FREE COMMUNITY CLASSES >>>

There was a time when Bobble Tiki, dear reader, wasn't a cranky old wooden souvenir. That time was the '70s. Bobble Tiki found happiness in Sesame Street, Hee Haw, stripped bellbottoms, H.R. Pufnstuff, The Electric Company (Sh. It. Shit.), the Bradys in Hawaii, Chaka and Farrah Fawcett, Richard Dawson and Chuck Barris and their various substance problems.

And while Bobble Tiki bathed in such glory, he fiddled with his Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs and Shrinky Dinks. Stop it!

There's a reason for this post. It's Shrinky Dinks. Yes, those magical shrinkable pieces of plastic Bobble Tiki traced, colored, cut and shoved into the oven for a wonderful keepsake half the original size that ended up lodged in the washing machine's mechanisms are front and center tomorrow during Tacoma Art Place's Free Community Day. OK, maybe just front and center to Bobble Tiki.

Tacoma Art Place, the non-profit art center that provides creative types access to affordable equipment and training, hosts its annual Community Art Day Saturday, May 21, offering free workshops to the community. The no cost workshops include:

• 10 a.m. to noon - felting demo
• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - wearable art (sewing)
• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. - photography
• Noon to 2 p.m. - jewelry making
• 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. - graphic design demo
• 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. - pottery wheel instruction
• 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. - SHRINKY DINKS <<< See! There it is!
• 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. - knitting
• 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. - water color painting

In addition to the free classes, expect demos, raffle prizes, refreshments, tours, silent auction and more.

Be sure to drop by at 3 p.m. and join Bobble Tiki as he creates a Pinky Tuscadero Shrinky Dink!

Community Art Day

Saturday, May 21, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free
Tacoma Art Place
1116 S. 11^th, Tacoma
253.238.1006