SUZY STUMP: ART SLAM IS TONIGHT >>>

Art Slam. Art, “slam.” Slam art. If you can figure out which one of these works you’re in. Congratulations. You can do it. And so you should. Wait, you’re not allowed.

Rewind.

What is an Art Slam?

Basically, it’s a free community event tonight in conjunction with Tacoma’s Art at Work Month that puts the work of 58 artists front and center on a projection screen at the Rialto Theater. Each work of visual and performing art will flash before your eyes for several seconds, set to a soundtrack of musical accompaniment.

Unlike this blog post where you might be asleep drooling on yourself, this evening â€" did I mention it’s tonight? â€" moves at a fast pace to keep it a lively event. Artists of all mediums and genres will show their work, ranging from the very accomplished to the up and coming. Everyone presents his or her work in the same format. And to keep it livelier, poets and dancers will be in the house.

The truth is that the term “slam” is a derivative of “poetry slam,” a competitive evening of poet against poet (think 8-Mile only without the hip-hop) whose name was derived from baseball and bridge terminology. This event is not that at all. This is Art Slam â€" two hours of local art slammed into your consciousness like a shot of adrenaline. This is not your Grandma’s slide show.

And the “slam” part. Yea, no. No one is going to “slam” anyone’s work â€" at least not out loud.

To aid in placing faces to art and names to people, a program passed out that evening will have contact information, artist’s statement and information about the works shown for each artist.

After the show there will be a reception in the Rialto lobby allowing community members an opportunity to mingle, and, no doubt, slam.

[Rialto Theater, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 7-9 p.m., free, 301 S. Ninth St., downtown Tacoma, 253.591.5191]