GO Arts

“Hide/Seek” faith dialogue at Tacoma Art Museum

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:31:55 +0000

Tacoma Art Museum is making the utmost of its nationally controversial gay art exhibit “Hide/Seek” to hold as many community educational and conversational opportunities as possible. This Saturday sees another: “SEEKing Common Ground: A Dialogue about Art, Faith, and Sexuality Saturday.”

The program, held in partnership with Tacoma-area worship congregations, will be moderated by the Revd. Chris Morton of Associated Ministries. Local religious leaders from various faiths will respectfully share their viewpoints on issues raised by the exhibit. It’s an important lens through which to view “Hide/Seek,” as the show made headlines when the original venue, the Smithsonian’s National …

Critic’s Picks: The Barefoot Dance Collective, Tacoma Youth Symphony at Rialto, bike art at Tacoma Art Museum and ArtWalk

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:08:31 +0000

Barefoot Dance Collective in “Ides of May”

Join the Barefoot Dance Collective and three local choreographers in an evening of modern dance in a brand new venue: the newly-renovated Studio 3 at the Broadway Center for Performing Arts downtown. Seats, curtains and a black-box atmosphere transform a rehearsal space into a dance theater for tBFC’s annual “Ides of May” show. 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. May 12, 3 p.m. May 13. $15/$18. Studio 3, 915 Broadway, Tacoma (third floor, enter via silver elevator on street level) 253-591-5894, brownpapertickets.com, barefootcollective.org, broadwaycenter.org

Tacoma Youth Symphony plays gypsy music …

Salish Sea Early Music Festival plays music for an 18th-century princess at Christ Episcopal, Tacoma

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:58:16 +0000

One of the most enjoyable things about early music is that it gives you a window into another time. Next Tuesday at Christ Episcopal Tacoma, that window will open onto the world of Princess Wilhelmine of Prussia, who lived through the early 1700s and transformed the city of Bayreuth into artistic capital through her love of music. The Salish Sea Early Music Festival concert features music the lute-playing Wilhelmine would have loved, played on baroque flute, baroque cello and lute.

As the sister to one wealthy flutist (Frederick the Great) and wife to another (the Margrave of Bayreuth) …

Rock star panel with Jini Dellaccio 1960s photographs at Harbor History Museum next weekend

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:59:37 +0000

If you’re into 1960s rock, save the date: Bob Holden from Don and the Goodtimes, Jim Valley from Don and the Goodtimes and Paul Revere and the Raiders, and Steve Lalor of the Daily Flash are coming on May 19 to Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor to take part in a panel discussion on 1960s rock photographer Jini Dellaccio, whose large-format photography is now on exhibit in the museum in “With a Loving Eye: The Photographs of Jini Dellaccio.”

The rockers were each part of a group that was photographed by Dellaccio, who took iconic album covers …

Northwest artists respond to Tacoma Art Museum’s gay art show “Hide/Seek” with an illuminating group show at The Space

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:18:49 +0000

If you haven’t seen “Hide/Seek” at Tacoma Art Museum, you’ve probably heard of it: a groundbreaking, controversial show initially mounted at the Smithsonian of major American art with a lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender theme. Now Northwest artists have responded to the show and its issues with a show of their own. “Queering the Museum” features 19 artists in a thought-provoking group show at downtown Tacoma venue The Space, opening this weekend, with associated events at Seattle’s Henry Art Gallery and Tacoma Art Museum.

Curator Erin Bailey has made the most of the unusual geography of The Space, an alternative non-profit …

Tacoma Symphony Orchestra puts on a joyful finale at the Pantages, despite amplification issues, in Beethoven’s 9th last Saturday

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:49:20 +0000

Tacoma’s Pantages Theater was filled last Saturday night with joyous sounds from both stage and audience – appropriate enough, since the program for the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra’s season finale included Beethoven’s 9^th symphony with its beloved “Ode to Joy” final movement. But while the evening featured some very fine playing from the orchestra, masterful control from director Harvey Felder and delightful singing from all four soloists, the Tacoma Symphony Chorus was unfortunately hampered by something you don’t really want to hear in this colossal masterpiece – bad audio amplification.

The basic problem all classical music groups encounter in the …

“Anchor Baby” offers a fun but simplistic theater take on culture clash at First Congregational Church, Tacoma

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Sat, 05 May 2012 17:19:02 +0000

Tacoma has quite a history of small, independent theater in odd venues, and “Anchor Baby” is one of them. Mounted by Dukesbay Productions, who’ve been responsible for the “Java Tacoma” live local sit-com and other creative shows, Richard Tucker’s “Anchor Baby” opened Friday night at First Congregational Church and tells a culture-clash tale of what happens when brash, clueless Americans plonk themselves into the peaceful society of the fictional island of Mehlot. It’s a mostly fun piece of theater but the acting has some holes and the script is about as about as subtle as a lead hammer. …

Tacoma peace activist Fr. Bill Bichsel has donated an original Picasso drawing to the University of Washington, Tacoma

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:15:36 +0000

The University of Washington, Tacoma now has an original Picasso drawing hanging in its library, courtesy of Tacoma peace activist Fr. Bill “Bix” Bichsel. In a ceremony last Monday that honored Fr. Bichsel’s life and commitment to peace and justice, Picasso’s 1953 line drawing “La Visage de la Paix (The Face of Peace)” was offered by the Jesuit priest on behalf of the reconciliation group he led to Japan in 2009. But how that group got hold of the artwork, valued at $60,000, is a result of a peace connection stretching back to the artist himself.

“We’d gone …

Beethoven’s triumphant Ninth Symphony closes the season for Tacoma Symphony Orchestra this Saturday at the Pantages Theater

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:38:56 +0000

The Tacoma Symphony Orchestra and chorus and prominent local soloists join forces Saturday night for the season finale, a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9, the “Choral.” One of the most beloved and influential pieces in all Western classical music, the symphony includes the famous fourth movement “Ode to Joy.” A contemporary piece written about the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks and a Strauss waltz complete the program, held at Tacoma’s Pantages Theater.

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was the composer’s last, written in 1824 when he was already deaf. After a stunning premiere it went on to take its place …

Give Big to local non-profits and arts groups, and the Seattle Foundation will match it – for today only

Rosemary Ponnekanti — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:56:36 +0000

Donate today to certain local arts groups and non-profits and the Seattle Foundation will match a share of it as part of GiveBIG day, a one-day online giving challenge set up by the non-profit resource support group. Tacoma arts organizations involved in the day include the Museum of Glass, Tacoma Art Museum, Broadway Center and Tacoma Musical Playhouse, as well as Centerstage Theatre in Federal Way and other non-profit community groups such as the YMCA.

Donations can be made until midnight tonight to qualify for the GiveBIG match.

Last year’s GiveBIG day raised almost $50,000 …