WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2 2014 >>>

1. On June 10, 2006, college friends Dylan LeValley, Greg Spooner, Brad Vickers and Jordan Hanssen stepped into a 29-foot rowboat as the only American competitors in the first North Atlantic Rowing Race, pulling across the northern ocean. From the first dreams of race planning to heaving through ocean waves, Rowing Into the Son: Four Young Men Crossing the North Atlantic takes the reader along with team Outdoor Adventure Racing (OAR) Northwest as they head out from New York Harbor, catch the Gulf Stream current and make the final dramatic push for the finish line, a narrow 50-mile wide "gate" at Bishop's Rock Lighthouse off the coast of Cornwall. Hurricane-level winds, giant eddies, passing freighters, flying fish and sharks are all elements of the journey, and the race comes to a tense head on day 17 - with another 55 days to go - as the crew realizes their food supplies are running out and they must drastically restrict their eating. This is lead rower and University of Puget Sound graduate Hanssen's intimate account of team OAR Northwest's journey, a tale you can hear first-hand when Hanssen reads passages of the book at his alma mater at 6:30 p.m. in Commencement Hall.

2. Northwest artist Camille Patha shares stories of her inspiration and experiences from her 50-year career at 11 a.m. in the Tacoma Art Museum. After her lecture, she'll lead a gallery tour our her exhibit, "A Punch of Color: Fifty Years of Painting by Camille Patha."

3. The 2014 Walk Tacoma series kicks off at noon with a 1.5 mile stroll through Wright Park and the Stadium District in Tacoma. Participants will walk with Melissa McGinnis, from Metro Parks, Bill Baarsma, former Tacoma Mayor and Caroline Swope, from Kingstree Studios, and will learn about the history of Wright Park, Stadium High School and Stadium District history. The walk will begin at the south side of Wright Park by the lion sculptures at noon. Walkers will be able to visit booths from 11:30 a.m. until noon to learn more about healthy lifestyles, healthy commutes and other walking events, and the first 200 walk participants will receive a swag bag. All Walk Tacoma events are free and there is no pre-registration necessary.

4. There's something otherworldly about Gary Lappier's photography show, "Sent From Somewhere Else," at Fulcrum Gallery. That does not mean the pictures are of fantasy scenes or that they're surrealistic or dreamily atmospheric. They are simple, straightforward, black and white shots of the B&I Market on South Tacoma Way. What is strange, sad, and mysterious about these photographs is there are no people, no movement, no signs of life in these 23 photographs of a place that is normally bustling with activity. Read Alec Clayton's full review of "Sent From Somewhere Else: The Black and White Photography of Gary Lappier" in the Music & Culture section,and then check out the show from noon to 6 p.m.

5. Pantry, the newest book of poetry by Tacoma-born poet Lilah Hegnauer, will be celebrated at 7 p.m. in King's Books. Pantry won the Hub City Press inaugural New Southern Voices Poetry Award, selected by D.A. Powell.

LINK: Wednesday, April 2 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area