City of Tacoma limits
• You must provide a demonstration of your art form and/or provide a hands-on activity for attendees
• You must actively promote the Studio Tour to your own contacts

If you would like to be a guest at another studio, the above guidelines still apply. A studio is defined as a location where artwork is created on a consistent basis.

To Apply:

Eligible artists interested in this opportunity must fill out the online application form and attach the following items via Submittable: https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit

1. Five Work Samples: Submit 5 high quality JPEG files of your past work or 5 video/URL samples of your work, if you work in performance or media. If selected for the tour, we will use the images in materials produced for Tacoma Arts Month. Images must be at least 300 ppi resolution. Images smaller than 600 pixels per side are not recommended
2. Artist Resume or Bio (if you have not participated in the Studio Tour in the past 2 years)

Please note: each artist in a group studio needs to submit their own application, work samples, and artist bio.

Questions? Contact Naomi Strom-Avila at 253.591.5191 or nstrom-avila@cityoftacoma.org

Tacoma Creates Pre-Application Survey Now Available

Tacoma Creates Pre-Application Survey

About this Survey
Tacoma-based arts, culture, heritage, and science organizations that provide public programming in Tacoma are invited to complete the Tacoma Creates Pre-Application Survey. This survey is intended to help the City of Tacoma’s Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality understand the field of organizations who may be eligible to apply for Tacoma Creates funding. It will also help us plan appropriate Tacoma Creates funding programs and capacity building opportunities.

Fill out the Survey
The survey is available online at tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit. Only one person per organization should complete this survey.

Organizations are strongly encouraged to complete this survey by Monday, May 20, 2019 in order to help build the most informed funding programs possible. Surveys will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis after this date. All organizations that intend to apply for Tacoma Creates funding will be required to complete this survey first.

Please help spread the word about this survey and share the survey link with other Tacoma-based arts, culture, heritage, and science organizations!

What is Tacoma Creates?
Tacoma Creates is a voter-approved initiative to increase access to arts, culture, heritage, and science experiences throughout Tacoma by reducing barriers to access and expanding offerings, particularly for underserved youth. Tacoma Creates was established to expand equity and access to Tacoma’s arts, culture, science and heritage programs. Examples of public benefits include:

• Increased opportunities for children and youth through before and after school, and summer programs
• Financial and technical support for community programs, events, and activities
• Free and reduced-price tickets, admission, and memberships to arts, culture, heritage, and science experiences, with a focus on lower income families and public school students

Find out more about Tacoma Creates at www.cityoftacoma.org/TacomaCreates.

Tacoma Creates Eligibility
Under state law, eligibility for Tacoma Creates funding extends to any 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural organization in Tacoma, whose primary purpose is the advancement and preservation of science or technology, the visual or performing arts, zoology, botany, anthropology, heritage, or natural history. These organizations must also have at least a two-year track record of directly providing programming or experiences available to the general public. Programs and projects can be fiscally sponsored by eligible organizations.

Excluded from eligibility is any agency of the state or any of its political subdivisions; any municipal corporation; any organization that raises funds for redistribution to multiple cultural organizations; and any radio or television broadcasting network or station, cable communications system, internet-based communications venture or service, newspaper, or magazine.

Questions?
Email contact@tacomacreates.com

Tacoma’s 2019-2021 Poet Laureate is…

2019-2021 Tacoma Poet Laureate Abby E. Murray.

The Tacoma Arts Commission has announced the selection of Abby E. Murray as Tacoma’s 2019-2021 Poet Laureate. Over the next two years, Murray will participate in and host public poetry readings, workshops and other community events to advance the literary arts in Tacoma.

“My admiration for the literary arts community in Tacoma is as genuine as my love of home. As a military spouse and poet who’s spent a lot of time thinking about what it means to belong, I want to increase the reach and impact, geographically and socially, of poetry as a survival skill. We are a fragmented nation. I want to help weave us together, one poem at a time.” – Abby E. Murray

Pass the Torch: Tacoma Poet Laureate Celebration

As a wrap-up of National Poetry Month, 2017-2019 Tacoma Poet Laureate Kellie Richardson and the Tacoma Arts Commission will host Pass the Torch, a poetry and music event at which Murray will officially be awarded the title. The free, public event will be held Wednesday, April 24, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., at Tacoma Arts Live, Studio 3 (901 Broadway). Featured poets will include Murray, Richardson, 2015-2017 Tacoma Poet Laureate Thy Nguyễn, and emerging poet and University of Washington Tacoma student Byron Gaines II. Light refreshments will be served and attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a hands-on project. Pass the Torch is hosted by Tacoma Arts Live.

About Abby E. Murray

Abby E. Murray is a poet, instructor, editor and activist. She was born in Puyallup, Wash. but spent years moving from state to state with her husband, who is still active duty in the U.S. Army. She recently returned to the Tacoma area when he was assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord. She earned a bachelor of arts degree at Seattle University, a master of fine arts degree at Pacific University and a doctorate degree at Binghamton University. She also taught creative writing at universities and community colleges in Colorado, Georgia, Washington and New York.

Because Murray identifies as a conflicted pacifist indirectly impacted by military service, her poetry, essays and community endeavors often focus on the lasting ramifications of violent conflict beyond the combat zone. She is the editor of Collateral, a literary journal that publishes creative work exploring this experience, and is passionate about creating platforms to amplify voices of marginalized writers and artists. War reaches into all our lives, she says, which is why she teaches poetry and writing workshops to the public and military families, trauma survivors, and the undocumented and detained. She also teaches creative writing at Tacoma School of the Arts and argumentation to army colonels on fellowship to the University of Washington from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Murray has several chapbooks published, including Quick Draw: Poems from a Soldier’s Wife (2012) and How to be Married After Iraq (2018), and her first full-length collection of poems, Hail and Farewell, recently won the Perugia Press Poetry Prize and will be released in fall 2019. She considers her poetry to be her most tested and trusted survival skill.

About the Tacoma Poet Laureate Program

Information regarding the Tacoma Poet Laureate program, founded in 2008 by Urban Grace Church and transitioned to the City of Tacoma’s Arts Program in 2011, is available at cityoftacoma.org/poet.

2019 Arts Anchor Fund and 2019-2020 TAIP Recipients Announced

10 Arts Organizations and 24 Artists Funded by Tacoma Arts Commission

Hilltop Artists team production students working at Museum of Glass.

The Tacoma Arts Commission has awarded $130,000 to 10 Tacoma-based arts organizations through its Arts Anchor Fund program, and $60,000 to 24 Tacoma artists through its Tacoma Artists Initiative Program. The Arts Anchor Fund program awards range in value from $10,000 to $16,000 each and the Tacoma Artists Initiative Program awards are $2,500 each.

“We are excited and honored to support furthering the arts in our community. From large organizations, to groups and individual artists, our city benefits from projects and events that encourage dialogue between one another, foster engagement and expand our understanding of one another.” – Heather Conklin, Tacoma Arts Commission Chair

Arts Anchor Fund Program Awards

The 2019 Arts Anchor Fund program award recipients are: The Grand Cinema, Hilltop Artists, Museum of Glass, Northwest Sinfonietta, Symphony Tacoma, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma Little Theatre, Tacoma Musical Playhouse, Tacoma Opera, and Tacoma Youth Symphony Association.

In 2018, these organizations served 525,375, provided free admission to 136,816, and generated an estimated $14.5 million in collateral spending for the local economy.

The Tacoma Arts Commission established the Arts Anchor Fund program in 1995 to provide financial support to major local not-for-profit arts organizations that significantly improve the quality of life for Tacoma. These arts organizations serve Tacoma’s community through regularly scheduled performances, exhibits and events, and school and outreach programs.

Tacoma Musical Playhouse’s CampTMP Youth Honor Camp performers in a production of A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Tacoma Artists Initiative Program Awards

‘Micro Spill’ by RYAN! Feddersen

The 2019-2020 Tacoma Artists Initiative Program funded artists are: Kristina Batiste, Dionne Bonner, Gabriel Brown, Sarah A. Chavez, Kim Davenport, Alice Di Certo, Kyle Dillehay, RYAN! Feddersen, Erin Guinup, Chad Hagedorn, Lucia Harrison, Fumiko Kimura, Nori Kimura, Lisa Kinoshita, Sasha LaPointe, Melinda Raebyne, Elizabeth Reeves, Brian Robinson, Jeanette Sanchez-Izenman, Jamika Scott, Kenya Shakoor, Sharon Styer, Wendy Wahman, and Anique Zimmer

Funded Tacoma Artists Initiative Program projects include: production and screening of short films and a virtual reality project; writing, recording, and performing of music; a theater production; writing and reading of a poetry chapbook, memoir, and zine with accompanying writing workshops; writing and illustrating books; a lending library of handmade pottery; a glass arts residency; and the creation and exhibition of visual art with accompanying workshops focused on photography, artist books, illustrations, paintings, recycled media, Sumi-e and haiku paintings, jewelry and terrariums, mixed-media, and collage.

Student electronic e-waste mandala workshop led by Gabriel Brown.

The Tacoma Artists Initiative Program was established in 1999 to assist artists with the generation of new work, and to share their talent with the public in a free and accessible format.

The Arts Anchor Fund program and Tacoma Artists Initiative Program are two of three funding programs administered by the Tacoma Arts Commission. For a complete listing of funding programs and information about the Tacoma Arts Commission, visit cityoftacoma.org/arts.