Point Defiance Ferry Run

Tacoma is situated on Puget Sound.
To get from the mainland to neighboring islands,
you either walk or drive onto a ferry.

This ferry runs between Pt. Defiance
on the Tacoma side and Vashon Island.

Port of Tacoma

Yes siree!
Tacoma is a port city.

Old Town Blues Festival 2009

Mark your calendars.


The 2009 Old Town Blues Festival is Saturday, July 11.

Tickets are $20 for access to indoor events at The Spar,
The Mountaineers Club and Slavonian Hall.
Music at the Old Town Park main stage is free - no ticket needed.

Steeple

The steeple of St. Luke's Memorial Episcopal Church
in North Tacoma on a cloudy day.


Follow the link above to read about its interesting history
and its current ministries.

Merlino Arts Building

The Merlino Arts Building
at 6th and Fawcett
houses a theater, two galleries,
artist studio space
and a school of ballet.



At least I think it's a ballet school.

Sometimes when you see an afternoon movie,
it sounds as if horses are training
for the Kentucky Derby.

p.s. Check out the blog for our state capital,
Olympia, Washington. It's got gorgeous photos.

Distortions

In the remodeled old train station
that became the Federal Courthouse,
there's a modern extension that is curvilinear.


The glass reflects back the Thea Foss condos
across I-705, the ones next to the Museum of Glass
and parallel to the Foss Waterway.

Cool distortions, don't you think?

Shhhh!

Shhh! Don't spill the beans. . .

"Sun and Shadows" photograph copyright Meri Arnett-Kremian. All rights reserved.

The Pacific Northwest may be known
as a rainy, gray place
but we have bright, sunny days.
Sometimes it gets downright hot.

And then again. . . .
sometimes the rainy reputation
is well deserved.

The Grandest of Cinemas

Tacoma's only non-profit establishment
for the promotion of independent film


and host to the Tacoma Film Festival.

Hotel Murano

The tall building
the one in the background


is Tacoma's Hotel Murano.

The building used to be a Sheraton Hotels property,
but was totally remodeled and updated.

It now features glass from world-renowned glass artists,
with each floor showcasing a different artist.
Furnishings are upscale and contemporary in style.

A visual and sensual treat.

No Dumping

We're concerned about our wild fish here.
We really are.



But if you saw all the muck
floating in this storm drain,
you'd wonder.

Wright Park

Wright Park
established 1890


a green oasis in the city,
with broad expanses of lawn, picnic tables, a pond with islands
for sculpture, a kid's playground, and a conservatory.

Public bond measures have afforded funding for
infrastructure upgrades, pond restoration, new basketball courts,
entry upgrades, landscape improvements,
outdoor performance areas, and shelter and pathway upgrades.

Federal Courthouse

At the front entrance of the
Federal Courthouse

you'll find this bronze work -
a lawyer with his briefcase and sachel.

In the middle of Pacific Avenue,
right in front of where the statue stands
there's an electric tram that runs through the downtown area.

It's as if he's waiting for a ride.

Lines and Curves

In the foreground
are the undulating shapes of a glass sculpture
gracing the reflecting pool at the Museum of Glass.


"Curves and Lines" - photograph copyright 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian

The background shows the support cables of the N. 21st Street bridge,
designed by Creelman, Putnam & Healy
as well as the flag-adorned roof of the Tacoma Dome.

Jazzbones

The place in Tacoma to go for jazz
is Jazzbones


a funky little place
on Sixth Avenue
2803 to be exact.

Click on the name Jazzbones
to see what's on the itinerary.

Museum Hot Seat

Have a seat.
Sit a spell.



Spend some time watching the artist-in-residence
create works of art in the hot-hot-hot shop
at the Museum of Glass.

A Commitment to Art

Did I mention that Tacoma
has a commitment to art?


This is the pamphlet from last fall's
Tacoma Arts Month
telling all the many studios
that opened doors to visitors.

There's an art walk every month
on the third Thursday evening.
(June 18 this month).

Art Walk Third Thursday of Each Month

Art Walk.
Downtown Tacoma.


Third Thursdays of the month.
So mark your calendars for June 18.

Chihuly Bit 2

By popular demand
here's another Chihuly bit,
just a wee fragment
out of a large installation
on Tacoma's glass bridge.

"Orbiting Bodies"" copyright 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian

For those of you who aren't glass devotées,
Dale Chihuly is an internationally-known glass artist.

Kid Stuff

Kids stuff in the gift shop
at the Tacoma Art Museum.


You can order online.

David Macaulay

Before it leaves
you might want to catch
the David Macaulay exhibit

at Tacoma Art Museum.
It appeals to men and older boys
and women & girls with a scientific bent.

If you aren't familiar with Macaulay,
he writes cool books on the way things work.

Gelatin Prints

Yesterday's art activity
at the Tacoma Art Museum


was making gelatin prints.

Chihuly Bit

Famous glass artist
Dale Chihuly
is Tacoma's native son.


"Spirals" copyright 2009 Meri Arnett-Kremian

Here's a closeup of one of his pieces
on public display
in a location where people stroll everyday
and many walk by without even noticing.

What's Happening?

Get out the word.
There's a lot to do.


Tacoma's a happening place.

South Sound Volcano

No
not the exploding kind


the alternative newspaper kind.

Glass Bridge 2

Remember when I told you
about the covered part of the walkway
from the history museum
to the Museum of Glass?


If you just look up,
this is a sample of what you'll see.

Reflections on the Museum of Glass

The glass panels on the exterior
of the Museum of Glass


reflect the growth in the downtown Tacoma area.
See the construction crane hiding there?

Pretty reflection, don't you think?

Mandolin Cafe

The Mandolin Cafe
is a fun little spot to hang out.


Under new ownership, it'll soon increase
its rather meager food offerings
that have focused on things
in the cold case that are either eaten
"as is" or zapped in a microwave
and coffee drinks, bottled water,
and an almost endless variety of teas.

Food was never the primary reason to go to Mandolin.
You go because of the funky decor,
tables in the sun on warm days,
music happening almost every night
(usually no cover charge -- just tips for the musicians),
political/intellectual book discussion groups,
and a narrow table at the front where you can use the free wi-fi
and surf the net with a friend by your side.

See the web surfers through the window?

Oranges at Metropolitan Market

My favorite field trip
grocery store is Metropolitan Market
located in the Proctor District in North Tacoma.


It's always artfully arranged
with something wonderful to look at
no matter which way you turn.

Glass Bridge 1

Between the Museum of Glass
and the Washington State History Museum

there's a pedestrian walkway
that spans I-705
called The Bridge of Glass.


This is shot looking up
at an angle so you see the structure
of the covered part of the Glass Bridge
and reflections from the ground.

What you don't see is the treasures
in the ceiling.

The Museum of Glass

One of Tacoma's features
is the Museum of Glass

It features exhibition space,
a gift shop and cafe,
underground parking,
a plaza on the waterside
that has a lovely reflecting pool,

and the big draw for visitors:
The Hot Shop
with an auditorium and glass furnace
(hint: it's the cone-shaped structure)

where you can watch artists-in-residence
create gorgeous works of art in glass.