Well, I just got back from Showcase Tacoma. The annual downtown arts festival certainly livens up Tollefson Plaza and the UW back alley, and this year's stuff was a good mix of all disciplines. Really nice to see so much emphasis on actual art (live, installed, interactive or whatever) rather than sales stalls, but the crowds weren't huge.

But gosh, the art certainly was. One of the things that made Showcase different from last year (and, in fact, any other Tacoma festival) was the presence of adventurous contemporary art. Prize for the biggest installation goes to Peter Lynn and Sean Alexander from the Helm Gallery, who created this whale out of a wooden frame and gray-spraypainted cardboard.

Sean Alexander and Peter Lynn, "Whale."

It straddles the old railway tracks, looking cleverly like a train carriage from the front, and gradually displaying more cetacean features as you move around it.

Next biggest was "House and Home" by UWT prof Tyler Budge, working well with the water in Tollefson Plaza.

Tyler Budge, "House and Home."

Prize for Most Fun definitely goes to the folks from Fulcrum Gallery, for this aerial map of Tacoma done in relief from recycled materials. Not only could you walk on it (careful, don't stomp the Dome!) but they'd thoughtfully included some golf balls, a club and a hole on the Hilltop. Quite a difficult par, as my kids found out.

Here's the Port of Tacoma view:

Oliver Doriss and Fulcrum Gallery, "Dream Time Tacoma."

Finally, Justin Gorman created a much more interesting bus stop than usual, filling it with multimedia documentation of his Seattle commutes. Thanks to Justin, you don't have to actually ride the bus, just the bus stop.

Justin Gorman, "InTransIt."

Oh, and how could I forget--the knitting project! I didn't figure out where Amy Thomas and the drop-in knitting sculpture was. But here's an example of the cute little swatches she's been hiding at various locations around town. This one was pretty close to the Whale.

Amy Thomas, "Close Knit Community."

Not much to report from Tacoma Art Museum's Iron Artist competition. The idea's a fun one, and yes, there's some voyeuristic pleasure in seeing people trying to create something meaningful in one hour from pipe cleaners, tissue paper, old art books and corrugated cardboard. But basically, out of 15 entries, only a few stood out as anything beyond grade-school art project standard, and the dwindling crowd at the prize announcements testified to that. (Plus, thanks to the loud atmospheric burble of The Helio Sequence in Tollefson, you could hardly hear anything.)
First place: Team Ironic. Second: Primo alla Scala. Third: Holy Ghost Busters.
You can see these items at TAM tomorrow, I think.

Spotted in the crowd: Northwest Sinfonietta conductor Christophe Chagnard, sporting a summer beard and chilling to Pearl Django. Director David Domkowski, overseeing a not-too-exciting theater production by some of his SOTA students. TV Tacoma host Amanda Westbrooke, looking snazzy as always.

The festival continues from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. tomorrow. Remember the sunscreen, and practice your party piece for the Click!-filmed talent show.

The Loch Ness Monster, aka Nessie, aka the Water Horse will be swimming into town Saturday. Well, at least a fictional representation of the legendary beastie will be putting in an appearance in the 2007 family movie, "The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep," which will be shown at sundown at Thea's Park, 405 Dock St. It's the story of a young boy who finds a mysterious egg on Scotland's rugged shore during World War II, takes it home and watches it hatch into a rubbery little varmint that grows like crazy into, well, you know what.

The free showing on a giant inflatable movie screen comes courtesy of the Summer Sounds and Comcast Cinema program being offered by Metro Parks. A unique feature of Saturday's event is that a 300-ft. log boom will be moored offshore where boaters can tie up and watch the picture from the comfort of their own vessels. A nice touch for a nautical-themed movie, that.

A performance by the Fort Lewis Jazz Combo will kick off the event at 6:30 p.m.

Norbert Nirewicz in "Coppelia," performed by Dance Theatre Northwest at the Museum of Glass this Saturday. Photo: Janusz Mazon

Showcase Tacoma shows off local arts
Now three years old, this annual indoor/outdoor festival highlights the best of Tacoma’s performing, visual and literary arts scene. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. today and tomorrow. Free. From Tollefson Plaza through S. Commerce St to the University of Washington, Tacoma, including Tacoma Art Museum (5-8 p.m. today). www.showcasetacoma.org

Art Installations in Tollefson Plaza
Okay, technically it’s part of Showcase Tacoma (above), but these unique, two-day installations in Tollefson Plaza are worth seeing on their own: a sandbagged house in the fountain, an aerial map of Tacoma made of recycled materials, an knitting sculpture, a multimedia bus travel chronicle, and a giant whale. Today and tomorrow from 11a.m. Free. Tollefson Plaza, Pacific Ave and S. 17th St, Tacoma. www.showcasetacoma.org

Transparent Dance at the Museum of Glass
Dance Theatre Northwest offer performances of glass-inspired ballet in the Museum of Glass lobby. The day also includes family art-making in the studio. Dance 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., art-making 11 a.m.-5 p.m. tomorrow. Free with admission: $10/$8/$4/free for under-six. 1801 Dock St, Tacoma. 866-4MUSEUM, www.museumofglass.org, www.dancetheatrenorthwest.org

Grand Impromptu Viewpoints
Tidepools, ducks and toxic mists swim through the Grand Impromptu Gallery this month in “View Points,” featuring prints and watercolors by gallery artist Dorothy McCuistion and Tacoma photographs by guest artist Peter Serko.
4-9 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 2-9 p.m. Saturday, 2-6 p.m. Sunday through Aug. 30. Free. 608 S. Fawcett St, Tacoma. 253-572-9232, www.impromptugallerytacoma.com

Giant Kitty puppet comes to Tacoma Public Library
It’s “The Fattest Kitty on Earth”, and it’s manned by William Zarcho of Vashon Island’s Zambini Brothers puppet troupe. The person-sized Kitty is accompanied by smaller, hand-held puppets in this quirky kids’ show. 11 a.m. Aug. 13. Free. Tacoma Public Library main branch, 1102 Tacoma Ave S., Tacoma. 253-591-5666, www.tacomapubliclibrary.org