Home to a flourishing arts community, Tacoma offers a long list of art museums, all types of musical performances, theatre, literary events, film screenings, and so much more to enjoy and explore. While residents and visitors alike can enjoy arts and cultural events all year-round, October is Tacoma Arts Month… and that means there’s something unique and artsy going on EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.
EVENTS
There are 456 arts & culture events happening in Tacoma in October 2016. We are not joking. That’s insane (and awesome)! There’s a huge variety of happenings to check out—catch a spooky performance of The Addams Family at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse, relax as you are guided in learning to paint a lotus flower at the Artful Dreamers Studio, learn about tack fusing and create a fall-themed fused glass decoration at the Museum of Glass… the unique opportunities for exploring your artistic side in Tacoma this month are aplenty!
You can see the entire list of Tacoma Arts Events here (because we are not even going to try and list them all!).
STUDIO TOUR
One of the most popular offerings of Tacoma Arts Month is studio tours! On October 15 and 16 from 11am to 5pm, the public is invited to explore the studios of a whopping 57 local artists… and it’s all for free! Check out their work spaces, ask the art questions, enjoy art demonstrations, and even participate in some hands-on activities.
See the complete map of studios available to tour here.
The City of Tacoma has put together several fantastic videos that give a closer look at Tacoma artists, their work, and the studios. You can see the complete playlist here.
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Do you have artistic aspirations? Wanna learn something new? Take advantage of all of the classes and workshops happening this month! Here’s a quick look at a few of the *many* classes happening in October:
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Take the Forged Forms for Jewelry class at the Tacoma Metal Arts Center and learn how to make unique metal jewelry. This 4-part class happens throughout October.
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Attend an animation workshop on October 10th, 2pm with Benson Shum, an Animator for Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios.
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Take a workshop on writing ekphrastic (art-inspired!) poetry with Michael Haeflinger at the Tacoma Art Museum on October 20th, 5pm.
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Enjoy a kids class on origami through Metro Parks Tacoma—check out the complete schedule here.
…And that barely begins to cover it! See a complete schedule of events here.
EXHIBITS
In October, there are 84 exhibits available to admire in Tacoma. Use this opportunity to check out places you’ve been meaning to pay a visit to—drop by Bluebeard Coffee Roasters to grab a cup of handcrafted coffee while seeing small-scale work by local artists, stop by University of Puget Sound’s Collins Memorial Library to see Chandler O’Leary’s Farm to Tacoma exhibit, or check out student work at the SOTA gallery at 9th & Broadway.
See the complete list of Tacoma Arts Month exhibits here.
There’s another way you can participate! The Tacoma Arts Challenge offers prizes to those who join in on the fun and post pics from the events they attend on social media tagged with #TacomaArts. See all details of the contest here.
Check out a few of our interviews with Tacoma artists in the meantime:
