Dancers at last year’s Tango at the Museum of Glass. Photo courtesy Mark Anderson.

Swishing skirts, sultry music, sexy footwork, and – a 90-foot-high steel cone. Yep, it’s tango time at the Museum of Glass this Saturday night, as the tangueros and tangueras from Tango Puget Sound get together for their annual milonga on the plaza outside the museum. If you add in a backdrop of water, mountain and architecture to one of the world’s sexiest dances, plus live music, you end up with a pretty romantic evening.

Tango Puget Sound organizes

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More money for local arts! The Washington State Arts Commission today announced that it will be investing $1.2 million in arts organizations and education across the state, some as a result of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (also known as the “stimulus” act.) Recognizing the role the arts play in the country’s economic and cultural well-being, the Act provided $50 million in stimulus funding to the National Endowment for the Arts, which has in turn passed on $285,000 to the WSAC to preserve arts jobs in 24 non-profit cultural organizations throughout the state. Tacoma’s Broadway Center for Performing

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Local pottery artists are having their third annual sale this weekend, selling hand-crafted functional ware, mosaic and sculpture. It’s a great place to get unique work and cheaper older stock or seconds.

Participating artists include Kazumi Divens-Cogez
, Jana Fisher, Barb Gabriel-Driggers
, Ann Meersman
, Jill Rohrbaugh
, Janet Rudolph
, Charan Sachar
, Rebecca Smart
 and Susan Thompson
.

The sale is from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Aug. 21 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 22 at 717 N. D. St., Tacoma. Information: Susan Thompson, 253-678-9184.

The widow of actor Steve McQueen is visiting Tacoma Saturday to herald photographs of the acting legend.

Barbara McQueen will sign copies of her book, "Steve McQueen: The Last Mile," and show photographs at Miki Spa Salon on Tacoma’s Ruston Way.



Long time friend Miki Keogh, who owns the salon-spa, invited McQueen to Tacoma. In addition to the book signing there will be entertainment and a McQueen-themed car and Harley-Davidson exhibit.



McQueen said she wanted the event to

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MLKBallet dancers Move! it again

For the 12th in the Move! series of contemporary dance evenings, you’ll see dancing by director Kate Monthy, teacher Joel Myers and MLK students. All proceeds go to fund the downtown tuition-free ballet school.

7:30 p.m. tonight. $14. Urban Grace Church lower level, 902 Market St., Tacoma. 253-906-2190, 253-272-2184, www.urbangracetacoma.org

"Willy Wonka" free for all at The Grand

Time for The Grand Cinema’s monthly free Click! Family Flick: This month it’s "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." 10:30 a.m. Aug. 15. Free, but limited to first 100 attendees. (Children under

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Immanuel Presbyterian Church is turning 100 years old this fall, and is celebrating with an art competition. The juried art contest honoring the historic church building located at 901 N. J Street will result in the winning entry being displayed in the church and used for celebration material, as well as earning a $500 prize.

Artists may submit original works in paint, drawing or mixed media based entirely on an outside view of the Immanuel Presbyterian Church building. There is no entry fee. The submission deadline is September 19; all submissions must be delivered to the church on this

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The Grand Impromptu Gallery, in the Merlino building in downtown Tacoma.

If you want to see the art in the Grand Impromptu Gallery, you only have four more days. The artist co-operative-run gallery next to The Grand Cinema downtown is closing doors for good this Sunday, forced out of their space by planned expansions by The Grand.

The Grand Impromptu opened doors nearly two years ago after Art on Center vacated the space at 608 S. Fawcett. St. Members shifted and joined during the two years, sharing rent and expenses as well

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Stuart Skelton (Siegmund), Margaret Jane Wray (Sieglinde), and Janice Baird (Brünnhilde). © Chris Bennion photo

On with the “Ring” cycle (see above post). Wagner’s four-opera epic continued last night with the opening of “Die Walkure,” to a rock-concert-style audience reception. The five-hour opera sustained the magic of the sets and special effects, while the music was outstanding and the acting mostly good.

Highlights were the set for Act I, with Hunding’s house crouched Hobbit-style in a tangled, lowering forest, and the stark misty rock that was home base for the Valkyries, the

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