MICHAEL SWAN: YAY! ANOTHER BLOG >>>

Tacoma Art Museum will open A Concise History of Northwest Art Saturday, Oct. 3. The exhibit will attempt to answer such questions as: How have the unique characteristics of this region shaped the work of artists? What influence have national and international trends had on Northwest art? Is the art above Northwest art?

Oh sure, the exhibit will examine major movements, important figures, and pivotal moments in the art history of the Northwest.

However, we live in a New World Wide Order. Our lives revolve around social media and instant gratification.

Therefore, the Tacoma Art Museum curators will set up a blog in conjunction with the exhibit. Their mission will be to further examine the history of Northwest art, answer your questions, and hopefully report on the best happy hours surrounding the museum (our dream). They will launch the blog tomorrow night during the members-only preview gala extravaganza.

If this sounds righteous, check out the museum's main page tomorrow afternoon.

Fine Print: Works will be drawn primarily from the museum’s permanent collection and will include work from the mid-1800s to the present day from Washington, Oregon, western Montana, Idaho, British Columbia, and Alaska. Exhbit only located at the Tacoma Art Museum. Exhibit ends 5/23/10. Museum is open 10a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on third Thursdays. Admission is $9, $8 for students, military and seniors. Members and children 5 and younger admitted free. Membership requires one-year agreement. Additional terms and restrictions apply. Image above: Jeffrey Simmons, Eulalia, 1998. Oil and alkyd on linen.  Tacoma Art Museum Permanent Collection, Gift of Rebecca and Alexander Stewart. Photo by: Richard Nicol. If the blog doesn't launch tomorrow but instead early next week, deal with it.