Fourth episode of Tacoma’s own ‘artTown’ TV show now available

Stan Shaw and Michael Sullivan discuss Samuel Dashiell Hammett’s The Flitcraft Parable

The City of Tacoma’s Media and Communications Office – in partnership with its Community and Economic Development Department’s Arts Program – has begun airing a new episode of “artTown,” a cultural documentary-style TV initiative exploring Tacoma’s emergence as a major creative hub in the Pacific Northwest.

Tacoma Symphony Orchestra music director Sarah Ioannides

In this episode:

• Get to know music director Sarah Ioannides and learn how her past experience is influencing her work with the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra
• Tacoma Poet Laureate Lucas Smiraldo explores our history and future at the Chinese Reconciliation Park
• Historian Michael Sullivan and graphic artist Stan Shaw take an in-depth look at Samuel Dashiell Hammett’s The Flitcraft Parable and how it was influenced by Hammett’s time in Tacoma
• Pianist Kim Davenport finds inspiration and contemplation at Thea’s Park
• The 6^th Avenue Yarn Bomber, Russell Valentine, Gwen Demarest, and Roberta Lowes give us a humorous look at knitting culture in Tacoma

Stan Shaw illustrates Samuel Dashiell Hammett’s The Flitcraft Parable

Launched in October 2013, the series features diverse perspectives on a variety of creative disciplines. Offering a more holistic look at creativity in Tacoma, “artTown” stretches beyond what people might traditionally think of as “creative” – such as fine art, music or dance – to spotlight other creative areas of interest that have flourished in Tacoma like food, fashion, innovative education practices, architecture and more.

Online viewing:

Watch “artTown” anytime at cityoftacoma.org/artTown.

Tacoma Poet Laureate Lucas Smiraldo at the Chinese Reconciliation Park

TV Tacoma air times:

Mondays at noon
Tuesdays at 1 a.m.
Wednesdays at 8 a.m.
Thursdays at 6 p.m.
Fridays at 8 p.m.
Saturdays at 5 p.m.
Sundays at 5 a.m.

TV Tacoma is aired on both the Click! and Comcast Cable systems. On Click!, TV Tacoma can be seen on Channel 12 within Tacoma City limits and in Pierce County, with the exception of University Place, where TV Tacoma can be found on Channel 21. On Comcast, TV Tacoma can be seen on Channel 12 within Tacoma city limits and on Channel 21 in Pierce County. TV Tacoma is not on the Comcast system in University Place, but is accessible anywhere on the Internet at tvtacoma.com.

Future episodes will be produced in part based on some of the audience feedback culled via social media, email at maria.lee@cityoftacoma.org or phone at (253) 591-2054.

Sneak peek inside 1120 Creative House!

Spaceworks Tacoma

Video by Kris Crews
of Crews Photography & Video

1120 Creative House GRAND OPENING
Third Thursday, March 19, 2015, 5-9pm
1120 Pacific Ave. (2nd floor), Tacoma WA

Event on Facebook

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2015-16 Arts Anchor Fund and TAIP Recipients Announced

Nine Arts Organizations and 16 Artists Funded by Tacoma Arts Commission

RJ Oki and Trent Quoicho blowing at the Museum of Glass as part of a collaboration with Team Chihuly. Photo provided by Hilltop Artists.

The Tacoma Arts Commission has awarded $255,000 to nine Tacoma-based arts organizations through its Arts Anchor Fund program, and $40,000 to 16 Tacoma artists through its Tacoma Artists Initiative Program. The Arts Anchor Fund program awards range in value from $20,000 to $40,000 each, and the Tacoma Artists Initiative Program awards are $2,500 each. Funding for both programs is for the 2015-16 biennium.

“Supporting a diverse group of local artists and arts organizations helps build a creative community,” said Tacoma Arts Commission Chair Traci Kelly. “Funding the arts at multiple levels means our city gives everyone opportunities for meaningful engagement and expression.”

Arts Anchor Fund Program Awards

Students from Tacoma Art Museum’s after school off-site outreach programs visit the museum to tour the galleries. Photo provided by Tacoma Art Museum.

The 2015-2016 Arts Anchor Fund program award recipients are: Hilltop Artists, Museum of Glass, Northwest Sinfonietta, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma Musical Playhouse, Tacoma Opera, Tacoma Symphony Orchestra, Tacoma Youth Symphony Association and The Grand Cinema.

In 2014, these nine organizations served 500,654 people, provided free admission to 124,209 people, and generated an estimated $9.55 million for the local economy.

Flame-working demonstration as part of Museum of Glass’ Hot Shop Heroes: Healing with Fire program. Photo by Greg Owen.

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 Artists Initiative Program Awards

Author, Acrylic painting by Christopher Jordan for COLORED Series. Photo provided by Christopher Jordan.

The 2015-2016 Tacoma Artists Initiative Program funded artists are: Saign Charlestein, Jennifer Chushcoff, Matthew Coté, Kristin Giordano, Michael Haeflinger, Whitney Henry-Lester, Christopher Jordan, Jeremy Mangan, Janet Marcavage, Tim Norris, Chandler O’Leary, Isaac Olsen, Nichole Rathburn, Holly Senn, Emilie Shimkus and Gregory Youtz.

Catabomb, textile sculpture by Nichole Rathburn. Photo provided by Nichole Rathburn.

Funded Tacoma Artists Initiative Program projects include a spoken word album and poetry reading; a podcast series exploring varying perspectives on Tacoma; production of a series of short films showcasing poetry; performance and recording of instrumental and vocal songs; production of a book of poetry and photographs; and the creation and exhibition of two- and three-dimensional visual art including metal art, photography, mixed media, paintings, printmaking, illustrations, and textile and paper sculptures.

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.

Fall Haul, sketchbook drawing by Chandler O’Leary. Photo provided by Chandler O’Leary.

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.

1120 Creative House GRAND OPENING

Spaceworks Tacoma

Third Thursday
March 19, 2015, 5-9pm
1120 Pacific Ave. (2nd Floor)
Event on Facebook

The space is fully staged, and ready for art work to go up everywhere!

Buzz has steadily grown about the recent creative activity in the 1120 Pacific Avenue building. Artists, designers, and entrepreneurs have filled up 12 studios (listed below), activating the entire second floor. The open architecture of this 1970’s-modernist office space provides an unusually complimentary setting for the arts in downtown Tacoma. This grand opening is the first opportunity for the public to explore phase one of Spaceworks’ largest project to date.

Event will include:

• Open Studios from Asia Tail, IRIS Photo&Design (Megan Shea & Gil Lord), FameTakers, Kendra Design Photography (Kendra Roelle), Tacoma Tool Library, Fringeshift Studios (Shawn Foote, Jim Wellman & Jed Rietz), MarkArt5 (Mark Tracy), Nature City Photography (Timothy Carter), Pointline (Isaac Martinez), Electric Glow Studio (Aaron Hartzell

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Tacoma Maritime Fest returns this July

2014 Tacoma Maritime Fest attendees add to the community mural on a shipping container.

The only annual celebration of Tacoma’s historic waterfront will return to the Thea Foss Waterway on July 18 & 19 this year. The 23^rd annual Maritime Fest will take place at its customary location at the Foss Waterway Seaport, 705 Dock Street.  This year’s festival will continue to honor the historic working waterfront and maritime trades, as well as reintroduce the public to the modern waterfront – a place that also caters to recreation and dining.

Maritime Fest is a free community event for people of all ages.  Familiar activities include the popular Port of Tacoma tours, toy boat building and remote control boats; and a range of boats from tugs to classic wooden boats, will be on display. Building on last year’s success, they are bringing back their Arts Initiatives, including a found art sculpture contest for adults, and a community-created mural on a sail for children, led once again by local artist Kate Cendejas. Other features include live music and entertainment all weekend, and free entrance to the Foss Waterway Seaport Museum.

Also returning for its 11^th year is the wildly popular Quick and Dirty Boat Building Contest.  This contest features local teams of three who have six hours to build a boat from scratch and race it around a course. You don’t want to miss it!

For more information about Maritime Fest, including parking and transportation details, please visit www.maritimefest.org.

The Tacoma Arts Commission is proud to help support the Arts Initiative portion of Tacoma Maritime Fest through Arts Projects funding. Other event sponsors include: Port of Tacoma, Belina Interiors, City of Tacoma, Foss Waterway Development Authority, Foss Waterway Seaport Museum, Tacoma Community Boat Builders, Tacoma Waterfront Association, Downtown Tacoma Courtyard Marriott and many others.