Submitted by City of Tacoma
October 2020 marks the 19th anniversary of Tacoma Arts Month and, during this unprecedented year, as we face economic, health, and racial equity crises, Tacoma’s creative community is sharing out a message of care and compassion with our residents. Under the theme of “Cultivate Wonder and Care”, Tacoma’s artists and arts organizations are stepping up to care for our community in unique ways including virtual arts programming for all ages and pop-up arts experiences designed to surprise and delight.
“Tacoma Arts Month 2020 is a care package to our community, offering sustenance for the spirit as well as modeling and encouraging care for each other in thought and action,” said Heather Conklin, Chair of the Tacoma Arts Commission. “Arts and culture invite us into a space of wonder, of curiosity, and creativity. It is a space that invites us to imagine possibilities, encourages questions, engages discourse, and sparks insights.”
Programming this October will include virtual artist highlights, community programs you can participate in online and experience in person and a series of artist-led projects designed the engage the community on an intimate level.
Happening this October:
• Arts and Cultural Programming – Tacoma-based artists and arts organizations will be hosting a wide range of arts and culture programs for all ages – both virtual and in-person. Visit TacomaArtsMonth.com for the calendar of programming.
• Art supply kits for students in Tacoma Public Schools – We are pleased to support the provision of art supply kits and project prompts to 2,500 Tacoma Public Schools middle and high school students. These kits will support arts education as well as self-expression and self-care during remote learning. • Artists in Focus – Tacoma creatives, working in a variety of artistic disciplines, will be sharing videos and images of their work and about their creative practice at TacomaArtsMonth.com and on the Tacoma Arts Facebook and Instagram channels. Tune in to learn about the creative process and see how and where artists create their work.
• ‘Wonder and Care’ Community Engagement Projects – Ten Tacoma-based artists and teams will be sharing out a message of care and compassion with our community on an intimate level. These artists are each producing a care project – some virtually and some physically – for the community to participate in for free. Follow along on the Tacoma Arts Facebook and Instagram channels. Participating artists and teams are Tamiko Nimura & Teruko Nimura, Jamika Scott, Daniel Garcia, Gerardo Peña, Paige D. Pettibon, Saiyare Refaei, Abby E. Murray, Anida Yoeu Ali, Jessica Spring, and Jefferson Mok.
Information about Tacoma Arts Month events and programming is at TacomaArtsMonth.com. Find us on Facebook @TacomaArtsCommission and follow us on Instagram @TacomaArts. We invite you to use #tacomaartsmonth and #cultivatewonderandcare when sharing out your own arts experiences on social media this October.
KNKX is the 2020 media sponsor for Tacoma Arts Month.