MICHAEL SWAN: REACHING INTO THE PRESS RELEASE BIN >>>

On October 14, 2009, the Primo Grill celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Benefit for Tacoma Community College Art Scholarships.  It’s an unbroken annual tradition that began in 1999, the year the Primo Grill opened its doors in Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue Art District. The yearly benefit has now raised more than $90,000 for TCC student art scholarships.

The tradition began when Primo Grill owners Charlie McManus and his wife Jacqueline Plattner joined forces with TCC art instructor Marit Berg and her students to research the design traditions of ancient Mediterranean civilizationsâ€"the restaurant’s culinary inspiration. Berg’s students’ research on Minoan, Greek, Etruscan and Moroccan cultural designs likewise became the inspiration for 12 original hand painted tables created by TCC students expressly for the Primo Grill.

Every year since then, Marit Berg and her students have created a new painted table to be auctioned at the annual scholarship fundraiser. In 2004, Ms. Berg and her students painted the doors of Primo Grill’s brand new private dining room, appropriately named the “The Painted Door”.

Two years ago, the auction began to include a fund-an-item offering to raise money for student art supplies. This fund has grown to over $7,000 and pays for canvas, paper, brushes, paint, clay, bronze and more. This year’s auction items include artists’ thrown and painted Mediterranean-inspired bowls made especially for this event, art objects and a private cooking class with Chef Charlie.

Benefit tickets are $75.00 each; they must be purchased in advance at the Primo Grill on 601 South Pine Street in Tacoma, or by calling Jacqueline Plattner at 253-383-7000.