Art Walk

Visual art surrounds us all day, every day, in varying forms. Whether we choose to look at it or not, it is there as a background noise along with piped music and commercial hum. Working in marketing means that I spend a great deal of time looking at and absorbing visual stimulus, making decisions, drawing inferences and soaking up different cultures then cutting it up and spitting it out to be consumed by someone else. The internet has dramatically increased the volume of images that cross our retina. Some days I feel so over-satiated that I want to sit in a dark room and wait until it all quietens down.


Still, it is in my nature to seek out artistic experiences where ever I am. As an individual, I have always enjoyed looking at art in its many forms, visiting galleries, coming across public art in unusual places.


Living in London for a couple of years I was spoiled with the opportunity to visit the National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery, Tate Modern...and all the rest of them, whenever I wanted. The portrait gallery was my favorite - in particular one little spot in the basement that had a regularly changing exhibit. I could just pop in there on my way to Covent Garden and get a quick, free art hit. With all the greatest art in the world around me though, there was always something missing. The problem was, it was an historical experience. I will never get the chance to sit down with Renoir and ask him how his day was. The Romantics will never come to my house for tea. Toulouse-Lautrec will never make a poster for one of my events.


Here in Tacoma, there is a significant artistic community. I have been told that this is now the desirable place for artists now that Seattle has grown too expensive. Every Third Thursday, there is an Artwalk around town. All the galleries (there are many of them, some in the most surprising places) open their doors for free. The art collectives set up shop and let people come in and show them how they work. I have taken part in 3 art walks so far and each time have been thoroughly fulfilled in my thirst for current, relevant and quality art. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying that historical art is worthless and anything new is good, far from it. You must know where you have come from to understand where you are going. What I relish though, is that chance to be in amongst the art as it happens. It adds so much depth to the experience and understanding of what you see. Anyone can pay for a picture. Few can watch that picture grow from the artist's fingers.


There is a mailing list you can join that tells you what is going on in the artists community, what programs are coming up, events, shows, tenders. I get maybe 5 or six a day. This could be irritating, but I find it a fascinating indication of the vibrancy of the cultural life of Tacoma. Living in it, it seems normal to have top quality, custom, 'Tacoma' graphic art on every street corner. Go somewhere else tho, even to London, and it is clear that there is something special, something very of-the-place happening here. I am excited to be a part of it.


Here are some links to the places I've been so far and some graphic designers that make up the Tacoma view:

- Artwalk map with links

- 253 collective (253 is the area code here)

- Brick House Gallery

- Mary K -Lots of local paper The Volcano work and band Motopony

- Mirka Kokkanen Specializes in animals

- Rusty George - Tacoma public work including Point Defiance zoo, the Hub, the Grand

- Springtide press letterpress

- Chandler O'Leary

- Beautiful Angle