Spaceworks is always out and about, prettying up Tacoma, filling empty storefronts, adding more artwork to spaces that need some love. Specifically, Artscapes, a nifty slice of the Spaceworks pie, has added 84 large-scale works of art to downtown T-town, from installation pieces to murals. And the awesome just keeps on going.

Spaceworks is kicking up its heels again with more downtown murals, this time at South 11th and Market streets. Yes, yes! More murals, precioussss.

This round brings two commissioned works headed up by artists Chelsea O'Sullivan and Diana Leigh Surma, who will both work to give new life to a long-vacant brick building perched at this intersection. The building has been going steady with graffiti for just a little too long now and murals often help ward off vandalism, along with turning a former eyesore into an eyescore. It's like bedazzling. For buildings.

O'Sullivan's mural will span across 10 of the large panels along South 11th Street. The mural will be titled "Turn on Spring." As you might guess, the mural will seek to infuse the Northwest gray with some color - one of O'Sullivan's specialties, as most of her work tends to pop with vivid color.

"This time of year it rains so much and all the color that comes into the city is just budding," says O'Sullivan. "Something that stands out and is bright is something that is needed, at least for myself. I usually work in vivid color, but when you're sick of the rain you need whimsy, interaction, and things that are uplifting."

In fact, as she worked on the mural, rain played more of a role than inspiration. Given that much of the process is taking place during the rainy spring, O'Sullivan has had to contend with working in the few rare-yet-awesome sunbreaks we get. She's worked with a team to help ensure she could get things done during the dry moments, including working with fellow local artist Gabriel Brown to get the base color down on the only dry day within three weeks.

"Then I assembled an army of friends (Melissa Houston, Erin Lewis, Kaitlyn Fernandez, Shannon Fernandez, Kevin Ketchum, Laurie O'Sullivan) to do my dirty work," she explains. "I took the time to outline where the pipes were, where the flowers were, the characters, and then they used rollers and paint brushes and laid down solid colors for those. As that paint dried I followed everyone with aerosol and started developing shading and definition. TECHNICOLOR BOOM!"

All through the process, O'Sullivan and her minions have battled rain. The incline of the street and winds gusting through downtown have also proven pleasant additions to the process. During sunny moments, she hits the streets to paint. The mural is evolving as she goes-she wants an impact and is still working to make sure the mural has that impact.

Meanwhile, Surma is heading up a second mural on the Market Street titled "Show Your Stripes," which will be a design of intricate geometric shapes designed to capture the revitalization of downtown as well as where the city came from.

More information about these murals and other Spaceworks projects, click here.  

FRIDAY, APRIL 4 2014 >>>

1. Some say that size doesn't matter. Tell that to the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, which is hosting a six-week-long program series with an insanely-lengthy title, "America's Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway." Each week, the AM:AFHoOPMfBtBtB (which, by the way, is pronounced AM-AFF-HOOP-EM-fuh-BEAT-BEAT-BEEEE! and should be immediately declared a musical genre unto itself) will seek to enlighten audiences by highlighting uniquely American forms of music through film. The first installment goes down at 6:30 p.m. and covers blues and gospel music and features excerpts from the almost-as-lengthily-titled documentary Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues, Episode 1: Feel Like Going Home, and cinéma vérité classic Say Amen, Somebody. Andrew "Drew" Buchman, Expressive Arts (read: Music) faculty member at The Evergreen State College, will be on hand to introduce the film portion of the evening, and lead a discussion afterward.

2. You might think swinging and flipping over high bars and prancing on two-inch-wide beams are skills only Olympic athletes such as Jordyn Wiebercan pull off with any degree of grace. But the performers of the Jordan World Circus have mastered those gymnastic feats, and much more. Their show is full of extremely flexible performers who could wow even the most jaded Olympian. The circus's troupe includes acrobats, jugglers, and contortionists between the ages of 11 and 50. Where else can you watch men your dad's age twist their bodies into pretzel shapes?  Marvel at the exotic animals, gasp in awe at the death-defying aerial acts, and be deeply, deeply frightened by the clowns at 4 and 7 p.m. at the Washington State Fairgrounds.

3. Lee Oskar founded the band WAR with Eric Burden. His harmonica can be heard on classics such as "Low Rider," "The Cisco Kid," and others. Most recently, his playing was sampled on the pop song "Timber" by Pitbull and Ke$ha. Oskar is known for his improvisational skill on the harmonica and animated stage presence. Oskar will hold a harmonic clinic and autograph session at 6 p.m. in Ted Brown Music.

4. At 6 p.m. in the Landmark Temple Theatre, Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist will kick off his bid for re-election with what we can only be described as a star-studded "kick off party" - which in the business of politics, is code for warm and fuzzy fundraising event. Lindquist promises the event will feature Peter Buck of R.E.M., actress and singer Molly Ringwald, The Beatniks, as well as speakers Gov. Jay Inslee, Sheriff Paul Pastor, Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland, and Detective Ed Troyer, executive director of Crime Stoppers.

5. "Eldridge Gravy and the Court Supreme are as fun a funk dance party as I can imagine," says Daniel Landin, booker and Weekly Volcano reader-voted Best Music Scenester in its Best of Olympia issue. Thirteen strong on stage, Eldridge Gravy's incredible soul vocals blend with three back-up singers, pour over a four-piece horn section, and all this bakes to groove perfection with a relentless full rhythm section. Catch the band with DBST at 9 p.m. in The Olympia Ballroom.

LINK: Friday, April 4 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, APRIL 3 2014 >>>

1. For fans of non-commercial, educational radio stations licensed to the Board of Trustees of the University of Puget Sound and operated by the Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound, pledge drive season is the worst. No matter how self-effacingly on-air personalities ask for money, pledge drives still invoke an intense mixture of guilt and boredom to the radio listener, an existential push-and-pull between "Wow, I should really drop a couple bucks on this programming I so enjoy" versus "I haven't had an extra $20 since the seventh grade, when Nanna's money stopped coming in."  KUPS 90.1 FM knows this. The UPS radio station - celebrating its 45th year on air - has been hosting events to raise money since Monday. Today, the station offers a doozy - A Tacoma Music Showcase. At 8 p.m. in the Club Rendezvous, which is next to the Cellar, The Wheelies, Coma Figura and Humble Cub will rock in the name of KUPS. Drop by the Club, shell out a few dollars and celebrate non-commercial, educational radio stations licensed to the Board of Trustees of the University of Puget Sound and operated by the Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound.

2. Today marks the opening of a new exhibition from Portland-based photographer Robbie McClaran at Gallerie Fotoland on the first floor of the Daniel J. Evans Library at The Evergreen State College. "Ordinary People" is an ongoing series is of portraits that highlight the lives of "regular" people from varying walks of life and from all over the country. His images are captioned with details of the subject's story - often revealing a dark past and a history of struggle and grief. An artist reception will be held 4:30-6:30 p.m.

3. The Tacoma Runner will tour Hilltop Tacoma, launching from the Eleven Eleven at 6:30 p.m., making five, right-hand turns and back to the Hilltop sandwich and beer joint to discuss the 3-mile tour. The most difficult situation of the night won't be the run, but rather packing this fun-loving group into the Eleven Eleven.

4. Is knitting still big? For some people, it's never been small, nor has crocheting, quilting, weaving or any of the fiber arts. At 7 p.m., new and veteran craft enthusiasts can get their fiberful fill during author Blair Stocker's take and make event. She invites everyone to craft an original creation using materials she has on hand. Stocker shares ideas and projects from her book, Wise Craft: Turning Thrift Store Finds, Fabric Scraps, and Natural Objects into Stuff You Love, at the University Place Library. She's best known for quilt making, and also creates through painting, crocheting and knitting.

5. Skull & The Dullards, Gag, Noping The Band and Lube will rock Le Voyeur beginning at 10 p.m.

LINK: Thursday, April 3 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

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

SATURDAY, MARCH 29 2014 >>>

1. The appeal of roller derby for onlookers is sort of similar to that insane, vicarious excitement many experience through watching ultimate fighting, only these tough ladies are on skates, and they're going really-really fast. The four roller derby teams that call Dockyard Derby Dames home will be battling against each other, and you can bet these dedicated derby girls won't let up against each other. The 6 p.m. bout will be back at Pierce College in Lakewood. Following the match, meet up at The Fan Club (8315 83rd Ave. SW, Lakewood) for an afterparty, which also promises to be fast-paced and full-contact.

2. With Coachella on the horizon and SWSX respectfully behind us, it can only mean one thing - 54 music fest season is officially in swing. The Olympia Acoustic Festival is just one of many in the South Sound, and it's a good one. In its second year, the all-ages, two-stage festival is from 1 p.m. to midnight at the historical Olympia Ballroom inside the Urban Onion in downtown Olympia. More than 15 acts are slated to play; headliners are Juniper Circus, Sansel and the Skirt, Oly Mountain Boys, Shawn Smith and Science! Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on the Olympia Acoustic Festival in the Music and Culture section.

3. Sliders know no boundaries when it comes to the diverse flavor that can be found between two mini buns, and the crew at Museum of Glass celebrating their 3rd annual Slider Cook-Off proves that we just can't get enough of the little guys. MoG kicks off "Shake Rattle and Grill" at 6:30 p.m. pitting seven of Tacoma's best restaurants against each other in an epic cook-off battle featuring the fine art of slider concoctions. Read Jackie Fender's full story on the Slider Cook-Off in our restaurant section.

4. Featuring original choreography by Faith Stevens and the world premier of commissioned music for cello, violin, piano, and electronics by local composer Brad Hawkins, MLKBallet's CHAMBER blends contemporary dance with new music and bold 20th century works by Claude Debussy, Olivier Messiaen and John Cage at 7 p.m. inside the Urban Grace Church in downtown Tacoma. CHAMBER joins old traditions with new and explores the visual aspects of music and dance performance, as performing artists share the stage.

5. There was a moment in my conversation with Jima, frontman of Seattle band the Purrs, when I expressed how inadequate it is to simply call the Purrs a psychedelic indie rock band. While that might be ultimately accurate, it just doesn't quite do justice to what the band does. Let's take a moment, for instance, to consider the bands that the Purrs have shared stages with: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Pearl Jam and Okkervil River, just to name three markedly disparate acts. The Purrs are able to drift among scenes in a manner befitting of their intangible sound. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's interview with Jima in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with Trees and Timber, People Under the Sun and DJ Melodica at 9 p.m. in The New frontier Lounge.

LINK: Saturday, March 29 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, MARCH 28 2014 >>>

1. Five fetching females will pay homage to that sweatiest, ugliest, manliest rock 'n' roll band of all time at 9 p.m. in the Capitol Theater. It's classic cock-rock without the, uh, receding hairline. If you haven't seen the balls-out (in every sense) rock explosion of Seattle's Hell's Belles, do whatever or whomever it takes to witness it Friday.  The "all-female AC/DC tribute band" gimmick gets 'em in the door, but guitarist Adrian Conner (Angus incarnate with much better legs) and Aussie singer Amber Saxon (belting Bon and Brian) deliver the goods note-for-sweaty-note with no mercy given. Prophets of Addiction open.

2. Check out the Washington Center's new Gallery show, "Memoir: Portrait of a Moment," from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The show features local artists focusing on the impact of memory on an individual artist. See the Center's fancy remodel, meet the artists and enjoy local talent.

3. Jeri, Kate and Linda join forces once again to commit manic mayhem over at Tacoma's Perky's Coffee House. This time, a suave but untrustworthy stranger enters their lives. Could this mean romance for one of our ladies, or a reason for comic revenge? Loosely inspired by William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, JAVA TACOMA is a celebration of friendship, middle-aged womanhood and all things Tacoma in The Merry Wives Americano beginning at 7:30 p.m. in The Dukesbay Theater above The Grand Cinema.

4. University of Puget Sound's celebrated student vocal group, the Adelphian Concert Choir, is heading home after a tour of the state. The 48-voice ensemble will give a free public concert at 8 p.m. on its home turf at Kilworth Memorial Chapel. Expect sacred songs, old-time favorites, choruses from Buddhist, European, and South African traditions, and modern innovations in music. No word yet if the choir will hand out apples picked in Wenatchee.

5. Man of La Mancha finds Miguel de Cervantes in a dungeon with other prisoners, defending his life by narrating the story of Don Quixote, the naïve but faithful Sancho Panza, and the scrappy Aldonza. The treatment of Aldonza/Dulcinea in the musical, as opposed to the novel, is deeply disturbing. Cervantes's brawny farm girl becomes a prostitute who's brutally gang-raped in a barn. Quixote trounces the rapists ... then ministers to their wounds. But what of Aldonza's? What's the point of this added scene? Why not have Quixote - hell, Aldonza - prevent the attack? Find out at 8 p.m. when the undeniable talent, especially in the lead roles, of Tacoma Musical Playhouse stages the show. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Man of La Mancha in the Music & Culture section.

LINK: Friday, March 28 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26 2014 >>>

1. Chicago fuzz merchants the Funs bringing a chugging, lo-fi bravado to your more standard garage rock. Even with the buzzy noise that surrounds the Funs' music, there's still a hypnotic lull that it's quite easy to fall into when listening. The insistently strummed guitars and primal drums eventually fade into pastiche, letting the hazy vocals drift to the front. Catch the band with Criminal Code, Dreamdecay, Vexx and Thee Samedi at 7 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

2. Explore the themes and stories of the art of the American West, from the adventurer artists of the 19th century to contemporary artists working in the West today, with Tacoma Art Museum curator Laura Fry. Entry to her 11 a.m. "Art of the West through Time" lecture is free with the price of admission to TAM.

3. Pour at Four wine bar co-owner Mark Merrill knows wine. It comes with the job. He's tasted a few bottles over the last couple of months. Happily, he's found some beauties. From 5:30-8 p.m., Merrill will pour complimentary tastes of his recent favorites, including several that over deliver for their price.

4. If you'd like to start spring off worrying about something, you could do worse than attend painter Anna McKee's discussion about her travels with climate scientists to glaciers in the Pacific Northwest and Antarctica at 7:30 p.m. at Olympia Timberland Library. We imagine it will be equal parts a profile of beautiful artwork; gorgeous scenes of exotic locales; and a derring-do adventure. But, as we are reminded almost daily in some form of media, her presentation could also be a Giant Blinking Light that Earth's glaciers are melting and disappearing at an astonishing pace - especially when University of Washington glaciologist Bradley Markle adds his field research photos and stories during the same presentation.

5. Cicely Parnas made her Carnegie Hall debut performing the Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto with the New York String Orchestra under the baton of Jaime Laredo, to a rave review in The New York Times. Wow. Catch the cellist at 7:30 p.m. at the Washington Center.

LINK: Wednesday, March 26 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2014 >>>

1. Does anyone else feel like planet Earth, and South Sound specifically, has a beer/food/music/book/art/film/fairy/cupcake festival every week? This week is no exception. The Spring Fairy Festival, the yearly "magical weekend of fae," returns to the Freighthouse Square in Tacoma from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Celebrating fantasy, magic and, of course, faeries, this annual event of pixie dust and gossamer wings provides everything a faer-folk enthusiast could want. Host Crescent Moon Gifts gathers artists, musicians, performers and 45 vendors to cater to the varying tastes of those who adore the faerie realm - meaning tricksy goblins, faeries, beguiling bellydancers, lost boys, steam punks and horned ones.

2. Mike Mignola's Hellboy comic book series is turning a cool 20 this week. What amounted to the quintessential '90s comic book - self-aware, stylized, coolly violent - has come of age in a time that has largely failed at adapting comics of the kind. Punisher, Spawn and The Crow have all been blessedly forgotten failures as adaptations. Come rejoice at the victory of the comic form as Olympic Cards & Comics celebrates with a sampler comic of new Mignola stories beginning at 10 a.m. 

3. Bill Holm, esteemed authority of Northwest Coast Indian Art, will give a special presentation "The Northwest Gun in NW Coast Indian Art" at 1 p.m. at Fort Nisqually.

4. Ann Hampton Callaway presents The Streisand Songbook featuring many of Barbra Streisand's most popular hits. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater, she'll bust out songs from "Don't Rain On My Parade" to "People."

5. Tropical breezes, the scent of coconut oil mixed with blooming plumeria wafting under your nostrils, the salty ocean waves gently rolling on shore, inches from your bare feet - ah, Hawaii, how we wish we were there. Since we're not, and the pleasantness of spring in the Pacific Northwest is just barely here, we'll go with Plan B: Keola Beamer and Moanalani at 8 p.m. in the Capitol Theater.

LINK: Saturday, March 22 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, MARCH 20 2014 >>>

1. Duchess of Downtown Tours, the folks behind the Tacoma Art Bus, has been driving art enthusiasts around Tacoma for four years! Yes, tonight is the fourth anniversary of the Art Bus. The rumor is this tour will be extra special with games prizes, a celebrity tour guide, VIP swag bags, Puget Sound Pizza, anniversary wine and more as the bus visits 253 Collective, Mandelin's Consignment, Brick House Gallery, Spaceworks Tacoma, Throwing Mud Gallery, PJ Hummel Warehouse and Rampart. The bus leaves at 6 p.m. in front of the Tacoma Art Museum. Click tacomaartbus.com for details.

Normally, you might not consider spending the Third Thursday Art Walk in South Tacoma, but the Asia Pacific Cultural Center has cooked up a special "somtum somtum" for you: A Meet the Artist reception for Kathy Thurston followed by a screening of Somtum (a.k.a. Muay Thai Giant). The former promises a chance to get up close and personal with Thurston, a Gig Harbor artist who is a student of Gongbi, Chinese detail painting. The antithesis to this is Somtum, a martial arts-comedy from Thailand. APCC will also be serving an unnamed Thai specialty to patrons. The reception begins at 4 p.m. with the film at 7.

3. The information age has a sound. Revolutionary technology meets a revolutionary message in Papadosio. Melding progressive rock with psychedelia, folk with electronica, and dance music with jam, the quintet has amassed a dedicated following of thousands of likeminded individuals sowing the seeds of unity and spreading the sounds of exaltation. exciting, huh? Catch the band at 8 p.m. in The Olympia Ballroom.

4. Maurice The Fish Records Music Mash-Up Series continues at all-ages venue Louie G's Pizza with Strangely Alright, Mr. Von and Devil On A Leash at 8 p.m. 

5. Every third Thursday El Protrero packs them in for live hip-hop, rap and DJs. At 9 p.m., everybody and their momma will hit the stage, including Shawn Thunderchief Lloyd, Peeriodic Table, Sic Ill, Golden Brown Entertainment (Neno Brown and Sal Rivera), Cole Z and Tom Hutcha with DJ Eddie Monster on the turntables.

LINK: Thursday, March 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19 2014 >>>

1. Christian Doyle was voted Best Actor in the 2014 Best of Olympia issue. "You may remember that show for his lovable impersonation of Charlie Chaplin, easily as dead-on as any Little Tramp at Universal Studios. More recently, he's distinguished himself as a fine rock wailer, fight choreographer, and ad-lib impresario," wrote Weekly Volcano theater critic Christian Carvajal in the Best of Olympia issue, describing Doyle's latter role as manager of Harlequin's improvisational troupe, Something Wicked. Doyle has made one thing clear from the start: every show will be completely different. Doyle and the other 10 wicked minds are primed to deliver another show at 8 p.m.

2. Gary Lappier received a camera for his fifth birthday, which is around the same time he made my first visit to the B&I Shopping Center. It was a technicolor buzz full of goodies and amazements. A crown jewel in a city full of promise named Tacoma. Since a young age he had fantasized about documenting this unique place and the variety found within. As he grew and developed his craft, the B&I aged and declined. "Sent from Somewhere Else" at Fulcrum Gallery is the photographic result of this exploration. See it noon to 6 p.m.

3. A group of Tacomans determined to "Save Hilltop" Tacoma will voice their opinion during the Tacoma Planning Commission meeting at 4 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The group wants to keep low-income/affordable housing on Hilltop Tacoma.

4. Pint Defiance hosts Denver's Great Divide Brewing for a tasting from 5-7 p.m. The beer store will pour tastes of Lasso, an IPA brewed with a robust roundup of Columbus, Centennial and Cascade hops; Nomad, a spin on the classic Bohemian Pilsner; and the 9.5 APV Pablo's Espresso with its vanilla oak character, intense roasty maltiness and bold hop profile.

5. The Vokab Kompany is a San Diego based hip hop/soul/electro act that is gaining notoriety in the south California scene. With bigger than life stage presence and dynamic studio work, including collaborations with national acts, such as: Killer Preist (Wu Tang Clan), Lateef the Truth Speaker (Blackalicious, Latyrx), they are crossing genre lines up and down the west coast, including Jazzbones at 8 p.m. 

LINK: Wednesday, March 19 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area