The Rain in Drains Is On their Brains
Sometimes real environmental issues aren’t sexy — or particularly easy for people to connect to. Take wastewater, for example. While you’ll meet plenty of ecologists who’ll wrap their arms around an inoffensive cedar, you won’t meet many people who express much affection towards storm drains and wastewater treatment. That’s too bad, because what happens to trash, waste and the mixture of tire rubber, creosote, brake dust and petrochemicals that come off our roads has serious concerns for the water, plants and animals of our region.
Serious concerns, yes. But engaging and (dare we say it) entertaining?
There’s an event in Tacoma this month that is making that case, and if you enjoy a good old-fashioned multi-disciplinary arts party, including more than a dozen zero-budget film productions by local artists, this might be your lucky festival.
Co-sponsored by Foster’s Creative and the City of Tacoma, the Ground to Sound Arts Festival began last year with local artists creating original short films highlighting the problem of untreated water and trash and its journey to the Sound in documentary form. For 2025, there will be a Music Open Mic hosted by the popular peripatetic musical duo Champagne Sunday with husband and wife Jessi and Jared Fredeen and sometimes their child; a Literary Reading and Open Mic hosted by Creative Colloquy with featured readers poet Sandy King and poet and novelist Elizabeth Beck; hip-hop artists Grit City Cypher; and a Gallery Showing hosted by Tacoma Photo Center and Tacoma Photo Club and featuring acclaimed underwater photographer Dean Burke.
Not only all that, but the event features a pop-up installation from award-winning Tacoma artist Teruko Nimura, who’s been serving as the Artist in Residence for Tacoma’s Environmental Services for the past year.
Doors open at 6 p.m., with performances beginning at 6:30, and to make sure there are comestibles on hand, food and refreshments will be available from Taco Street and Water from Wine.
The event is free, and the venue is, appropriately enough, at the Foss Seaport Waterway, 705 Dock Street in Tacoma.
For more details, go to groundtosoundfilmandartfest.com, where you can also RSVP for the event, and find them on Facebook.
What:
Ground to Sound Film and Art Festival
When:
March 14, opens at 6 p.m.
Where:
Foss Seaport Waterway, 705 Dock Street, Tacoma
Cost:
free