PAUL SCHRAG: HILLTOP ARTS NIGHT OUT >>>

Hilltop Artists in Residence Tacoma and Fab Five want you to come party and learn behind Jason Lee Middle School. It’s sort of an experiment, involving lots of fire and spray paint. Don’t worry, these folks are experts, and they promise to keep the spray paint away from the fire during the first ever Hilltop Arts Night Out, which will feature student glassblowing and graffiti demos, live MCs, breakdancing battles, tagging tutorials, good food and plenty of other things that don’t sound like they belong anywhere within 100 feet of school property. 

Again, don’t worry. Hilltop Artists in Residence Tacoma is a fine organization, and they’ve teamed up with Safe Streets to celebrate Safe Streets National Night Out. This is hip-hop at its best, showcasing local talent, including a b-boy battle and tagging tutorials (we hope they include lessons on how not to get caught).

Seriously though, Hilltop Artists in Residence Tacoma has been fostering all sorts of artistic goodness for more than 15 years, and helps kids develop artistic and life skills through free glassblowing classes and other programs aimed at enriching the lives of local youth. Fab Five is in the same boat, creating drug- and alcohol-free hip-hop events, classes and such aimed at mentoring kids and keeping them out of trouble. Come see what they’ve been up to tonight.

[Jason Lee Middle School, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 4-8 p.m., free, 602 N. Sprague Ave., Tacoma, 253.571.7690