Know any kids that have potential but need steering into good choices? Fab-5 is ready for them. The Tacoma non-profit that supports youth and community through hip-hop culture is rolling out its summer program L.I.F.E. for the second year beginning this Saturday. The free eight-week program uses 20 local professional artists to teach at-risk and underserved kids skills that give them self-esteem, career possibilities and positive choices.

The L.I.F.E. program was created as a response to what director Eddie Sumlin calls a lack of relevant creative outlets for at-risk youth. Every Saturday for five hours kids can learn DJing, …

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There’s a flock of shiny, glittery birds just flown into Tacoma, and they’ve alighted at Madera. Crows, ravens and a shimmering peacock, woven out of wire and reclaimed tin cans by artist Jennevieve Schlemmer, perch with cocked eye in the center of the downtown artisan showspace, and they shine both literally and artistically.

Schlemmer is better known around town for her large-scale mosaic public art pieces, like the one on the side of the police station on North 26^th Street. She’s made monkeys for the 100^th Monkey party, taken part in performance art like the Art on …

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Click Flick: “Free Willy”

The Click Family Flick at the Grand this month is the heart-wrenching orca tale, “Free Willy.” June 19, doors open 10 a.m., screening 10:30 a.m. Free, first 100 people only. The Grand Cinema, 608 S. Fawcett Ave., Tacoma. 253-572-6062, www.grandcinema.com

Persian poetry on the summer solstice

Celebrate the longest day of the year (if not the warmest) with an evening of Persian poetry, food, wine and music. A fundraiser for United for Peace Pierce County, the evening is set in a North-end rose garden, and features Rick Steves’ cinematographer Abdi Sami. 6-9 p.m. June 21. $30. …

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Tacoma’s comic artists CLAW are the hosts for the next 100^th Monkey party, happening June 23. What’s a 100^th Monkey? It’s an art community party that’s been going on every month or two for a few years now (we’re up to number 46), and the idea is to meet people, bring food and drink, see art and have a good time. Every party is in a different location and features its own artist, who makes 100 art tiles to sell (usually around $4) – the person that buys the 100^th tile is the monkey that gets to host the next …

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Local filmmakers Isaac Olsen and Kurt Kendall will roll out their independent feature noir film “Quiet Shoes” at the Rialto this Saturday. Filmed on a shoestring budget in and around T-town, “Quiet Shoes” features local talent including members of Tacoma band Girl Trouble, and combines noir with wacky comedy.

The film tells the tale of Rick Savage, gambler and loner, who finds a strange pair of shoes that take him out of his funk and into a murder mystery he has to solve.

“Quiet Shoes” premieres at 7 p.m. June 19 at the Rialto Theater, 310 S. 9^th …

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This Saturday, the Experience Music Project in Seattle celebrates its 10^th anniversary and five million visitors with a “Born in 2000 Birthday Celebration.” The day includes free admission for anyone also born in 2000 (heads-up, parents!!), goodie bags for the first 500 visitors, live music, prizes, dancing and more. $10 general admission.

The EMP is an interactive rock-music museum that has, over its 10 years, organized 13 exhibitions that have traveled to 48 venues around the world. It has the largest Jimi Hendrix collection in the world, with over 8,000 Hendrix-related objects, a playing guitar sculpture by Trimpin and much …

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Congratulations to Tacoma photographer Dayton Knipher, who has won an honorable mention in an exhibit opening this Friday at Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. The International Conservation Photography Awards is an Art Wolfe-sponsored exhibit of conservation photographs from around the world.

Knipher, whose usual work involves digitally-altered images metamorphosed into abstract, almost painterly symmetries, took an honorable mention with “Who’s Looking After the Shore?,” a picture of the unfinished Asarco superfund cleanup site on Commencement Bay.

The show opens with an artist reception from 7-9 p.m. June 18, and is then open through Sept. …

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There’s a new mural downtown – two, actually. If you duck into Court C between South 9th and South 11th Streets (near the entrance to the Rialto Theater) you’ll pass them: highly pixilated swathes of pastels brightening up the alley. 

The mural was funded by Seabury Middle School (a new downtown-based  campus for gifted students) as part of an annual Artist in Residence program. Seattle muralist Jose Orantes worked with students to reproduce a Photoshopped, pixilated version of a painting by Marcus Krackowizer.

Says Seabury administrator Halley Griffin: “We chose to do a mural for this program because

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