By Brynn Svenningsen
“This song is about being falsely accused of something and a long time later getting revenge,” singer Travis Barker said as he grabbed his guitar and started to play an original folk song. Barker, a member of the band Elk & Boar, gathered along with many other Tacoma artisans and musicians on Oct. 4 at Kaleidoscope, the opening party for Tacoma Arts Month. Tacoma Arts Month is an event that focuses on highlighting the art culture in Tacoma and getting the community involved in it.
The event is in its 16th year and boasts a larger array of events and artisans than ever before. It includes many different elements, from dance performances, a studio tour of many local artists and much more.
Kaleidoscope acts as one of the biggest events in Tacoma Arts Month as it begins the appreciation of local artisans and draws a large community turnout. Tacoma’s own poet laureate Kellie Richardson performed at the beginning of the night. Richardson read her poem “Requiem for the Bruised” in an emotional performance that left the gathered crowd in silence. Following Richardson there were musical acts, dance performances and an award ceremony with mayor Marilyn Strickland.
Tacoma’s The Barefoot Collective shared an interpretive dance piece at Kaleidoscope. Five dancers performed to spoken-word poetry that raised questions about today’s society. The dancers incorporated interesting moves which echoed the deeper meaning of their artistic interpretive dance. Interpretive dance is an artistic performance piece that is not often seen, and The Barefoot Collective represents this art form in Tacoma.
Multiple artists’ work was displayed, including the work of Erica Ray. Her multimedia paintings were large and small-scale and were juxtaposed against her unique sculptural pieces. One was titled, “Gryphon, Pegasus and Water Sprite” and seemed to be the center of attention as the art viewers crowded around the three mannequins painted with acrylic. Ray’s art was anything but typical and her unexpected and unique sculpture work proved this. Another artist, Quin Tan, had his large-scale work displayed. Tan’s pieces were mainly abstract and extremely intricate.
“[Tacoma Arts Month is] a collective promotion of all arts and culture happening in Tacoma. It is from symphony performance, to a music show at Jazz Bones, to a playtime at the children’s museum to open figure drawing nights at a couple locations. It’s a cross-promotion of everything we can find and know of that’s happening in Tacoma,” Naomi Strom-Avila, the cultural arts specialist for the city of Tacoma who was involved in the planning of this Arts month, said.
Another important part of Arts Month is the free, self-led studio tour that is going to be happening on Oct. 14 and 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The tour features 70 Tacoma artists and their studios. This is a great opportunity to see the inside of artists’ studios and to get an up-close look at their work. Additionally, at each gallery a hands-on activity will be held. At artist David Bader’s studio, he will be showcasing his painted, mixed media and sculptural work, and will be holding a demonstration on assemblage and mixed-media collage techniques. In addition, there are artists of almost every medium hosting demonstrations that could be perfect for you.
“We have so many artists here in Tacoma and it is a big opportunity for them to be able to share their work with the public; short of exhibits here and there or a sale event they go to, this is one of the big events [where] they get an opportunity to connect with the public,” Strom-Avila said.
There are also events that are quite unique. Inspired by the Halloween spirit in October, the Glass museum will be holding an extra special Halloween-inspired demonstration called “The Great Ghost Blow.” Hilltop artists will be in the glassblowing studio at the Museum of Glass creating a giant glass ghost. In addition to the spooky art that is going to be created you can also enjoy the music of the Kareem Kandi World Orchestra at the Glass Museum on Oct. 19 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The concert is free.
Another interesting event is “Tinder LIVE,” which will be hosted by comedian Lane Moore at the Pantages Theater. It is a comedic exploration of Tinder and the concept of online love, a topic that is relevant to many college students and their Tinder accounts. The show will be held on Oct. 27 starting at 7:30 p.m. and tickets range from $19 to $39.
Tacoma Arts Month boasts a wide variety of art-related events and has become an important establishment for Tacoma artists and for the community. As each year continues, there are more artisans getting involved and more connections being made between community members and art.