It’s on again: Tacoma’s Metro Dance Festival, for the third year, featuring nine of the city’s best dance companies in an evening buffet of dance. The event, at 7 p.m. on Feb. 20, is hosted this year by Washington Contemporary Ballet, after two years at the Metropolitan Ballet of Tacoma.

“It’s the kind of program I’ve always wanted to pull together,” says WCB director Ken Kaiser, whose company is one of those featured. “There’s such a diversity of styles, techniques and presentation. There’s also a diversity of the dancers’ backgrounds that’s really powerful.”

The other companies involved in this year’s …

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For a while now the Tacoma City Library system has allowed card holders to check out free passes for Tacoma Art Museum. Now, the benefit is extending throughout Pierce County.

In a new program, Pierce County Library card holders may check out free passes to visit not only TAM but the Children’s Museum of Tacoma and the Washington State History Museum.

Now, without waiting for free third Thursdays (or, for the Children’s Museum, first Fridays) you can check out the art, artefacts, art-making studios and much more at these three locations.

Passes are available on a …

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Northwest Sinfonietta is “Romancing the Muse”

The Northwest Sinfonietta gets the jump on Valentine’s Day with a concert of romantic Mozart arias sung by soprano Lambroula Pappas, plus a string version of Mahler’s wistful Fourth Symphony. 7:30 p.m. tonight (Seattle) and Feb. 13 (Tacoma.) $19-$49. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle/Rialto Theater, 310 S. 9^th St., Tacoma. 800-291-7593, www.nwsinfonietta.org

Jef Gunn’s wilderness at Traver

The opening at Traver Gallery this weekend is Portland artist Jef Gunn (((CQ))), whose work brings out the shape and color of wilderness in a variety of media including painting, print, photography and mixed-media. 2-5 p.m. …

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Okay, so the hot-club jazz date in Puyallup doesn’t do anything for you? Then how about some theater? Centerstage in Federal Way and Encore in Gig Harbor are both running comedies about love this weekend. Here are the details:

Centerstage Theatre’s production of “I Love You Because” runs through Feb. 21. The contemporary comedy about dating in the big city is directed by Brandon Ivie of Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre and stars Don Daryl  Rivera. Note: 18+ for adult content. 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 21. $25/$20/$10. Knutzen …

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It’s Asian New Year this weekend, and for Tacoma that means Monkeyshines! The annual artist-driven tradition of hiding gorgeous hand-blown glass floats in yards and streets all over Tacoma happened again early this morning.

The Monkeyshines crew (various glassblowers, artists and friends) set out to hide the floats at 4 a.m., which was far too early for me to tag along. But I did go last year, and so I know more or less what happens: The Monkeyshiners meet at a top-secret location associated with Ms. Monkey, a certain glass artist around town, where they divide into teams and load …

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A sexy, jazzy Valentine’s Day date in Puyallup? You better believe it. If you haven’t already planned your date for this Sunday, here’s a great idea all laid out for you: the Northwest Sinfonietta Jazz Quartet in “Music for Lovers” with sultry singer Stephanie Porter, cabaret-style in the Pioneer Park Pavilion at 7 p.m.

It’s the first concert for the Sinfonietta since their move to be the resident professional orchestra in Puyallup a few weeks ago. The residency adds to existing ones at the Rialto Theater, Tacoma, and Seattle’s Benaroya Hall and means regular appearances there by …

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When you think Tacoma art, you maybe don’t think of the Collins Memorial Library in the heart of the University of Puget Sound campus. But since Jane Carlin took over as director last year, the library has started to offer some really interesting art, connecting to the community and broadening the idea of what a library is.

Up right now is an exhibition of book art by Shereen LaPlantz. The California artist, who died in 2003, was known both for her unique handmade books and her teaching on how to make them, including her 1995 bok “Cover to Cover.” The …

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Like hip-hop? Want to support local youth? Check out KRUNK. The annual hip-hop-a-rama is back again this Saturday night courtesy of D.A.S.H. (Dancing, Acting and Singing in Harmony), the Hilltop school for low-cost tuition in dance and singing.

Now in its fifth incarnation, KRUNK is a celebration of all things hip-hop, and this year features all dancers from the past nine years of D.A.S.H.’s dance troupe Reality Check doing their thing along with other Tacoma and Seattle dance teams.

All proceeds directly support D.A.S.H Center programming and its mission to provide quality performing arts education to inner-city youth at no …

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