THURSDAY, OCT. 2 2014 >>>

1. Have you heard? Tacoma's gargantuan feast of literary, visual and performing arts has moved from November to October. That's right; October is Tacoma Arts Month (formerly Art at Work Month), but the festivities actually start Oct. 2 with an opening party and the AMOCAT Arts Awards presentation at the Tacoma Post Office Building. The annual kick-off party goes gargantuan too with the most "arts" in its 13th year history. The free event offers appetizers, dessert and a no-host bar while Speed Queen and Okinawa Taiko Drums perform, exhibits of work by Jessica Spring and The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation's Foundation of Art Award honorees hangs, exhibits of work by Beautiful Angle, Jeremy Gregory, Isaac Olsen, Alice Di Certo, Kristin Giordano, The C.L.A.W., and Poly Rev "pop up," Tintype photo booth by Kyle Dillehay opens and closes, Working Class Theater performs, Abby Kok, Alana Tamminga and Katlyn Hubner create art live, Tacoma Poet Laureate Lucas Smiraldo recites, Kat Ogden, Nick Butler, Kris Crews and The Grand Cinema screen films and trash fashion hits the runway. Mayor Stickland's presentation of the 2014 AMOCAT Arts Awards and recognition of the 2014 funding recipients begins at 7:45 p.m. Now that's art at work. Read Kristin Kendle's full feature on Tacoma Arts Month in the Music & Culture section.

2. The South Puget Sound Chapter of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild will be hosting October's Green Drinks outing at 6 p.m. in The Forum in Tacoma. Steve Abercrombie, the South Sound Chapter president, will be providing updates on the new Vision to Action Symposiums and anything and everything that empowers people through education to transform the built environment for long-term sustainability. This could be a three drink night.

3. Tonight's Olympia People's Mic will feature Garfield Hilson, a Washington State University grad who reclaims his "stolen language" and does it well. He is the 2014 Seattle Poetry Individual Word Poetry Champion. Hilson joins the open mic at 7 p.m. in Café Love in downtown Olympia.

4. One of our most notable musical offerings this time around is a movie ... sort of. Y'know how a company called Fathom Events beams one-night-only screenings to movie theaters? In addition to RiffTrax commentaries and Metropolitan Opera productions, that service also transmits the occasional show from London's West End. This week, the play is a musical adaptation of From Here to Eternity - not the movie starring Burt Lancaster macking total PDA on Deborah Kerr, mind you, but the 1951 novel by James Jones. Jones's original draft had its soldiers swearing and talking about gay prostitution. Such content was struck prior to publication, of course, and it wasn't restored till a 2011 rerelease. When composer Stuart Brayson read that new edition, he recommended it to lyricist Tim Rice, and the result was an October 2013 musical extravaganza. So what? Well, Rice had a hand in some of our all-time favorite shows, including Evita, Chess, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast. And you can see his new show from a better-than-front-row vantage point at 7 p.m. in the Century Olympia, all for cheap and with nary a passport. Brilliant!

5. Zeahorse is a band that does not stumble blood-crusted out of the outback. They're from Sydney which, one imagines, could not be without at least a couple air-conditioned fast food restaurants. The prospect of losing one's mind in the wasteland of the desert would likely be far from the minds of the members of Zeahorse. Still, the legacy of groundbreaking Australian acts is a heavy load to carry. Zeahorse, being a band that trades in heavy psych-rock, must be particularly aware of how they enter into the conversation of heavy bands that come from down under. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Zeahorse in the Music & Culture section, then catch the band with Ex-Gods and Magnetic Rose at 8 p.m. in Northern.

LINK: Thursday, Oct. 2 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Friday, the Sellen Construction crew removed the banners concealing the Haub Family Galleries wing at the Tacoma Art Museum. The expansion is fully visible, gracing Pacific Avenue. The tall canopy that arches over the museum’s new entry doors connecting the Antoine Predock building and the new Olson Kundig Architects designed wing will be completed by Oct. 3. The new canopy provides a covered outdoor gathering space for community festivals and events.

Sellen will soon hand over the keys to the new wing. There are a few small items to complete, and the museum’s director, Stephanie A. Stebich, is working in collaboration with the architects Olson Kundig and Sellen to compile the final punch-list.

The new TAM store will soon re-stock in preparation for the Nov. 15 grand opening celebrations. Look forward to wonderful new merchandise including the new TAM logo items, Western influenced jewelry, products featuring images of the artwork in the Haub Family Collection, and new Northwestern items as well. TAM’s Leroy has a new friend — an adorable stuffed bison named Cody after the first bison brought to the Haub’s ranch.

TACOMA ART MUSEUM, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. third Thursday, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, $8-$10, 5 and younger free, 253.627.6031

SEE ALSO

Checking in with the Tacoma Art Museum

Colors, video, improved store at Tacoma Art Museum

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 1 2014 >>>

1. Her friends and family may call her Chan Marshall, but the music-loving world knows her better as singer-songwriter (and actor and model) Cat Power. She opened for Liz Phair in the mid-'90s, then crushed on her 2003 album You Are Free. She made an excursion into Memphis soul, starting with a wonderful album of original material, The Greatest. Perhaps her fascination with Delta blues gave way to more personal, vital, even humorous material on Sun, her latest collection. It'd be hard to imagine a more bracing anthem, for example, than "Human Being," which insists, "You got a right to scream when they don't want you to speak." Well, get ready to scream, Oly Sun-worshipers! Cat Power has returned from the blues for an 8 p.m. show at the Capitol Theater.

2. "Metal-Urge" is a massive celebration of all things metal-art forged by 80 artists holding firm in 20 venues all around Tacoma through the month of October and November. Tacoma Arts Administrator Amy McBride created the event, her first large-scale project for the cultural tourism program, nearly 15 years ago. "Metal-Urge" is a citywide celebration of the metal arts that includes both traditional and non-traditional gallery venues exhibiting the metal work of talented artists and includes jewelry, sculptures, vessels, home décor, enamel and artifacts. "Metal-Urge" kicks off today in the LeMay Car Museum's Family Zone offering hood ornament design fun. Museum staff will pick the most creative idea for the month of October and November, offering a special prize for the winners.

3. Tacoma Arts Commission's Tacoma Arts Month kicks off today. Tacoma Arts Month is a rebranded incarnation of Art at Work and is now in its 13th year. The new name is intended to capture the all-encompassing artsy nature of arts in the community - which is exactly what Tacoma Arts Month is all about. Arts Month is an umbrella that arches over more than 300 individual events, workshops, classes et al - music, theater and dance performances; films; literary and cultural events; workshops and classes; and more, all happening in the city in October. Read Kristin Kendle's feature story on Tacoma Arts Month, then learn about the exciting work of artist Marita Dingus as she discusses finding artistic inspiration in her African American heritage and using found materials in her art at 11 a.m. in the Tacoma Art Museum.

4. Fresh hopped brews, also called wet brews, are Pacific Northwest-centric because we live in one of the largest hop growing regions in the world.  Hops are harvested in late summer/early fall and are usually dried to use in beer recipes throughout the year. But because our location has great quantities of hops, many are brewed within hours of coming off the hopbine (the climbing stem of the hop). And no brewery tackles this concept with quite the zeal than Hood River Brewery Double Mountain. Their two fresh hop beers, the big apple/pine punch Killer Red and herbal-esque Killer Green, are often used as currency along the Columbia River. Pint Defiance has scored some of the first kegs of Killer Red Fresh Hop IRA and Killer Green Fresh Hop IPA in the area and will tap those suckers from 5-7 p.m. in what it calls the Double Mountain Fresh Hop Fest.As an added bonus, the beer store/taproom will be Randalling a fresh keg of Vaporizer Pale through locally harvested fresh hops. You're not going to work tomorrow.

5. Grammy-winning saxophonist Paul Sawtelle, who just finished recording a new album, Virtual Insanity, will bring his all-star band to Jazzbones for an all-ages, 8 p.m. show. Power trio pianist Brooke Lizotte, drummer Greg Gilmore and bassist Jon Bayless will open.

LINK: Wednesday, Oct. 1 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

MONDAY, SEPT. 29 2014 >>>

1. Once upon a time, before the advent of iPhones and Google Glass, people sat with rapt attention and listened as storytellers wove magical word-tapestries. Thanks to the Creative Colloquy, this fairy tale doesn't have to end. Storyteller connoisseur Jackie Fender has gathered more local storytellers for a night of tales and beverages at the B Sharp. Melissa Thayer, Jack Cameron, Tiffany Aldrich MacBain, Michael Haeflinger and Erik Hanberg - who was named Best Tacoman in the 2014 Weekly Volcano Best of Tacoma issue - will read from their latest works, then step aside as an open mic busts out beginning at 7 p.m. in the B Sharp Coffee House. You will delight in this night chock-full of good, old-fashioned entertainment ... and then they'll live happily ever after. The end.

2. Karen Hanan, the executive director of Arts WA, share the achievements Washington state had had in the arts and culture community in since the Centennial, beginning at noon in the State Capital Museum in Olympia.

They both are owned by Carole Ford and Pat Nagle. They both are operating breweries. And they both are hosting a week's worth of Oktoberfest events beginning today. But between the downtown Harmon Brewery & Eatery and the Stadium District Harmon Tap Room, which can truly claim Tacoma Oktoberfest star status? Click here and decide.

4. Every Monday night beginning at 9 p.m., Jazzbones hosts Rockaraoke - a chance to sing onstage with a live band - plus a plethora of cheap Miller High Life. It's valid excuse to drink on a Monday (!) night.

5. Astral, visceral, ethereal - all of these "al" words describe Los Angeles indie rock band Nacosta. Synthy, dancey and poppy describe them, too. Releasing their first album this past spring, Under the Half Moon is full of harmonic tendencies, resulting in dreamy songs, backed by solid instrumental work. The song "Aberlina," for instance, is lyrically, and musically, a love story laced with creepiness, as good love stories should be. Do I hear a Beatles and other '60s psychedelic influence? And perhaps some Radiohead and other '90s pop influence as well? On a successful tour, including SXSW, these hotcakes will hit Le Voyeur at 10 p.m. before heading home and busting out another album. Catch them while you can, with openers The Celestials and Woolen Warrior.

LINK: Monday, Sept. 29 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Things are heating up at Tacoma Art Museum leading up to the big opening of the new wing featuring the Haub Family Collection of Western Art in November.

Curator Laura Fry and Museum preparator Ben Wildenhaus are finalizing accent wall colors and working with a scale model to determine the layout for paintings and sculptures in each of the galleries in the new wing. Wall colors are chosen to complement the art and form a cohesive color palette.

Curatorial and Education staff is working on a brief video that visitors can view in the new Orientation space at the entrance of the new wing.

Staff and patrons visited the Walla Walla Foundry to meet with artist Marie Watt and see the foundry's work on her sculpture, "Blanket Stories: Transportation Object, Generous Ones and Trek," a sculpture comprising two curving stacks of bronzed blankets in front of the new wing along the Pacific Avenue streetscape. Many people in the community donated blankets to the sculpture and wrote their stories on tags attached to the blankets. One of the challenges is that the various materials of the blankets burn or melt at different temperatures during the bronzing process.

Monday, Sept. 29, the TAM Store is scheduled to be complete and will be turned over to the museum, so look for the new and improved store to re-open soon. The new family restroom on the lobby level is also scheduled for completion Sept. 29.

TACOMA ART MUSEUM, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. third Thursday, 1501 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, $8-$10, 5 and younger free, 253.627.6031

SEE ALSO

Checking in with the Tacoma Art Museum

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24 2014 >>>

1. With two No. 1 singles, multiple awards and nominations, plus performances on some of the biggest stages in the world, country singer Easton Corbin performs at 7 p.m. in the Steel Creek American Whiskey Company. Local country act Aces Up opens. No tickets will be sold at the door, so go here to grab them: http://bit.ly/easton-corbin.

2. The Iittala birds by Oiva Toikka return to the Museum of Glass for the 11th consecutive year beginning at 10 a.m. and running through Feb. 22. In partnership with Finland's Iittala, Inc., this year's display will feature the newly designed "Anna's Hummingbird," continuing the celebration of internationally recognized designer Oiva Toikka's glass birds. In addition to the display, Iittala-related arts and educational activities will be offered during Bird Lovers' Weekend, Oct. 3-5.

3. Germany's Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival going down right now in Munich. Federal Way beer store 99 Bottles is doing it in one day. The store will feature 16 German-style and import beers from which you may choose 10 for $2, from 5-7 p.m. Pint Defiance is hosting a Washington state beer (WA)toberfest tonight, but you knew that because you read our massive calendar of Oktoberfest events.

4. Maxwell's Restaurant and Lounge will host an exclusive bookworm and dining matrimony with A Taste of Washington Cookbook Signing and Dinner from 5-8 p.m. A $50 ticket includes cookbook author and photographer Michelle Morris on site to discuss her cookbook and sign copies as well as a special tasting menu featuring Chef Hudson Slater's recipes that are highlighted in the book. Call 253.683.4115 for reservation. The book will be available for purchase.

5. In honor of The Swiss Restaurant and Pub's 21st birthday this past spring, 7 Seas Brewing in Gig Harbor reunited Swiss owners Jack McQuade and a retired Bob Hill, now living on a mountain, to brew a special beer for the occasion. The two gave their input, selected the hops for 7 Seas' malt and helped brew it. "We chose an Imperial Red Ale because it's the new popular style. Plus, it ties in with The Swiss, the red shield," says McQuade. "And we like hoppy beers down here. So we hopped it up a bit. Plus, there are a ton of IPAs out there, so there is another reason to go with the red ale." The resulting collaboration ale, Revi Red, will be one of the 7 Seas brews in the spotlight tonight as The Swiss hosts the brewery for a Brewer's Night with raffle giveaways from 6-9 p.m.

LINK: Wednesday, Sept. 24 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

MONDAY, SEPT. 22 2014 >>>

1. Moses Walker has led quite a diverse life filled with hard work, travels and lots of music. His music has been described as a mixture of blues, folk, jazz and a many other influences such as Tom Waits, Leon Redbone and the list goes on and on. Catch Walker at 8 p.m. in The Swiss Restaurant and Pub.

2. In partnership with the Office of the Secretary of State, the Washington State Historical Society has created a Washington 125 program series that continues until the big celebration Nov. 11 at the State Capitol Building. As part of the series, women's historian Shanna Stevenson will explain what role women played in the development of our state's constitution and how it affected women's history at noon in the State Capital Museum. It probably will be brought up that a woman wasn't involved when Miles C. Moore, the last governor of Washington Territory, forgot to sign the constitution and President William Harrison could not approve it. A new copy was prepared and sent to the President by courier the next day.

3. In the 12 years since its debut, the Juried Art Exhibit at The Gallery at Tacoma Community College has not only grown in scope, but it's also become a favorite for South Sound art lovers. Nearly 40 artists - a who's who of the South Sound arts scene - have works in the 12th annual show, which opens at noon for a six-week run. Artists include: Bill Colby, Andrea L. Erickson, Ric Hall, Fumiko Kimura, Becky Knold, Ron Schmitt, LeeAnn Seaburg Perry, Sharon Styer, Jason Sobottka, William Turner, Sarah Waldo and others. Read Alec Clayton's review of the "12th Annual Juried Art Exhibit" in the Music & Culture section, then see the show from noon to 5 p.m.

4. Community policing involves local law enforcement agencies proactively interacting with the community - much like the policing of old, when officers "walked the beat." They knew everyone in their community and everyone knew them. Community policing can only be effective when communities, law enforcement, and elected officials work together. Join Rep. Denny Heck of the 10th Congressional District to discuss ideas to improve safety and protect communities from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Pierce College's Fort Steilacoom Campus Performance Lounge in the Cascade Building.

5. DC Sextet is comprised of some familiar Olympia Jazz faces: Don Cohen, Mark Stout, David McCrary - Trumpet, Daven Tillinghast, Craig Cootsona and Steve Bartlett. The band will be offering up jazz and blues vocals and instrumentals a la Buddy Guy, Fats Waller, Frank Sinatra and others at 8 p.m. in Rhythm and Rye in downtown Olympia.

LINK: Monday, Sept. 22 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

THURSDAY, SEPT. 18 2014 >>>

1. Every third Thursday DJ Slimrock showcases the gems discovered at record shops and garage sales at The Brotherhood Lounge, beginning at 9 p.m. Tonight, Slimrock invites his favorite music teacher to rock with him: Johnny Funk Fuzz. Funk Fuzz is the owner/operator of Funk Fuzz Records inside Dumpster Values and according to Slim, Fuzz "has the deepest crates" around. Come and get a dose of some dope music and discover why Weekly Volcano voted Slimrock "Best DJ" in the 2013 Best of Olympia edition.

2. Spaceworks Tacoma welcomes its latest "Creative Enterprise," Mod Curio, with a reception from 5-9 p.m. at 313 S. 9th St. in downtown Tacoma. Mod Curio is a gallery space showcasing the work of artists Jon and Heather Almeda. Together they work in a variety of mediums ranging from photography to pottery and recycled mixed media pieces.

3. An opening reception for "Fantastic Guts: Drawing & Illustrations by Noah Josiah Struthers" will be held at Fulcrum Gallery from 6-9 p.m. "We are but bones and squishy bags of meat, a true collection of 'Fantastic Guts.' Considerable time and space were spanned to produce these works, many of which I don’t feel compelled to explain; the commonalities are evident." - Noah Struthers

4. Noel Roberts, owner of Sixth Avenue's first legal and most posh marijuana retail store Mary Mart, will host tonight's Art Bus from 5:45-9 p.m. Roberts will lead bus riders to the Maritime Festival Exhibit at Foss Waterway Seaport, Rampart Antiques, Brick House Gallery, SPUN Clay arts studio, Concrete Market, Mod Curio, Moss + Mineral, Etc and Woolworth Windows, while Miss Angie and Miss Jackie raffle off fabulous prizes. The bus departs in front of the Marriot Courtyard on Pacific Avenue.

5. Art+Sci Salon presents "Art + Science: Re-Purposed," a Pecha Kucha style event with artists and scientists at 6 p.m, in Kittredge Gallery. Pecha Kucha is actually a Japanese presentation format for speakers in which 20 slides are shown for 20 seconds each. Tonight, the format will be four talks at 10 minutes a piece. Each speaker is an artist or scientist who works in the realm of re-purposing, re-using and recycling. They are: Marita Dingus, a national artist who works with discarded material; Susan Digby, a geography professor at Olympic College; Dan Burgard, a chemistry professor at UPS; and EcoMandala creators Maia Raeder and Rachel Kalman, two UPS students.

LINK: Thursday, Sept. 18 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Construction of the new Tacoma Art Museum wing featuring the Haub Family Collection of Western American Art is in the final stages and the grand opening is set for Nov. 15, 2014. Leading up to the big opening, the museum continues to build enticing art experiences. The walls of the galleries are finished and have been painted a fresh white color; the new maple floors have just been finished; lighting is installed and will be customized for each gallery over the next two months. The new entry portal on Pacific Avenue with its tall bronze-framed glass doors has already opened, and new art already on view includes Andy Warhol's "Little Red Book #135," Rick Bartow's "A Mask For My Brother's Worry" and Sherry Markovitz's "Eternal Vigilance" from the ongoing "Northwest in the West" exhibition. Her sculpture is an amazing paper mache and fiberglass moose head finished in oil paint, acrylic, beads and sequins.

The museum store is operating a pop-up shop in the newly expanded lobby. The cafe is operating a snack bar on the third floor mezzanine, as construction of a new store space and restaurant renovation is ongoing.

Olson Kundig Architects assisted with the pedestal design for the Pamela Mayer Sculpture Gallery. TAM is now hard at work constructing the pedestals in house.

Julie Speidel's sculpture, "Kinetic Repose," will be installed in front of the new glass vestibule entrance on the museum's parking lot level. Speidel affectionately calls the largest sculptural component, at 13 feet tall, "Big Red" for its painted red surface.

Laura Fry, Haub curator of Western American Art, continues her development of the inaugural exhibition of the Haub Family Collection. She is planning to include approximately 130-140 works from the collection of 295. The inaugural exhibition will be titled "Art of the American West: The Haub Family Collection."

Watch this space every Wednesday for updates leading to the grand opening.

TACOMA ART MUSEUM, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. third Thursday, 1501 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, $8-$10, 5 and younger free, 253.627.6031

MONDAY, SEPT. 15 2014 >>>

1. In the 12 years since its debut, the Juried Art Exhibit at The Gallery at Tacoma Community College has not only grown in scope, but it's also become a favorite for South Sound art lovers. Nearly 40 artists - a who's who of the South Sound arts scene - have works in the 12th annual show, which opens at noon for a six-week run. Awards will be presented at the 4-7 p.m. Sept. 18 reception. Artists include: Bill Colby, Andrea L. Erickson, Ric Hall, Fumiko Kimura, Becky Knold, Ron Schmitt, LeeAnn Seaburg Perry, Sharon Styer, Jason Sobottka, William Turner, Sarah Waldo and others.

2. The 2014 Washington State Fair celebrates the U.S. armed forces by hosting its annual Military Monday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Free gate admission is offered to all active, reserve, and retired military and National Guard and their dependents, plus disabled veterans, when each shows valid military ID at any gate. March over to the traveling dental office exhibit, where Joint Base Lewis McChord gives Fair guests insight into toothache relief and other dental issues when troops are deployed. This display is staged to look like dental offices taken to war zones. They will also perform demonstrations at 3, 5 and 7 p.m. with a four-cell move team in riot gear against an aggressor. The action will capture the attention of all who attend. Several non-profit organizations related to the military will have booths at Military Appreciation Days. Hobby Hall is showing their stars and stripes with their staged recruitment office and Vietnam War memorabilia display, open for the duration of the Fair. Memorabilia will include military nurse uniforms, a military Jeep and more. Do the hoo-ah!

3. Flash back to the Roaring 20s, when Port Angeles was in the midst of the Prohibition: Booze was banned, stealthy bootleggers, rum-runners and manufactures of moonshine roamed the streets. Local author Karen Barnett captured the scene in her book, Mistaken, a suspenseful, historical romance set in and around Port Angeles, Wash. during Prohibition. Barnett will discuss Mistaken at Parkland/Spanaway Pierce County Library beginning at 6:30 p.m.

4. Jazz rock fusion quartet Hook Me Up performs at 8 p.m. in The Swiss Restaurant and Pub.

5. Led by Brazilian-born vocalist Adriana Giordano, the septet En Canto busts out the music as rich and varied as the people and places of Brazil: forró and baião from the northeast, bossa nova and choro from Rio, and sambas from every city and town. Catch the septet at 8 p.m. in Rhythm and Rye.

LINK: Monday, Sept. 14 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area