(This blog was originally published under the headline "Raring To Go To Tacoma's "ART AT WORK" at a internet website at The News Tribune, a daily newspaper in Tacoma, WA on 10/29/07 in a reader-generated section entitled "In Your Neighborhood."
I have to confess; my favorite Tacoma event - actually month of events - is imminently at hand. You may have seen posters, flyers or programs for November's sixth anniversary of ART AT WORK month sponsored by your truly good and great City of Tacoma Arts Commission!
But since I live in shhhhh.... Federal Way, across the unpatrolled borders in South King County, I am forced to depend upon being on a mailing list to get any news of all the wonderful slate of events including my personal pick of all the creative platters offered up - which is the "Art at Work Studio Tours", a fantastic annual opportunity to meet and chat briefly with some of Tacoma's most interesting, exciting practioners of the visual arts in their natural elements, from seasoned veterans to up-and-coming newcomers.
See with your own eyes and possibly be inspired by how each artist approaches the needs of their evolving talents in regards to creative space and storage needs with the demands of their alternative careers, families, relatives, vehicles, pets and whatever in rental studios downtown to homes, garages. freestanding buildings in backyards not unlike our own. Gain further appreciation of the rich environment Tacoma now offers - a virtual canvas for those dreaming of a place of their own in the arts.
As I am not a native of Tacoma, I do not know now many years back the coalitions that must certainly form a part of the organization that has made this special month of celebration of the arts possible, but the people and hard work put into making those early connections a reality should be certainly a part of any salute of today's delightful and still growing reality.
It would appear the generosity and willingness of International glass artist and hometown-son Dale Chihuly's to give something back to the city of roots has certainly paying off and put Tacoma on the international arts map. Combined with the equally valuable and often parallel efforts of his fellow artisans in the theatre, dance, spoken, visual, literary and performance arts and strength of city historians, museum curators, arts organization boards, committees and administrative personnel has vaulted the city to the top of national and regional lists as well. Add to this a willingness to cultivate and encourage other less-known emerging cultural organizations and fledgling centers the end result is a climate for creativity of which the entire city can take personal pride and a resource the larger growing regional audience will gratefully acknowledge for quite possibly decades to come.
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