RON SWARNER: THIRD THURSDAY ARTWALK GEM >>>

We always get uneasy when musicians attempt to cross over to stage and screen. John Bon Jovi on Ally McBeal? No amount of chest waxing could make him tolerable. Britney Spears in Crossroads? No longer a girl, not yet an actress. Madonna in ... anything. Run for the aisles!

Musicians are better at painting and photography than they are at memorizing lines â�" with the exception of Tico Torres, of course. You can witness this phenomenon for yourselves at the Speakeasy Art Collective in downtown Tacoma. Voxxy of the Tacoma rock band Voxxy Vallejo has shown her inner Andy Warhol with three paintings hanging on the Speakeasy's wall.

They�re quite impressive.

My favorite is the mixed media acrylic on canvas The Vessel (pictured), which began as an idea for a lyric that was stuck in Voxxyââ?¬â?¢s head: ââ?¬Å?My heart is a vessel for thistle and thorn.ââ?¬Â?

Posted next to her work of art is the following statement: ââ?¬Å?Growth can be painful and in this piece I added some Tarot cards to represent a different story, lesson, or period of growth in my life.ââ?¬Â?

Drop by the art coop for a peek at Voxxy�s beautiful works, as well as the work of other local artists, including two pieces by Aaron Voronoff Trotter. Good to have you back in town, Aaron.

[Speakeasy Arts Cooperative, 746 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.426.5704]