Calling Tacoma Artists for the Tacoma Studio Tours

Jessica Spring shows a young visitor how the press works.

Tacoma Studio Tour
November 2 & 3, 2013

Are you a professional artist that lives in Tacoma and/or has a working studio in Tacoma? Do you want to open your studio to the public, demonstrate how you make your work, host a hands-on activity, and help raise the visibility of the arts in Tacoma? Apply to participate in our 12^th annual Tacoma Studio Tour!

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 Art at Work: Tacoma Arts Month this November. The emphasis of this tour is on raising visibility of the arts and providing artistic opportunities for the community to connect to the arts. While we encourage artists to have work for sale, the intention is not primarily as a studio sale. Studios will be open on Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3 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, blog 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.

A private entity is working on plans to provide a bus tour of studio locations. Studio Tour artists will have the opportunity to opt-in to being a stop along the bus tour route for a fee. More information about this optional service will be provided to all Studio Tour artists later this summer.

Deadline for submissions is Monday, July 22, 2013, midnight. 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.

To qualify:

1. You must live within the City of Tacoma limits and/or your working studio must be located within the City of Tacoma limits
2. You must provide a demonstration of your art form and/or provide a hands-on activity for attendees
3. You must actively promote the Studio Tours 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.

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

To apply, submit the following three items:

1. Online Studio Tour Application
   Go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/2013TST and fill out the online application form.

Please submit the following two items by email to tacoma.submissions@cityoftacoma.org with the words “Studio Tour_Your Last Name” in the subject line.

2. 5 Work Samples
   Digital images only. Original work and slides cannot be accepted. We will use the images in materials produced for Art at Work month.
   • File Format Submit only “High” quality JPEG files (do not use GIF, TIFF, or other formats.) Do not embed the images into PowerPoint or submit moving image or audio files.
   • Image Size Images must be at least 300 ppi resolution. Images smaller than 600 pixels per side are not recommended.
3. Resume (if you have not participated in the Studio Tour in the past 2 years)

Notice for all of you artists who like to plan for the long-term:
Based on overwhelmingly supportive feedback we received from the community, Art at Work Month will be moving to October in 2014. Not this year. Next year. We’ll have more information for you when we get closer.

the BareFoot Collective is Dancing into Fall

The BareFoot Collective (tBFC) has a new vision for its annual fall concert: they are taking dance out of the theatre and sharing it with the public through free performances all around Tacoma! tBFC is partnering with businesses and public spaces to host these free dance performances:

Wednesday, November 7th, 6 pm at King’s Books, 218 St. Helens Ave
Thursday, November 8th, 7 pm at Indochine, 1924 Pacific Ave
Wednesday, November 14th, 7 pm at The Mix, 635 Saint Helens Ave
Thursday, November 15th, 7 pm at Indochine, 1924 Pacific Ave
Friday, November 16th, 8 – 9:30 pm – Cork Wine Bar, 606 North State St
Saturday, November 17th, 3 pm – Tacoma Public Library, 1102 Tacoma Avenue South

tBFC dancers are working with seven local choreographers to program 30-40 minute line-ups of innovative modern dance including improvisation, contemporary, dance-theatre, butoh-inspired, and body percussion works to share with audiences in these non-traditional performance spaces.

“We are thrilled to partner with local businesses this fall and bring dance to the people where they are. Tacomans will not have to go to the theater and buy a ticket to see dance this November – the BareFoot Collective is steppin’ out!” says co-director Katie Stricker.

All performances are free. For further information please check out the BareFoot Collective’s website, on Facebook, or by calling 206-745-0492.

Presenting The Young Creative this November

The Young Creative is a collective of vibrant, imaginative, and productive emerging young artists. 88 of these artists, participating from 6 Tacoma Public Schools, are presenting their work throughout November in a neighborhood location near you!

Exhibiting true community partnerships, seven businesses and community centers throughout Tacoma are showcasing the work of these artists all month-long. The exhibits include both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional artwork including drawings, prints, paintings, graphic design, photography, ceramics, and glass art, all of which is for sale. 

“Placing our artwork into the community gives us the opportunity to receive critical feedback from the public,” says The Young Creative.  “We hope to provide opportunities for a larger audience to enjoy and help support emerging artists and the educational programs that promote our growth.”

Come see The Young Creative at any of these seven exhibit locations:

Antique Sandwich Company, 5102 N. Pearl Street
Gallery Hours: Monday – Saturday 7 AM – 7:30 PM, Sunday 9 AM – 5 PM
Artist Reception: November 5, 5 – 7 PM

Visitor Information Center, 1516 Pacific Avenue
Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 9 AM – 5 PM
Artist Reception: November 7, 5 – 7 PM

Judith Kopp Gallery, UW Tacoma, 1914 Pacific Avenue
Gallery Hours: Open during UWT building hours
Artist Reception at Visitor Information Center: November 7, 5 – 7 PM 

WRITE@253, 1310 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way
Gallery Hours: November 3 & 4, 11 AM – 5 PM
Artist Reception: November 8, 5 – 7 PM 

STAR Center, Metro Parks Tacoma, 3873 S. 66th Street
Gallery Hours: Monday – Thursday 5 AM – 10 PM, Friday 5 AM – 8 PM, Saturday 7:30 AM – 8 PM, Sunday 8 AM – 8 PM
Artist Reception: November 8, 5 PM – 6:45 PM

Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Avenue
Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Sunday 10 AM – 5 PM, Thursday 10 AM – 8 PM, Free Third Thursday 5 PM – 8 PM
Artist Opening at Tacoma Art Museum during Dia de los Muertos, November 4, 10 AM – 4 PM

Forza Coffee Company, 2209 N. Pearl
Gallery Hours: Monday – Thursday 5 AM – 10 PM, Friday 5 AM – 8 PM, Saturday 7:30 AM – 8 PM, Sunday 8 AM – 8 PM
Artist Reception: November 9, 5 – 7 PM

Find out more about The Young Creative at http://www.Facebook.com/TheYoungCreative.

Tacoma Studio Tour Preview: Part 8

Still looking for something to do this weekend? How about the Tacoma Studio Tours! This year’s tour features 55 artists and collaborative studios and allows the general public the opportunity to see the spaces in and tools with which local artists create their work. You can ask questions and purchase one-of-a-kind creations. And every studio will feature demonstrations of the artistic process or will have hands-on activities for visitors. Check out ArtAtWorkTacoma.com  for the full list of artists, schedule, and an interactive map where you can plot your custom tour course.

What: Tacoma Studio Tour
Where: 37 studio locations around Tacoma - map your course here
When: November 3 & 4, 11 am – 5 pm
Cost: FREE!

Here is this week’s artist sneak peeks:

Lance Roberts
 
Manitou Art Center is a group studio where Roberts works and teaches. His work is hand-thrown and hand-painted and uses porcelain through high and reduction based firing. His work has an Asian feel of simplicity and grace with a western twist.

Chandler O’Leary
 
Chandler O’Leary is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, and is the proprietor of Anagram Press, allowing her to make a living by drawing pictures and lettering by hand. She is one half of the collaborative team behind the “Dead Feminists” letterpress poster series, and the playing card designer of the Tacoma Card Deck created by Tacoma Makes. Visit Chandler’s studio to print a small keepsake on an antique Kelsey platen press.

Toni Snyder

Toni is primarily self-taught and only began her artistic journey 10 years ago. She renders primarily oil paint landscapes. She also enjoys drawing in the classical style using charcoal pencils. Sharing her love of painting and drawing with others allows her to share a part of who she is and how she sees the world around her.

Mark Sigafoos – Tacoma Glassblowing Studio
 
Tacoma Glassblowing Studio was established in 2006 by husband and wife team Mark and Jeannine Sigafoos. This state of the art glassblowing studio and glass gallery offers visitors a close view of how hand-blown glass is made and gives guests the opportunity to try it for themselves. This facility also offers classes, group events, corporate gifts, and features very talented local glass artists in their gallery.

Sharon Styer

Sharon’s love of warehouses, abandoned buildings, and alleyways is evident in her urban photography which plays heavily with lights and shadows. There is a quickness to her work, like a moment caught out of the corner of your eye before it is gone. Visit Sharon’s studio and try out her digital “darkroom”. Sharon will have a selection of unedited photos for you to try your hand at manipulating; make yours as creative, funky, or sophisticated as you want. Finished piece will be emailed to you.

Susan Thompson

Susan Thompson is drawn to traditional and functional shapes as well as the idea that pottery is used in the rituals of daily living. It is her hope that pieces she makes will be passed around the table, or be used in some way with enough frequency that they become part of life and, with time, become artifacts that hold echoes of the past. During the tour, visitors can make a slab tray for a small fee (includes glazing and firing.)

Lorraine Toler

Lorraine Toler is a Korean-American and was born and raised in Tacoma. Her paintings are story boards and recount personal, familial, and historical stories through her various series. Lorraine paints with her fellow artists in the JET Tools building.

William Turner

William Turner’s recent works are his elaborations on the work of two Master Painters, El Greco and Velazquez, merging his abstract style with classic themes. He focuses on the great Velazquez painting “Las Meninas” and El Greco’s “Vincenzo Anastagi”.  Working from scant facts about these two artworks, Turner is creating a visual fiction filling in the imagined events of his life.

Karin Williams

Karin’s “Bones” series has developed out of the encouragement of several local physicians. These paintings create visually pleasing compositions using unusual subject matter. Abstractions of bones and joints are made with an interesting color palette and “tongue-in-cheek” titles.

Karen Utter

Originally from Vancouver, B.C., Karen has always lived in the Pacific Northwest. The stunning natural beauty of the area is a profound influence on her work. With a preference for pastels, Karen works in a colorful, expressionistic style. Her subject matter is landscape, and is often populated with a variety of Northern Wildlife, including wolves, foxes, deer, bears and birds. Her most recent pastel series focused on topiary in a mid-century modern setting.

Tacoma Community College

Tour TCC’s metal casting, ceramics, and printmaking studios. See the latest student artwork and try your hand at making your own creation. Join TCC instructor Kyle Dillehay to cast and take home your own iron scratch block tile ($10). Interested in ceramics? Join Rick Mahaffey in decorating and raku firing pottery ($10). TCC is a community college facility providing a diverse selection of art classes for the community of Tacoma.

Betty Sapp Ragan

Betty Sapp Ragan has exhibited in regional, national, and international exhibitions. She completed her MFA at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and moved to Tacoma to teach at the University of Puget Sound. She is interested in architecture as it relates to the land and the culture. Betty is fascinated with the questions of why we build what we do, and why we place these buildings in their specific locations.

Steve Lawler

The furniture Steve designs and builds incorporates two passions: The first being the creative process itself; the second is the thoughtful and respectful use of our planet’s resources. Creatively, he strives to apply equal weight to form and function. Using recycled and repurposed materials is both a push and a pull, it forces him to find a unique expression for these sometimes odd and limiting pieces of raw material. It is at the same time challenging and incredibly stimulating.

Check out other artists on the tour:
Studio Tour Preview: Part 7
Studio Tour Preview: Part 6
Studio Tour Preview: Part 5
Studio Tour Preview: Part 4
Studio Tour Preview: Part 3
Studio Tour Preview: Part 2
Studio Tour Preview: Part 1

Art at Work Month is sponsored by Click! Cable TV, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Washington State Arts Commission, Weekly Volcano, and Premier Media Group.

Tacoma Studio Tour Preview: Part 7

We are exactly one week away from our favorite time of year - Art at Work Month. What is Art at Work Month? It’s the entire month of November chock-full of hundreds of arts and cultural activities for you to participate in. Art at Work Month is dedicated to showing off the very best about our community and we want you to be a part of it.

One of the signature events that takes place in November is the Tacoma Studio Tour. This year’s tour features 55 artists and collaborative studios and allows the general public the opportunity to see the spaces in and tools with which local artists create their work. You can ask questions and purchase one-of-a-kind creations. And every studio will feature demonstrations of the artistic process or will have hands-on activities for visitors. Check out ArtAtWorkTacoma.com  for the full list of artists, schedule, and an interactive map where you can plot your custom tour course.

What: Tacoma Studio Tour
Where: 37 studio locations around Tacoma - map your course here
When: November 3 & 4, 11 am – 5 pm
Cost: FREE!

Here is this week’s artist sneak peeks:

Jennevieve Schlemmer

Jennevieve Schlemmer is an artist that believes discovery and delight are the most important aspects of being creative. With a background in sculpture and mosaic art, Jennevieve has recently been obsessed with creating sculpture and wearables with wool through both traditional wet felting and more contemporary needle felting techniques. During the studio tour, she will be demoing needle felting techniques and anyone over 10 is welcome to try too!

Mark Hudak – Throwing Mud Gallery

Bringing beauty into peoples’ lives with his pottery has been Mark’s interest for over 30 years. His intent has been to make creative functional pottery to be enjoyed and used in daily living. He loves to share his passion for making ceramic art with others through pottery classes at his studio, Throwing Mud Gallery. During the studio tour, Mark will be demonstrating wheel throwing and hand building techniques.

Lynne Farren

For as long as she can remember, Lynne has been making art in a variety of mediums including paper, paint, fabric, metal, and found materials. Her studio is filled with paintings, collages, photo montages and assemblages. Nothing is safe from being made into art.

Retha Hayward

Retha owns and manages three of the studios at Manitou Art Center; operates the White Dove Gallery; teaches fused glass, stained glass, and mosaics; is Artist in Residence for Empty Bowls; and serves on the Lakewood Arts Commission. She shares her passion for art with the community, promoting and showcasing local artists and serving as advisor/instructor to many organizations. During your Studio Tour visit make glass holiday ornaments and small clay projects.

Jenifer Davis
   
Potter Jenifer Davis’ passion is to create irreverently shaped functional sculptures and pots. The hand-thrown process leaves a good deal of the outcome to fate and Jennifer revels in this serendipity stating, “the clay is happy in its natural state, with a tender yet firm hand you can convince it to do what you want.”  Randomness is part of the transformation, and the best part is seeing what emerges after the kiln is opened.

Roberta Lowes – Fibers Etc.

Fibers Etc. produces one-of-a-kind textiles that are a response to both the color and texture that surround us in our lives and the fine textile traditions of other cultures. The result has been a blending of hand dyed, hand-woven and hand-knit fabrics with other beautiful fabrics from around the world. The line includes wearables such as vests, jackets, coats and accessories of all kinds including scarves, shawls, hats, and bags.

Check out other artists on the tour:
Studio Tour Preview: Part 6
Studio Tour Preview: Part 5
Studio Tour Preview: Part 4
Studio Tour Preview: Part 3
Studio Tour Preview: Part 2
Studio Tour Preview: Part 1

Art at Work Month is sponsored by Click! Cable TV, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Washington State Arts Commission, Weekly Volcano, and Premier Media Group.

Tacoma Studio Tour Preview: Part 6

As we head into fall, our minds are abuzz about Art at Work Month. What is Art at Work Month? It’s the entire month of November chock-full of hundreds of arts and cultural activities for you to participate in. Art at Work Month is dedicated to showing off the very best about our community and we want you to be a part of it.

One of the signature events that takes place in November is the Tacoma Studio Tour. This year’s tour features 55 artists and collaborative studios and allows the general public the opportunity to see the spaces in and tools with which local artists create their work. You can ask questions and purchase one-of-a-kind creations. And every studio will feature demonstrations of the artistic process or will have hands-on activities for visitors. Check out ArtAtWorkTacoma.com  for the full list of artists, schedule, and an interactive map where you can plot your custom tour course.

What: Tacoma Studio Tour
Where: 37 studio locations around Tacoma - map your course here When: November 3 & 4, 11 am – 5 pm
Cost: FREE!

Here is this week’s artist sneak peeks:

Karen Doten

Karen Doten received her MFA in painting and printmaking from the University of Iowa in 1999. Since, she has taught and exhibited her work at various universities and spaces across the country. Karen’s work explores the theme of landscape through an observational, remembrance, and ephemeral process. Her art uses layering to show multiple spaces at once, allowing landscapes to condense into the center of the frame and consolidate space so that they become abstractions of places seen.

Becky Frehse

Becky’s mixed media work incorporates reclaimed “treasures” with carving, mosaic, modeling compounds, and heavily textured painted surfaces. She often collaborates with other artists to create pieces inspired by music, poetry, and travels abroad.

Nancy McLaughlin

    Nancy shares a studio with several other artists on the 3rd floor of the Jet Tioga Building, enjoying great views of the city and mountains beyond. She is currently portraying colorful abstract landscapes in acrylic on canvas, and pastel on paper. She starts with a simple arrangement of shapes, then works loosely to let the medium help dictate the final outcome. During the tour, she will be demonstrating her techniques and welcomes conversation.

Jim Oliver

     Jim is a fine art photographer known for his nature and urban landscapes as well as for flower, waterfall, and marine images. His work has been in 22 juried exhibits and a total of 53 exhibitions since 2007. With his background in providing adult education, he truly enjoys facilitating “On Location” photography classes and offers day trip photographic tours under the name “The View From Here” Photographic Tours.

Victoria Johnson

Victoria’s oil paintings are about an exploration and a practice. Arching curves occupy the canvas panel to define overlapping planes while in the act of motion painted in a palette of enigmatic colors. She is thrilled to be in her new studio having recently relocated to Tacoma from Seattle. Victoria is currently preparing for a fall exhibition at Lisa Harris Gallery.

Ken Marks
 
Ken Marks has been taking photographs for over 25 years. He started his photography business during the past two years and focuses on people, architecture, events, and natural places in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. He is currently developing a body of work that portrays unique aspects of Tacoma and the Puget Sound region, displaying the rich diversity of areas in which he has been fortunate to travel.

Check out other artists on the tour:
Studio Tour Preview: Part 5
Studio Tour Preview: Part 4
Studio Tour Preview: Part 3
Studio Tour Preview: Part 2
Studio Tour Preview: Part 1

Art at Work Month is sponsored by Click! Cable TV, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Washington State Arts Commission, Weekly Volcano, and Premier Media Group.

Art at Work Month is just around the corner

Tacoma artist Jennevieve Schlemmer, along with 54 other artists, will welcome visitors into their studios as part of the Tacoma Studio Tour, November 3 & 4. Photo by Jason Ganwich.

November 2012 marks the 11^th anniversary of Art at Work: Tacoma Arts Month – a community celebration of the arts that includes more than 300 community-hosted arts and culture events, exhibits and workshops for all ages taking place every day throughout the month. Programming includes music, theater and dance performances; visual art exhibits; film screenings; literary readings; lectures; cultural events; and workshops. All events are open to the public and many activities are free.

Information about the 300+ Art at Work Month events and programs can be found online at www.ArtAtWorkTacoma.com.

 

 

 
And, while you are filling up your calendar with all those awesome events, be sure to block off a bit of time for these two signature events:

• Art at Work Opening Party & AMOCAT Awards
  The public is invited to attend a free celebration on Nov. 1 from 6 – 8:30 p.m. at the Tacoma Art Museum (1701 Pacific Ave.). Attendees will enjoy appetizers, dessert, a no-host bar, music by Tacoma Youth Symphony, and stunning exhibits in the museum galleries. The event will include recognition of the Tacoma Arts Commission’s 2012 funding recipients and the AMOCAT Art Award winners – KeyBank, The Grand Cinema and Katy Evans.

• 

  Jessica Spring works with a young visitor to create a letterpress keepsake during the Tacoma Studio Tour. Photo by Jason Ganwich.

  Tacoma Studio Tour
  Come see the spaces and tools with which 55 local artists create their work. You can ask questions and purchase one-of-a-kind creations. This free, self-guided tour runs Nov. 3 and Nov. 4 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., and covers 37 locations around Tacoma. All studios will feature demonstrations of the artistic process or will have hands-on activities for visitors. Visit www.ArtAtWorkTacoma.com for a complete list of studio locations and a map.

Start planning now. November is going to be a great month in Tacoma!

Art at Work Month is sponsored by Click! Cable TV, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Washington State Arts Commission, Weekly Volcano and Premier Media Group.

Tacoma Studio Tour Preview: Part 5

This is part 5 in our series highlighting the artists participating in the Tacoma Studio Tour this November.

The Tacoma Studio Tour will feature 55 artists and collaborative studios and will allow the general public the opportunity to see the spaces in and tools with which local artists create their work, ask questions, and purchase one-of-a-kind creations. All studios will feature demonstrations of the artistic process or will have hands-on activities for visitors. Check out ArtAtWorkTacoma.com for the full list of artists, schedule, and an interactive map where you can plot your tour course.

What: Tacoma Studio Tour
Where: 37 studio locations around Tacoma – map your course at ArtAtWorkTacoma.com
When: November 3 & 4, 11 am – 5 pm
Cost: FREE!

Here is this week’s artist sneak peeks:

Bill Colby
Bill has always used nature as the origin of his work. This year he continues to use the forest bough of 2011, and presents it simply, rather than complexly, with bird flocks and sun rays. The tree core (soul) is used in slight abstraction for a new series he will begin.

Kerry Cole
Since studying Fashion Design at Portland State University, Kerry has developed her distinctive style and reputation through a series of commercial successes, which include representation within Barney’s of New York, Pulp! ( L.A.),  Russian Hill Bookstore (San Francisco), logos, CD jackets, magazine covers, and commissioned works. Visit Kerry’s studio during the tour and add your own artistic magic to a collaborative painting which Kerry will finish and auction off to benefit a program for underprivileged youth.

Michaela Eaves
    Michaela Eaves traded her youth for three magic beans and some time in art school in Savannah. She grew up in Montana, where the natural scenery and animals she was surrounded by have saturated her mental landscape and work ever since. She also works as a designer, volunteers for an animal response technical rescue team, and fosters Rottweilers in memory of her dog Buck.

RR Anderson
     Author of “The Tacomic”, RR Anderson is one of the most curious underground political cartoonists in FeedTacoma.com history. He fought bizarre underground beings in the lava tubes of Juneau, Alaska; was wounded by a laser before it was invented; and was a founding father of the Cartoonists League of Absurd Washingtonians (C.L.A.W.). Seek him drawing at Friday’s Frost Park Chalk Challenge in downtown Tacoma. Visit RR’s studio during the tour to learn secrets of sidewalk chalking and to stamp local currency.

Leah Fitts
From her light-filled downtown studio, Leah Fitts creates abstract paintings using acrylics and oil pastels. Her original paintings on canvas are inspired by mid-century and modern design, as well as her love of nature. By combining modern design with natural aspects, Leah strives to create original, textured, and vibrant works of art that will add energy and harmony to any space.

Angela Wales Rockett
A spiritually inspired artist, Angela Wales Rockett paints expressive abstracts that soothe the soul with rich colors and texture that invite the viewer to take part in precious moments of introspection. Her artwork has been included in solo and group exhibits across the United States, from New York City to Seattle, and is included in many private collections.

Check out other artists on the tour:
Studio Tour Preview: Part 4
Studio Tour Preview: Part 3
Studio Tour Preview: Part 2
Studio Tour Preview: Part 1

Art at Work Month is sponsored by Click! Cable TV, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Washington State Arts Commission, Weekly Volcano, and Premier Media Group.