TACOMA ARTS SCENE >>>

The Tacoma Art Walk is no more!

Wait! Don't panic. If you haven't yet heard, what was once Tacoma Art Walk is morphing into Tacoma Art Mingle - and the first Art Mingle hits Tacoma Thursday, Jan. 17. Many things are staying the same. You can still go get your art fix on the third Thursday of every month. Galleries and museums will still be out in force.

The monthly event has undergone a few key changes. First and foremost, this Mingle casts its definition of arts destinations wider than Art Walk did, beyond the museums and galleries downtown.

"We wanted to be more inclusive of what we call show spaces," says Gary Boone, B2 Fine Art Gallery owner and co-president of Tacoma Art Group, which heads up the Mingle. "These are basically opportunities for business that are not art-related to have an opportunity to show emerging artists, who are not showing in a museum or gallery. We wanted to broaden our approach, and bring to the table opportunities for our entire community."

Therefore, when you head out on third Thursdays, there will no longer be a few static locations to visit. Instead, each month will bring a new map, designed by local design students. Eventually, the map will be available in both a printed brochure as well as on Tacoma Art Group's website. This month, venues are listed online only.

The website also allows any business to sign up to host an Art Mingle event.

It's almost like Art at Work month, but every month!