Cellist Julian Schwarz. Photo courtesy Northwest Sinfonietta.

Julian Schwarz in recital at Tacoma Art Museum

This 18-year-old prize-winning cellist is on a career track to stardom—hear him in recital with pianist Daniel Walden courtesy of Northwest Sinfonietta. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28. $28 general/$23 subscriber or TAM member/$48 with prix fixe dinner at TwoKoi. Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma. 253-591-5894, www.orchestraexperience.com

Tacoma Concert Band: "Choral Colors"

Tacoma’s biggest concert band shows choral colors with Vivace Choir, including Tchaikovsky and Elgar. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27. $15-$30, free for

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"Women’s Votes, Women’s Voices," an exhibit telling the story of the women’s suffrage movement in Washington, opens Saturday at the Washington State History Museum with a schedule of free events.

The exhibit will run through Sept. 27, and the more than 200 objects on display include a dress worn by suffragette leader Susan B. Anthony, a pair of her eyeglasses, her diary and a copy of the Declaration of Sentiments, the founding document of the women’s rights movement in the United States. Anthony campaigned throughout the last half of the 19th century for women’s rights, but died 14

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Scott Campbell. Photo courtesy Scott Campbell.

Scott Campbell has taken up the permanent position of managing artistic director at Tacoma Little Theatre, Tacoma’s oldest community theatre. The position has been maintained by interim director Doug Kerr ever since former director David Duvall was asked to resign last July.

Campbell, who began work at TLT on February 9, has a fairly long history in both Tacoma and its theater scene. He’s lived here for 19 years, and for the past seven of them has been associate managing artistic director at Lakewood

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Poet William Kupinse. Photo courtesy William Kupinse.

The City of Tacoma Arts Commission has just announced the 17 recipients of the 2009-2010 Tacoma Artists Initiative Program, one of three funding programs managed by the Commission. Started in 1999, the TAIP supports artists in creating new work and presenting it free to the public. The $45,000 in grant money was split this round between 17 artists in all disciplines, with each recipient receiving between $2,000-$3,500.

"These awards provide artists the resources to explore and develop their artistry more fully. It is our intention

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John McCuistion, “Lucy was a Bonehead…” Photo: Ross Mulhausen.

On the walls right now: two great shows, one just up and the other about to come down.

At the Grand Impromptu is the best exhibit that the co-op gallery has mounted so far. “Evolutionary Tales” crams as much art as you possibly could, and then some, into their space next to The Grand Cinema–but don’t be fooled. Quality and quantity do sometimes meet, and this is one of those times. The premise is good: Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday. The concept’s even

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Well, if you’ve been following the blog, you’ll have been wondering whether former PLU tenor Noah Baetge placed in the finals for the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. The finals for the international young talent search were held yesterday at 3 p.m. ET.

And no, Noah didn’t win. The four winners, selected from eight finalists, were Paul Appleby of South Bend, Indiana; Anthony Roth Costanzo of Durham, North Carolina; Sung Eun Lee of Seoul, South Korea; and Nadine Sierra of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. All finalists performed two arias with the Met Orchestra, conducted by Patrick Summers. Each winner

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At least not to me.

Not to toot my own horn too much, but I had one of my better nights as an Oscar prognosticator today.

“Slumdog Millionaire” for Best Picture. Well, everyone saw that one coming. Me too.

“Slumdog” director Danny Boyle and Heath Ledger as Best Supporting Actor. I figured they were locks. And so they proved to be.

I was a little uncertain that Penelope Cruz would take the Best Supporting Actress prize and I had a few doubts that Kate Winslet could wrest the golden guy away from “Doubt”

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Having five past winners in each acting category introduce this year’s nominees was an inspired new wrinkle in tonight’s telecast. The speeches made by the past winners were heartfelt and seemed incredibly sincere.

Even for those who didn’t win the big prize, the words of their compatriots had to be as valuable as gold. When Robert DeNiro praises Sean Penn, the winner of the Best Actor category for being able to lose himself in every role, calls him "a great human being" and most importantly, "my friend" that resonates. And when Anthony Hopkins asks "why do we care

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