SNOWMAN BLOW 2012 >>>

Last year glass artist Nancy Callan put on a sliver apron and created snowmen at the Museum of Glass. It's true. There are photos. The snowmen are made of glass, standing three feet tall.

And just as the snow returned to Tacoma; so did Callan. She's in MOG's Hot Shop making snowmen again.

Daily through Dec. 23, Callan will work as an artist in residence. Along with pieces from her regular series, Callan will create said snowmen with snowball on the snowmen bodies can be up to 18 to 20 inches in diameter.

Callan works with a variety of shapes in her regular series of works - spinning tops, bumble-bee-inspired shapes, genie lamps and some very cool clouds.

"I am influenced by the bright colors and inflated shapes found in comic books and toys, and by the playful spirit of the unconscious mind," says Callan in her Artist Statement. "While creating each piece, I try to balance the fluidity of hot glass with the sense of wonder and fun I felt the first time I gathered from the furnace."

At 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22 she will also give a public talk and slide show.

MUSEUM OF GLASS, THROUGH DEC. 23, 10 A.M. TO 5 P.M. THRUSDAY-SATURDAY, NOON TO 5 P.M. SUNDAY, $5-$12, 1801 DOCK ST., TACOMA, 866.468.7386

THURSDAY, DEC. 20 2012 >>>

1. If you don't visit any other gallery tonight, do yourself a big favor and make sure you get to Fulcrum Gallery for the opening of the Devin Reynolds' show of new works, which focuses on nature, but not watercolors of hillsides. Reynolds produces colorful compositions of water, sky and plants through chemical reactions on canvases. His "Caustic Compositions" show distorts nature in the most interesting way. Check it out during a public reception from 7-9 p.m. The show runs through Feb. 15.

2. If the Tacoma Runners was a human entity, it could run for the Position 2 seat on the Tacoma City County. The Tacoma Runners gets things done. If you haven't heard, the Tacoma Runners will host a computer timed 5K run every Saturday beginning next year. What started as seven people running to justify post beers has turned into a giant mass of people running roughly a 3K every Thursday ... to justify post beers and to be social. Yes, the Thursday runs continue with a 6:30 p.m. jaunt launching from Cork Wine Bar. Bonus: Jingle bells are encouraged.

3. Think you've got some writer's chops on ya, do ya? Think you can take the heat? Washington State History Museum is here to give you your shot - or let you kick back and listen to other people reading, if you so choose. At 6:30 p.m., the museum will host a special holiday edition of its Writer's Open Mic.

4. The burlesque troupe Gritty City Sirens will shimmy-shake its way through Tacoma bars, singing carols and spreading holiday cheer. The troupe's Caroling Pub Crawl launches at 7 p.m. inside Puget Sound Pizza, then hits The Office Bar & Grill, The Swiss, Jazzbones, Doyle's Public House on the hour, ending the shenanigans at The Mix around Midnight. This won't be the usual burlesque eye-full (though sure to tantalize) as the Sirens intend to enliven the holiday spirit with some caroling - and all for a good cause. Every dollar donated will go to Pin-Ups Against Cancer Fund. If you purchase a raffle ticket, you'll be entered to win some cool prizes.

5. There are many options for celebrating the screeching halt of the Mayan Calendar, which several dozen people think will cause the world to end this Friday. The Java Jive Appreciation Society is tossing an End of the World Party tonight at the Java Jive. Expect beer, karaoke, free buttons and world-ending celebrating.

LINK: Thursday, Dec. 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater TAcoma and Olympia area

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES >>>

Think you've got some writer's chops on ya, do ya? Think you can take the heat? Washington State History Museum is here to give you your shot - or let you kick back and listen to other people reading, if you so choose. Thursday, Dec. 20 at 6:30 p.m., the museum will host a special holiday edition of its Writer's Open Mic.

"We invite any and all writers to participate," says Stephanie Lile, head of education at the museum. "Some are locally known and published, others are still working at it. We often have different people from different places. Some are poets, some write memoir, others non-fiction, fiction and children's stories. December 20 is a specially themed night with holiday stories, so anyone with a holiday story to share - or folks who just want to listen - can come on down. "Sign up for anyone who wants to perform a reading starts at 6 p.m. Stories should have a holiday slant, but may interpret holiday traditionally or not - Lile guesses there may even be a story or two about holidays in other worlds. Yes, nerdfolk, you are welcome to attend.

While there won't be food or beverages served at the event, you're welcome to bring along a beverage or sack dinner of your choice.

Entrance to the museum and event is free - come in the main entrance and follow "Works in Progress" signs up to the Mezzanine. You can park in one of the museum lots, but keep in mind that street parking in downtown T-town is free after 6 p.m. Woo!    

WASHINGTON STATE HISTORY MUSEUM, THURSDAY, DEC. 20, 6:30 P.M., SIGN-UP AT 6 P.M., FREE, 1911 PACIFIC AVE., TACOMA, 888.238.4373

SUNDAY, DEC. 9 2012 >>>

1. A brooding, mysterious godfather, a broken-jawed wooden soldier that comes to life and a murderous Mouse King all converge once again to remind us The Nutcracker story may be the most hair-raising Christmas favorite for the whole family the world has ever known. The Tacoma City Ballet is set apart as the sole production in the area to follow the story, scenic design, costuming and choreography as it was originally created by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov accompanied by Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky's captivating score, thanks to the Northwest Sinfonietta. Whether the Mouse King has seven heads (like the beast of Revelation), three heads (like Cerberus, dog-guardian of Hades) or only one (like a normal mouse king), this dark-edged dream promises to leave kids and sensitive adults as speechless as the bounding, pirouetting athletes on stage. It hits the Pantages Theater's stage at 3 p.m.

2. Conversation Tacoma hosts another, er, conversation today. The Conversation agenda will feature a viewing of the movie Unnatural Causes, followed by a conversation about how one's position in society affects health at noon inside the Urban League of Tacoma.

3. A few days before Halloween Tacoma artist Euphoria Marie Sorensen was struck by a truck while walking on the 200 block of North G Street. She's still in the hospital with severe injuries, with recovery updates posted at gofundme.com. Thousands of you pass through Tacoma and have never had the pleasure of meeting Sorensen, but there's a select several hundred who know this mother well. Many of those folks have put together a benefit concert to help pay for her medical costs. From 4-11 p.m., an benefit auction will be held at The New Frontier Lounge, while A Leaf, Death By Stars, Looking For Lizards, Deborah Page and DJ Melodica entertain.

4. The moths are on to something. Lights are awesome. Especially holiday lights. Make today the day you check out Zoolights and Fantasy Lights - both South Sound institutions.

5. The Tacoma Cult Movie Club will host a Quentin Tarantino nightvisiting some of his more obviously "inspiring works" at 7 p.m. inside The Acme Grub Cage. The night of free movies, shorts, trailers and wackiness includes a raffle. Just in case there's trivia, the F-bomb gets uttered 252 times in Reservoir Dogs.

PLUS: Let It Snow Community Festival and No God, No Master film in our Weekend Hustle

LINK: Sunday, Dec. 9 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TALKING POT >>>

Every Friday the Weekly Volcano posts advice from experts living in the South Sound on our blog, Spew. We call the column South Sound Sidekick.

Yesterday, Olympia attorney Jim Foley chimed in on what the passage of I-502 means to South Sound potheads. Foley touched on many points, including the following:

Do not go anywhere near a Federal building or Federal Courthouse with your Washington legal dope.  To the Feds it is still illegal and subject at the very least to seizure.  What else the Feds will do remains a question.

That's great advice.

You may read his full South Sound Sidekick column here.

On a related note, Leonard Haggarty phoned the Weekly Volcano World Headquarters yesterday to inform us he'll be filming Seattle criminal defense attorney Aaron Pelley's I-502 lecture tomorrow inside the Green Light Expo on South Tacoma Way. The Green Light Expo is a place for RCW 69.51A.010 patients to meet and join collective gardens. You might want to comb your hair in case you're caught on film.

No word yet if munchies will be served during Pelley's lecture.

GREEN LIGHT EXPO, SUNDAY, DEC. 2, 3 P.M., 5408 SOUTH TACOMA WAY, TACOMA

THURSDAY, NOV. 29, 2012 >>>

1. Legendary rockers Dick Dale and Girl Trouble have shared a stage in Tacoma many times, the last being over a year ago. These influential musicians have 50 year and 30 year careers, respectively. They have stood the test of time, sticking to our hearts like a home cooked meal sticks to the ribs, and together, along with The Dignitaries, will again share a stage at 8 p.m. inside The Swiss. Read Nikki McCoy's interview with Dick Dale in the Weekly Volcano's music section.

2. Tacoma Cabana and Rum Bar, Tacoma's own tiki bar - complete with a 600-pound stuffed marlin mounted to the wall and Gilligan's Island re-runs - will host the Weekly Volcano's Nosh League Thursday at 6 p.m. Chef and co-owner Robyn Murphy will serve her "vacation fusion" dishes from Hawaii, Caribbean, South Pacific, Thai and the Philippines. Alexander, armed with recipes from Trader Vic's and Don the Beachcomber and his trusty fez, will pour scratch tropical craft concoctions incorporating his own ideas, infusions and syrups. Apparently, the Nosh League will be sipping the Zombie, Vic's Mai Tai, the Painkiller and the Scorpion Sangria. Murphy says she has a few new recipes for the League. As always, the price tag for the night will be $15 a person.

3. Washington State Poet Laureate Kathleen Flenniken and West Region National Student Poet Miles Hewitt share their talents for an evening of conversation and poetry at 6 p.m. inside the Columbia Room in the Legislative Bldg on the Capitol Campus in Olympia. It's free and open to the public.
 
4. The Pressing On: 30 Years at the Elliott Press - a special exhibit of artist books, broadsheets and ephemera - runs through Feb. 27 at Mortvedt Library on the campus of Pacific Lutheran University. The opening reception is tonight at 6 p.m.

5. Though they share qualities with other electronic neo-primitivists like Animal Collective, NewVillager and Yeasayer, Children of Kids tends toward the dreamier, gentler side of things. But even still, there's always an underpinning of intensity, with an insistent beat that threatens to scare away the trilling synths.Catch them at 9 p.m. with Not From Brooklyn and Bardobasho at Club Rendezvous on the University of Puget Sound campus.

LINK: Thursday, Nov. 30 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

BEAN THERE, DONE THAT >>>

Northwesterners love coffee as much as Sasquatch, flannel and karaoke. In fact, Coffee houses in the Pacific Northwest are as omnipresent as slot machines are in Vegas. They line the streets vying for your attention. They beckon you to sip its brews, utilize its Wi-Fi and commune with friends and associates. Many Northwesterners opt for a mega-chain stop due to its overwhelming convenience. Others believe chains are too cookie-cutter and "normal." They opt for the independently owned variety with lots of TLC and personal touches poured into the setting, local art, cozy ambiance and hip entertainment - interesting enough to observe once you drink your coffee.

Artist Marsha Glaziere muses on the latter in her book, Eclectic Coffee Spots in Puget Sound: Paintings, Photographs, Musings, Recipes. The book beautifully captures Pacific Northwest coffee shops with paintings and prose inspired by her coffee house visits over a four-year period.

Friday Nov. 30, Glaziere will be visiting one of our favorite local coffee shops, A Rhapsody in Bloom Florist and Café Latte on Sixth Avenue, to sign her book and chat coffee.

The book includes paintings of the Olympia Roasting Company in Olympia and Tully's Coffee in the historic Bostwick building in downtown Tacoma.

A coffee table book may be just the inspiration you need to revisit old favorites or discover new roasted bean potions. Or, it's an awesome gift for the holidays.

RHAPSODY IN BLOOM FLORIST AND CAFÉ LATTE, FRIDAY, NOV. 30, 5-9 P.M., FREE ADMISSION, 3709 SIXTH AVE., TACOMA, 253.761.7673

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THURSDAY, NOV. 8, 2012 >>>

1. Normally, when you go to an art party you can expect certain things: wine (or punch, whatever), cheese (or grapes, or both), people in turtlenecks (with extremely long or extremely short hair) and art (which you may or may not understand).  Obviously you enjoy these things or else you wouldn't be going to art parties. But surely you enjoy other things art-related too - like meeting new people who enjoy art. Say, the people that actually create the art. Wallah! Point reached. King's Books will host a special Game Night to celebrate the release of Tacoma Makes' Tacoma Playing Cards, a unique deck designed by Tacoma artist Chandler O'Leary featuring 14 artists' illustrated interpretations of 54 Tacoma locations, stories and icons. From Go Fish to Poker, every game is Tacoman with these unique cards featuring the artwork of Art Chantry, Audra Laymon, Brian Hutcheson, Britton Sukys, Chandler O'Leary, Chris Sharp, Elise Richman, Jessica Spring, Kristin Giordano, Lance Kagey, Meghan Mitchell, Otto Youngers, RR Anderson, and Shaun Peterson. 7 p.m., no cover, prizes, 218 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma

2. Writers strung up on walls? Not quite. Mixing art exhibit and poetry reading, Tacoma Community College presents "Celebrating Art and Writing" at its library. TCC faculty Allen Braden, Rob Larson and Richard Wakefield will read their words while the crowd strolls nine new works of art from the Washington Arts Commission's "Re-String Project," the work of local sculptor and fabric artist Lynn Di Nino and local photographer Chris Berryman. 1:30-3 p.m., free, TCC Library, 6501 S. 19th St., Bldg. 7, Tacoma

3. Let's all think about snow sports and drink beer together tonight at the Harmon Brewery & Eatery's annual "Pray For Snow Party." And as sure as it will snow in them hills, the Harmon will dole out begins gear and lift ticket giveaways and raffle prizes, snow sports movies and, of course, the human jukebox Steve Stefanowicz who has performed at this party for as long as we can remember. Proceeds from the raffle benefit the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts. 5 p.m., no cover, 1938 Pacific Ave., Tacoma

4. Timothy Egan's book Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis tells the remarkable untold story of Curtis who, at the age of 32, gave up the life he knew in 1900 and document the stories and rituals of more than 80 Native American tribes before they disappeared. It's a truly amazing story, and Egan will recount it tonight in the Olympic Room. 7 p.m., free, Tacoma Public Library Main Branch, 1102 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma

5. This year's final Conversations Re: Tacoma lecture explores citizen engagement in the process of planning neighborhoods. Leading the a dialogue about how citizens can effectively contribute to the design of neighborhoods, how city staff and elected officials can be more responsive to community interests and how existing planning processes can be improved will be Donald Erickson, AICP, chair, Tacoma Planning Commission?; Randy Cook, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, principal, TCF Architecture?; Justin Leighton, chair, Tacoma's Central Neighborhood Council; Moderator Ian Munce, acting division manager, Long-Range Planning, city of Tacoma. The meeting ($7.50-$10) begins at 6:30 p.m. inside the Tacoma School of the Arts Theatre, followed by booze at the Varsity Grill.

LINK: Thursday, Nov. 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FUTURE THINGS ARE COMING >>>

There's a special relationship between the late great Andy Warhol and the City of Tacoma - a relationship that may not make T-town look too good, but we're making up for it.

In 1982, we had a shot at a Warhol flower design on the roof of the Tacoma Dome. It would have been the largest Warhol installation in the world. But the artist's proposal was rejected by seven short-sighted officials who couldn't see what they had in hand because their heads were up their rears.

Recently, City of Tacoma's Arts Administrator Amy McBride has been corresponding with the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh and the Warhol Foundation in New York, and now the next best thing - maybe even a better thing - is coming to town.

This November, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Warhol's proposal for Tacoma, the artist's flowers and vision for the Dome are coming to Tacoma Art Museum. The show Andy Warhol's Flowers for Tacoma will be on display Nov. 3 through Feb. 10, 2013. The exhibition celebrates more than 100 works by Warhol.

"Tacoma Art Museum is proud to bring this extensive body of Warhol's work to the Puget Sound," says Stephanie A. Stebich, director of Tacoma Art Museum. "The exhibition offers insights into Warhol's career that are rarely seen in the Northwest."

The exhibition will include Warhol's audacious floral proposal for the Tacoma Dome consisting of a brightly colored flower that would have covered the Dome, as well as paintings, studio photographs, and almost a dozen screen prints from his vibrant Flower series, which is based on a photograph of hibiscus flowers by Patricia Caulfield. The exhibition traces Warhol's ongoing interest in floral imagery from the early 1950s through 1986.

"This exhibition offers visitors a rare opportunity to explore in-depth a little-known component of Warhol's career and to re-imagine the city of Tacoma through his vision," says Rock Hushka, director of curatorial administration at Tacoma Art Museum. "The exhibition will show how one of the most influential American artists engaged with Tacoma."

When asked what about flowers attracted Warhol, Hushka says, "I think it was a handful of things. First, like most people, I think he really liked flowers because they were beautiful, fragile, fleeting, and ubiquitous. On a conceptual level, I think he was interested in testing the idea of the ‘sameness' of images. A flower image was no more important than a soup can, an electric chair, or a celebrity like Marilyn Monroe. I believe he was interested in seeing if he could make any mundane photograph (especially one that was randomly suggested by Henry Geldzahler) into a work of art the same way he did with the soup cans and the celebrities. Lastly, I think he soon discovered how many different variations he could make within fairly limited parameters. It's all so fascinating." 

Flowers for Tacoma will further cultivate art and culture by raising awareness about Warhol's proposal and the growing interest in realizing his vision. Advocates of the project, known as Citizens to Install Andy Warhol's Flower on Tacoma Dome, are trying to raise awareness about the significance of Warhol's proposition and the opportunity it provides for Tacoma. Learn more about them at www.Facebook.com/WarholonTacomaDome.

This exhibition is organized by Tacoma Art Museum, with the acknowledgement of the generosity of The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh.

Related Programs and Events

Print It!

• Saturday, Nov. 3, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Celebrate the opening of Andy Warhol's Flowers for Tacoma by creating screen prints inspired by Warhol. Cost: $35 ($25 for members)

Adorning the Dome

• Saturday, Nov. 3, 2 p.m.
• Amy McBride, City of Tacoma arts administrator, discusses Warhol's 1982 flower design submission for the Tacoma Dome and the current, renewed movement to put the design on the dome. Cost: Free with museum admission.

Hop Art Ale

Saturday, Nov. 3, 3 p.m.

• Join the unveiling of Hop Art Ale, a hand-crafted brew inspired by the Andy Warhol exhibition and specially created by the Harmon Brewery.

New Year's Eve Bash: Studio 54 at Tacoma Art Museum

Monday, Dec. 31
Ring in 2013 in Studio 54 style at an Andy Warhol-inspired celebration. Cost: $150 for Studio 54 Platinum VIP; $100 for Studio 54 Gold VIP; $50 for Studio 54 Pass

LINK: Alec Clayton reviews local art shows

SUNDAY, APRIL 22, 2012 >>>

1. Traditionally, a wayzgoose was a party thrown by a master printer. Now that we are in the age of Kindles and Nooks, the term just means a party thrown by or for printers and literary sorts. Tacoma's Wayzgoose is headed up by King's Books owner sweet pea Flaherty and letterpress printer Jessica Spring. Local printing artists show off their wares and set up hands-on activities for all to try from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at King's Books. Be prepared to take home a sample of something you (or your kids) made right onsite! Read Kristen Kendle's full feature on Wayzgoose in the Arts section on at weeklyvolcano.com.

2. The Tacoma Glassblowing Studio knows how to step up when there are people in need. Members of the Studio are headed to Romania this summer to run a camp for orphaned kids. ... We'll let that sink in for a second. ... Today, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. TGS will host a glass sale AND bake sale to raise money for the camp. So forget your diet for one day. Heck, skip dinner and order a bag full of baked goods. Fundraising never tasted so sweet.

3. There is still time left to celebrate your inner poet as part of National Poetry Month. Tacoma Poet Laureate Josie Emmons Turner will be at the Museum of Glass from 1-2 p.m. to celebrate your poetry and to actually decorate it.

4. Years of doodling and daydreaming in class. Years of passing elaborately decorated notes. Even those years of junior-high band concerts and high-school musicals. This has been your child's (or your neighbor's kid or those little twerps down the street) artistic education. And now it's paying off. Well, maybe just for one 14-year-old Gig Harbor resident. Young wildlife artist Tova Beck has been painting pictures of birds since age 4 after the feathered ones at the Tacoma Nature Center blew her away. Over the years, she's drawn hundreds and won numerous honors and awards for her art. With the help of mom Mimmi, Tova published a book of her works title The Girl Who Loved to Paint Birds - which is available at Amazon.com - and will sign the awesome thing from 1-3 as part of the Earth Day Extravaganza at the Tacoma Nature Center.

5. Illumni Men's Chorale, Seattle's innovative new choral group, presents "Music of Russia," a program of all Russian music rarely heard in the United States featuring folk music, soldier songs and music of the Orthodox tradition at 8 p.m. inside Lagerquist Hall on the PLU Campus. Internationally-known bosso-profundo Glenn Miller will be in the house.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music and DJs in the South Sound

LINK: South Sound happy hours