Come downtown this Sunday, if you dare, for the second annual Urban Art Festival.
You've probably seen the posters with the big, green, fire-breathing dragon. If you haven't seen them, you're probably living in the wrong century, or at least the wrong part of the South Sound. The dragon sets the stage and tells the tale that this is a youth-oriented event that promises to be as lurid and exciting as the poster (not to mention the funky man sculpture on the invitation to artists to enter the "urban Man" contest to build a man out of recycled materials - with promises that someone is entering a 24-foot-tall man).
Produced by BumbleBee Visions and L&M Artworks and friends, the festival starts at noon and goes till 8 p.m. Sunday, June 24, and will center on the corner of South 9th and Broadway in the theater district. It will feature art exhibits, music (both live and DJ), arts and crafts demonstrations, glass blowing, eco-awareness workshops, a live auction, food, dancing, performance art, healing arts practices and demonstrations, and more.
Bands on the bill include Clinton Fearon and Boogie Brown Band, Lazybones, Can U, Kate Borkowski, Pete Bush and the Hoi Polloi, Proper Godz, Umber Sleeping, High Ceiling, and Tangerine Space Odyssey. DJs include DJ D:Fi, Diamond, Suga Jones, DJ W, DJ Collin, Patchouli, Py, and more to be announced.
In a Myspace blog entry, festival coordinator Laura Eklund says, "The goal of the festival is to bring community awareness to the local arts and artists. We want to draw attention to downtown Tacoma and help local businesses. All of us really care about Tacoma and enjoy bringing people in the community together with our events."
She goes on to say, "We love collaborating with Tacoma merchants, artists, small business owners and councils. It feels so good to find so many people excited about Urban Art Festival and willing to help make it happen. We greatly appreciate all of your time and consideration for co-sponsorship."
At last count, there were almost 30 business and civic sponsors for the event, including such stalwart local businesses as the Weekly Volcano, urbanXchange, The Swiss, Jazzbones, and New Tacoma Neighborhood Council.
Sunday, June 24, noon to 8 p.m., free, South Ninth and Broadway, downtown Tacoma. â€" Alec Clayton