Arts reporter and critic Rosemary Ponnekanti keeps you in touch with the arts and culture scene with the help of other News Tribune writers, critics and editors.
Rosemary Ponnekanti is the arts reporter at The News Tribune, and has been a classical music nerd nearly all her life. Besides spending way too much time in galleries, museums and concert halls, she occasionally brings a whistle or double bass to Celtic jam sessions, and insists on singing "Happy Birthday" in four-part harmony.
Other contributors include:
> Arts & entertainment editor Craig Sailor
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Over at the Adventure Guys blog, I'm writing about my Olympic Peninsula trip. I've lived in Washington for almost 35 years, but I'm a Peninsula noobie.
In a strange twist of fate, about two weeks before I left, Bob Stokes' spokeswoman sent me a note about some of the things the Northern California artist is doing up in Port Angeles. Under optimal circumstances, I don't think The News Tribune is delivered in that part of the state. But since I was about to trek around "the loop," I decided to check out some of Bob's artwork.
According to his spokeswoman, Bob is a multimedia artist whose client list includes the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, flimmaker George Lucas and Pope John Paul II. A few years back, Bob shut down his "thriving California design company" and set sail on his boat. In 2004, he visited his sister in Port Angeles and he hasn't left yet. Instead, he's been "shaking up the former logging town... with his artistic vision."
In August, Bob unveiled his "Avenue of the People" project, 15 larger-than-life steel sculptures that are part of the Port Angeles Downtown Associations "Art About Town" initiative. Nearly two dozen other outdoor sculptures from other artists also are part of the collection.
Bob's sculptures line Laurel Street, "formerly the city’s hot spot for gambling and drinking," according to the spokeswoman. He modeled the pieces after Port Angeles residents.
Bob also is involved in a project he calls "Art Front." He's renovating a 1920s Moose Lodge to include working artists' studios, a wine club and a permanent art gallery. His spokeswoman quotes him as saying, “We’re working to raise the profile of the artist community to a level that it becomes a draw for people outside the area, as well as for locals.”
If you're headed up to Port Angeles, take a stroll down Laurel Street.
Garth Stein, author of the New York Times best selling "The Art of Racing in the Rain" will speak about and sign his work at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24 at the Tacoma Public Library’s downtown Main Library, 1102 Tacoma Avenue South.
Books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
Stein's novel, a love story and tale of redemption narrated by a dog, has been promoted by Starbucks, chosen as a monthly recommendation by independent booksellers and is #30 this week on the NYT best seller list.
Here's more on Stein from TPL:
Garth Stein is the author of two novels, How Evan Broke His Head and Other Secrets, winner of a 2006 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book Award, and Raven Stole the Moon; he has also written a full-length play, Brother Jones. He worked as a documentary filmmaker for several years, co-producing The Last Party, starring Robert Downey, Jr. In addition, he has directed and/or produced several other films including When Your Head’s Not a Head, It’s a Nut, which aired nationally on PBS and was awarded a gold medal by the International Epilepsy Foundation. Garth teaches fiction to writers from second grade to adult. He has also served as an Adjunct Artist, teaching creative writing, at the Tacoma School of the Arts.
For more information call the library at 253-591-5666.
Here's a synopsis of the plot:
MLKBallet, that sterling institution offering free ballet lessons around the Hilltop area, obviously needs money from elsewhere than tuition to succeed. They usually hold contemporary dance concerts (the MOVE!) series as a way of doing this (here's what I wrote about the last MOVE! show), but this week they're branching out: Friday night sees gospel singer William Demps take the stage to benefit not only MLKBallet, but their temporary home, Urban Grace Church, which looks after the homeless and elderly in Tacoma as well as providing a home for many arts groups.
Here's the shtick on Demps from MLK's press release:
After getting his national break appearing on John P. Kee's 2005 New Artist Showcase project, William Demps has emerged from behind-the-scenes to the forefront as one of the freshest male vocalists in gospel. His unique style encompasses neo-soul and urban R&B and bears strong resemblances to Tonex and Mint Condition. MLKBallet, a non-profit ballet school providing dance classes to low-income families in Tacoma, will also perform. Demps and MLKBallet will partner together on one song with original choreography. All proceeds will benefit MLKBallet, their students, and Urban Grace's work in the community. There will be a reception after the concert.
Tickets are $15, and are available at www.brownpapertickets.com (search for Urban Grace on the website.) The concert is at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at Urban Grace, corner of South 9th and Market Streets, Tacoma.
