Mary Anderson, “One week at Port of Tacoma.” Photo courtesy Kittredge Gallery.

Skies and ships at Kittredge

Bill Colby’s celestial woodcuts complement Mary Iverson’s down-to-earth abstracts of shipping containers at Kittredge Gallery. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, noon-5 p.m. Saturdays through Feb. 27. Free. Kittredge Hall, University of Puget Sound, North 15th and North Lawrence Streets, Tacoma. 253-879-2806, www.ups.edu/kittredge.xml

Northwest artists in TAM Biennial

See a roundup of contemporary local art in Tacoma Art Museum’s 9th Northwest Biennial. Opens 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 31, then noon-5 pm. Sundays, 10 a.m.-5

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The seventh annual edition of Tacoma-Pierce County Sister Cities International Film & Food Festival kicks off next Thursday at the Blue Mouse Theatre, 2611 N. Proctor St. Nine films from countries where Tacoma sister cities are located will be shown on consecutive Thursdays through April 2.

Doors open at 5:45 p.m. and ethnic food from the countries will be served before the show.



Tickets are available at the Blue Mouse box office and at the Pacific Northwest Shop, 2702 N. Proctor St.



For information, call: 253-752-9500.



The

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Team of pianists. Sitting: Marjorie Skreen-Dickerson (left) and David Asplund. Standing: Erica Minneman (left), Timothy Strong and Diana Walker. Photo: Carole Parkhurst.

Ever heard five pianos played at once? Well, this Sunday is your chance. Local piano teachers will be putting on a fund-raising concert featuring three teams of five pianists each on stage at UPS’ Schneebeck Hall.

The performers are members of the Tacoma Chapter Music Teachers Association, including Marjorie Dickerson, who also plays for local groups such as the Northwest Repertory Singers.

"The Gig Harbor Chapter puts a concert

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Wanting some opera to cheer up the winter doldrums? Tacoma Opera is presenting its 7th annual Young Artist Showcase this weekend with an evening of scenes from operas based on Shakespeare. Steamy love scenes from "Romeo and Juliet" segue into comic relief from "Merry Wives of Windsor" in a kind of Shakespeare-goes-to-the-opera mix.

Soprano Megan Chenovick. Photo courtesy Tacoma Opera.

Mezzo Stacey Porter. Photo courtesy Tacoma Opera.

As always, the Showcase features up-and-coming local opera stars: this year, mostly recent Tacoma university graduates. Soprano Megan

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Tacoma Art Museum visitors in the fall of 2007 were rewarded with an exhibit of the quilts of Gee’s Bend. Their bold geometric patterns, simultaneously traditional and boldly modernist, have become iconic.

The quilts and the women who made them inspired a play that’s having its regional premiere Friday at 8 p.m. at Seattle’s Taproot Theater.

Sponsored in part by TAM, Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder’s “Gee’s Bend” runs through February 28. A Pay-What-You-Can performance is February 4. Check their website or call for the ticket numbers for dates and times.

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Ed. note: Laura posted this this morning while Rosemary’s blog access was down, but Rosemary wrote the post. here goes:

Well, folks, the wait is over. The Monkeyshines have finally been put out around Tacoma: if you don’t know the story, read my post here. This year, the Monkey crew upped the number of floats to just short of 600, and it took two days with 16 glassblowers each day to make them. (Thanks to City of Tacoma, whose grant paid for the glass and hot-shop hire.)

Having been (apparently)

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Red Dancers by Carla Barragan, art by Paula Barragan. Photo: Ron Wurzer.

Local Choreographers Dance Outside the Box

Carla Barragan of BQDance, Indian Orissi master Dr. Ratna Roy and modern dancer Kabby Mitchell create dance that will blow away your expectations. 8 p.m. Jan. 24. $8 advance/$10 at door/$6 each for family of four. Broadway Center Rehearsal Hall (ground level, near Theater on the Square,) 915 Broadway, Tacoma. 253-592-5894, www.broadwaycenter.org

Take the Kids to the Symphony

Hear "Peter and the Wolf" and other wolfish tales played by

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Ox ball for 2009 Monkeyshines. Photo courtesy Ms. Monkey.

On January 26 there’s a lot to celebrate: Australia Day, India Day (the national equivalents there of Fourth of July) and, this year, Chinese New Year. And for those in the know here in Tacoma, that means Monkeyshines.

Monkeyshines, for the uninitiated, is an annual event spreading joy and unexpected happiness every Chinese New Year. For a week or so beforehand, the Monkey crew of local glassblowers spend hours creating hundreds of glass ball floats, stamped on the seal with a hand-sculpted design

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