Oly Arts Tacoma Spring Theatre Preview – by Adam McKinney
By now, we’ve become used to the bounty of quality offerings that local theaters in South Puget Sound routinely churn out. No matter where you may find yourself, you’re constantly reminded of just how much talent is bound to be lurking in the woodwork. So, just as a taste from up north, here are some theatrical Spring gems to look out for in the Tacoma area.
by Molly Walsh This June, the Foss Waterway Seaport in Tacoma will deliver a fresh take to Tacoma Ocean Fest. The menu of events will include water-based activities, live music, educational booths and art installations. And to couple the summertime festivities, attendees can take in the local marine landscape and waterfront’s natural beauty. Tacoma Ocean …
Travis Johnson is a multidisciplinary artist, a prolific painter, sculptor, ceramicist, knowledgeable curator, and he has a deeply moving voice which will touch your soul when you hear it. Johnson is a man with an easy smile and a friendly demeanor. Anything he sets his mind to, he follows through purposefully and unflinchingly; he is extremely serious about his art and art mentoring practices and if you spend time appreciating his many talents and disciplines, you’ll notice there is a strong common thread that runs through them.
The South Sound Studio Tours in Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater offer unique opportunities to visit, watch and learn from South Sound artists who invite the public into their studios in commercial buildings and in their homes to view artworks (some for sale and some not), talk to the artists, watch them work and learn about equipment, materials and methods. There will be demonstrations and direct sales by artists.
Among the 100 Arts Walk locations hosting visual art, music, dance, puppetry, aerial arts and much more, collaborative work among literary and visual artists is one of the themes that emerge. “We’ve had poetry in the past, but this year, there’s definitely a lot out there,” said Arts Walk coordinator Jessica Strauss Tomy. Like this Arts Walk itself, the poetic projects involve a lot of students and a certain amount of serendipity.
A Talk with The Procession of Species founder and “Director Guy” Eli Sterling about the return of the Procession after a four-year hiatus. If you’ve never attended, you might assume it’s a classic small-town parade with an environmental vibe and plenty of costumes, masks, puppets, music and dancing — and you’d be sort of right.
The OLYARTS free print editions’ distribution area has expanded over the last few years to reach Mason, Thurston, Lewis, and Pierce counties — be sure to grab one! Find out where.
“It’s an eclectic mix,” said Sean Barnes, the director and coordinator of the college’s Leonor R. Fuller Gallery about the SPSCC Juror’s Invitational, open through April 26. “It’s fun to go into shows where you have this eclectic work — to appreciate how that much diversity can exist in a single space.”
Nagle Jackson’s ‘Taking Leave’ at Dukesbay Theater in Tacoma through April 7th is a show that not only depicts a man descending into the throes of Alzheimer’s but gives us a glimpse into his mind’s final moments of connection.
“I remember the crisis one day.” Sculptor Don Freas, already a well-respected craftsman who’d shown his furniture in galleries, said. “I said, ‘No, I can’t make a chair. I want to do something new.’ And it became a sculpture.” This retrospective at Childhood’s End Gallery in Olympia through April 21 is a meditation on Freas’ creative process.