Tacoma Celebrates Arts and Culture This October

October 2015 marks the 14th anniversary of Tacoma Arts Month – a community celebration of the arts that includes hundreds of 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.

“Arts Month is a great entry point for people who want to discover what Tacoma’s arts community has to offer,” said Tacoma Arts Commission Chair Traci Kelly. “It’s an opportunity to pull back the curtain for the public to explore the city’s rich, culturally diverse offerings.”

Attendees of Tacoma Arts Month events are invited to participate in the Tacoma Arts Month Challenge. Throughout October, those who attend Tacoma Arts Month events and post a photo to social media using #TacomaArts will be entered to win one of three prizes. Tacoma Arts Month attendees may also enter by completing and mailing the submission form found in the back of the Tacoma Arts Month brochure. Grand prize, second, and third place winners will be announced in November. More information about the Tacoma Arts Month Challenge is available at TacomaArtsMonth.com.

Tacoma Arts Month Signature Events

• Tacoma Arts Month Opening Party and AMOCAT Arts Awards

The public is invited to attend a free celebration on Oct. 1 from 6 - 9 p.m. at the Historic Tacoma Armory (715 S. 11th St.). Live entertainment includes music by Ken Jacobsen, contemporary dance by the BareFoot Collective, Samoan Village Dance by Asia Pacific Cultural Center, poetry by Tacoma Poet Laureate Cathy Nguyen, and more. The historic building will host a series of pop-up multimedia art exhibits by Christopher Jordan, Isaac Olsen, Jennifer Chushcoff, Nichole Rathburn, Janet Marcavage, Tim + April Norris, Terese Cuff, Elizabeth Gahan, Diana Leigh Surma and Judd Cohen.

There will be appetizers, dessert and a no-host bar. The event will include recognition of the Tacoma Arts Commission’s 2015 funding recipients and the AMOCAT Arts Award winners – University of Washington Tacoma, Tacoma Public Library, and Connie K Walle. The event is presented by the Tacoma Arts Commission and Spaceworks Tacoma with support from the Historic Tacoma Armory.

• Tacoma Studio Tour

This free, self-guided tour will feature the spaces and tools with which 57 local artists create their work. It will run Oct. 17 and Oct. 18, from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., and covers 35 locations around Tacoma. Attendees can ask questions and purchase one-of-a-kind creations during the tour. All studios will feature demonstrations of the artistic process or have hands-on activities for visitors.

Studio Tour attendees are encouraged to pick up a Tacoma Studio Tour Passport and have it stamped at each studio location visited. Once at least eight stamps have been collected, the passport can be submitted for a chance to win one of several prize packages containing artwork handcrafted by a selection of artists on the tour.

A complete list of studio locations, an interactive map, and information about the Tacoma Studio Tour Passport is available at TacomaArtsMonth.com.

Information about Tacoma Arts Month events and programming can be found online at TacomaArtsMonth.com. Tacoma Arts Month is sponsored by Click! Cable TV, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, Tacoma Weekly, Northwest Public Radio, KPLU, Weekly Volcano, Premier Media Group, and ARCADE.