Poet William Kupinse. Photo courtesy William Kupinse.

The City of Tacoma Arts Commission has just announced the 17 recipients of the 2009-2010 Tacoma Artists Initiative Program, one of three funding programs managed by the Commission. Started in 1999, the TAIP supports artists in creating new work and presenting it free to the public. The $45,000 in grant money was split this round between 17 artists in all disciplines, with each recipient receiving between $2,000-$3,500.

“These awards provide artists the resources to explore and develop their artistry more fully. It is our intention that this investment in Tacoma ’s working artists will contribute to the on-going dialog about our city, our community and art itself,” said Robin Echtle, chair of the Tacoma Arts Commission.

Grant recipients were cartoonist R.R. Anderson, playwright C. Rosalind Bell, photographer Victoria Bjorklund, painter Becky Frehse, choreographer Robin Jaecklein, painter Matthew Johnson, mixed media artist Maria Jost, painter Fumiko Kimura, poet William Kupinse, photographer Steven McElrath, printmaker Chandler O'Leary, metalsmith Amy Reeves, ceramicist Claudia Riedener, poet Tammy Robacker, sculptor Mauricio Robalino, playwright Nicholas Stokes and Native American artist Chholing Taha.

Proposed grant projects include a poetry anthology, a new play, a dance piece, public exhibits of two-and three-dimensional visual art and a tile mural at the South Tacoma Public Library.

For more information on the TAIP grants and the Arts Commission, visit www.tacomaculture.org

Well, if you've been following the blog, you'll have been wondering whether former PLU tenor Noah Baetge placed in the finals for the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. The finals for the international young talent search were held yesterday at 3 p.m. ET.
And no, Noah didn't win. The four winners, selected from eight finalists, were Paul Appleby of South Bend, Indiana; Anthony Roth Costanzo of Durham, North Carolina; Sung Eun Lee of Seoul, South Korea; and Nadine Sierra of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. All finalists performed two arias with the Met Orchestra, conducted by Patrick Summers. Each winner takes away a cash prize of $15,000.
But Noah and the other three runners-up still walked away with $5,000 each, not to mention the prize money they've won along the way at regionals and semifinals--plus the knowledge that they've performed on the Met stage in front of dozens of opera producers, critics and scouts. Way to go, Noah!
The MONC finals were recorded for broadcast at a later date, visit www.metopera .org for more information.

At least not to me.

Not to toot my own horn too much, but I had one of my better nights as an Oscar prognosticator today.

"Slumdog Millionaire" for Best Picture. Well, everyone saw that one coming. Me too.

"Slumdog" director Danny Boyle and Heath Ledger as Best Supporting Actor. I figured they were locks. And so they proved to be.

I was a little uncertain that Penelope Cruz would take the Best Supporting Actress prize and I had a few doubts that Kate Winslet could wrest the golden guy away from "Doubt" star Meryl Streep, but I decided to go with the two of them anyway. Bingo!

I thought Mickey Rourke's underdog-triumphant turn in "The Wrestler" would persuade voters to honor him with the Best Actor prize. But it could be his weird behavior in other awards ceremonies leading up to Oscar night might have given voters second thoughts about giving him a worldwide stage to do who knows what.

Sean Penn was certainly powerful in "Milk." And the fact that Hollywood wanted to push back against Proposition 8, California's recently adopted ban on gay marriage, and let the world know it condemned the passage of the measure likely tilted the vote in Penn's favor.

Penn's acceptance speech, in which he thanked "you commie, homo-loving sons of guns" for honoring him with the big prize struck a defiant note that went down well with the audience in the hall.

And keeping with the gracious tone of the presentation speeches given by past winners in each of the acting categories, he honored the man he beat. "Mickey Rourke rises again," Penn said, "and he is my brother." Rourke, his eyes obscured by dark glasses and wearing an enigmatic smile looked very pleased.

All in all, it was a satisfying evening as the Oscars go, though I thought Hugh Jackman was a pretty bland host. Oh, how I yearn for Billy Crystal.

And it was over by 9, remarkably speedy by Oscar standards. Though in some cases its haste worked to its detriment. And there were still far too many montages! Old habits die hard.

Having five past winners in each acting category introduce this year's nominees was an inspired new wrinkle in tonight’s telecast. The speeches made by the past winners were heartfelt and seemed incredibly sincere.

Even for those who didn’t win the big prize, the words of their compatriots had to be as valuable as gold. When Robert DeNiro praises Sean Penn, the winner of the Best Actor category for being able to lose himself in every role, calls him “a great human being” and most importantly, “my friend” that resonates. And when Anthony Hopkins asks “why do we care for a bleached-blonde bruiser” and says “we care for one good reason … Mickey Rourke.” And then he calls Rourke “a fiercely honest actor” and alludes to the reverses in life Rourke’s character and Rourke himself have experienced and finally calls him “the returning champ,” that means far more than mere metal ever can.

Those were lovely moments.

Traditionally, the Best Director award is announced just before Best Picture, the last award of the night. Not so tonight. Danny Boyle just won for "Slumdog." With Heath Ledger, he was the surest of sure things.

The order of the presentation was a surprise, but the winner was not. Next up, the Actor and Actor awards.

The favorite going into tonight’s race, “Slumdog Millionaire” is pulling away from the pack. It’s already racked up six awards, including the adapted screenplay and cinematography. Its nearest competitor is “Benjamin Button,” with three, all in technical categories. It truly is a “Slumdog” ceremony.

It was Oscar’s most touching – and arguably its most expected – moment: When the late Heath Ledger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His father, mother and sister each gave gracious speeches, with his mother calling him a “compassionate and generous soul.” The stars in the hall were clearly moved, their faces attentive and contemplative.

And then, with barely time for them, and us, to catch our collective breaths and absorb what had just happened, the ceremony jumped to the awarding of the Documentary Feature prize. Oscar stepped on his most moving moment! It was almost unforgivable. If ever there was a time where it would have made sense to go to black and – I can’t believe I’m writing this – go to a commercial, this would have been it.

Philippe Petit, the wire-walking subject of the winning documentary, “Man on Wire,” balanced the Oscar on his chin and then presenter Bill Maher shamelessly promoted his documentary “Religulous,” during his speech. From a moment of genuine beauty to clowning and a crass commercial pitch in almost less time than it takes to read this. It was a shame.

Funniest moments in the first 90 minutes?

1) Ben Stiller’s bearded space-case imitation of Joaquin Phoenix, gazing off into space and wandering aimlessly around the stage during the presentation of the cinematography award?

Or

2) Or James Franco and Seth Rogen’s return to their stoner characters from “Pineapple Express” as they watched a montage of comedy movies from 2008, getting uptight when a gay kiss from “Milk” is shown then Franco turning full-guy macho, body-slammingm face-stapling madman when footage from “Wrestler” shows up? Bonus moment: when two-time Oscar winning cinematographer Janusz Kozminski (filming their bit) come out from behind the camera, plunks himself down on the sofa between them with his Oscars, and the boys wonder if there’s a way to turn to statues into marijuana pipes.

Discuss.

Vote.

Of course in the case of Stiller’s zoned-out turn, he completely overshadowed the guy who won the prize. Anyone remember who that was?

Five awards in the first 40 minutes. Must be some kind of an Oscar record. Best Supporting Actress (a breathless Penelope Cruz), Original Screenplay (“Milk”), Adapted Screenplay (“Slumdog Millionaire”), Best Animated Feature (“Wall-E”), Best Animated Short (“La Maison En Petits Cubes”). It all went by so fast it was hard to keep track.

At this rate, this thing might be over in two hours. But somehow I doubt it.

So. The Oscars. Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, told nominees recently to expect a lot of new things at tonight’s ceremony.

The Oscar gods are promising a more exciting and suspenseful broadcast this year. Something with a “storyline,” so they say. Now it’s time to see if they mean what they say, whatever it is they’re trying to say with that tantalizingly obscure mantra.

Can we take that to mean that those endless, stupefying montages honoring deceased Hollywood luminaries, Tinseltown history and various movie genres will be deep-sixed?

We can but hope.

Nativity House art room. Photo Joe Barrentine.

And now, a plug for our hard-working TNT multimedia expert Joe Barrentine! Joe's the mastermind behind a lot of the audio and video you see on our site, and I'm really pleased he's turned his attentions to a local community institution that helps a lot of folks via art. That's the Nativity House art room, where homeless Tacomans who drop in for food and day-time shelter can also feed their spirits. The art room is well-stocked with paint, pencils, paper, mixed media and storage space, and is a boon to artists who don't have a home or studio, as well as those using the shelter who just want to express themselves.

Here's a video Joe recently made of the Nativity House art room.

Tenor Noah Baetge. Photo: Bruce Tom.

Former Pacific Lutheran University tenor Noah Baetge has made it to the finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions in New York. Baetge, a recent Seattle Opera Young Artist, had won the regionals in Seattle in January, and on Sunday was one of just eight finalists selected from 17 semifinalists to compete on Sunday for the grand prize of $15,000 for each of up to five winners; runners-up get $5,000 each.
The MONC auditions are an international talent search. Finalists often go on to the Met’s Young Artist training program and roles in the company; past winners have included Stephanie Blythe, Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, Samuel Ramey and Renee Fleming.
This Sunday Baetge and the other finalists will sing two arias accompanied by the Met orchestra, in a public concert beginning 3 p.m. Eastern Time. The concert will also be broadcast nationwide on the Metropolitan Opera Radio Network. For more information, visit www.operainfo.org, and for more details on the MONC, visit www.metoperafamily.org
We'll be rooting for Baetge, of course, who is obviously on his way to a stellar career.

Carmen Vetter, "Fading Gray." Photo courtesy Traver Gallery.

At Traver Gallery right now, Carmen Vetter’s messing with your eyes. The Portland glass artist is new to Tacoma: she’s shown mainly around Portland, and once at Vetri in Seattle. But she thoroughly deserves this solo show.

In “Fading Gray: Patterns on Polarization,” which opened Saturday, Vetter plays with black and white like a hypnotist toying with a subject. Her large square wallblocks of glass are layered upward with glass frit, like a sand-sculpted wall relief, in patterns of black and white (and occasionally orange.) Her symmetrical lines, curves, stripes or dots fade in and out of each other, playing games with our depth perspective. At a distance, they seem like optical illusions, as if the lines are rising up out of the picture plane. But when you get close, you realize that they are, in fact, doing just that, like sand-dunes of powdered glass. Together, they make up an abstraction of identical echoes, a 3-D Bridget Riley.

Vetter’s work is gorgeously textural, as well. The black bits are like ground embers, the white like powder snow. In “Hot or Cold” the black curves open like a theater curtain on an iridescent orange inferno, almost radiating heat.

Carmen Vetter, "Hot or Cold." Photo courtesy Traver Gallery.

Other pieces play with insinuation. “The “Fading Gray” series engorges whorls, like thumbprints. “Circumlocution” flattens three ellipses until they peer out, like evilly slitted eyes. “Will the Circle be Unbroken” explodes outwards in a fiery ball of light and dark orange, the glass raised up in fierce, gridded bumps. Her three vitreograph prints (the only paper works) are delicate mosaics of tiny circles, gently random raindrops to the glass sculptures’ intense geometry.

Traver Gallery is open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays. “Fading Gray” is up through March 8. 1801 Dock St. #100, Tacoma. Free. 253-383-3685, www.travergallery.com

Theatre Northwest opens with a mystery play
Tacoma’s newest professional theater company debuts with “The Final Toast,” a Sherlock Holmes mystery by novelist Stuart Kaminsky. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28, also 3 p.m. Feb. 28. $22, $34. Theatre on the Square, 915 Broadway, Tacoma. 253-591-5894, www.broadwaycenter.org, www.theatrenorthwest.org

Yin-yang glass at Traver Gallery
Portland artist Carmen Vetter layers frit and powdered glass to explore polarities and balances of hue. Opening 4-7 p.m. Feb. 14, then 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays through Mar. 8. Free. 1821 Dock St. Suite 100, Tacoma. 253- 383-3685, www.travergallery.com

Music of the spheres in the Pantages
“Universe of Dreams” merges Shakespeare read by NPR’s Neal Conan, Celtic music on early instruments by Ensemble Galilei, and projected images from the Hubble Space Telescope. 8 p.m. Feb. 14. $32.50-$62.50. Pantages Theater, 901 Broadway, Tacoma. 253-272-0809, www.tacomaphilharmonic.org

ArtWalk Thursday
“Sex and Politics” in glass at Fulcrum, Darwinian evolutions at Impromptu, multilayered paintings at Mineral, metal modernism at Sanford, free museums: it’s all at ArtWalk Tacoma. 5-8 p.m. Feb. 19. Free. Fulcrum: 1308 MLK Jr. Way; Impromptu: 608 S. Fawcett. Ave.; Sanford and Son: 743 Broadway. www.artwalktacoma.com

“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore…”

Any guesses?

Of course, it’s Edgar Allan Poe, that giant of Gothic literature. And even if you haven’t read any Poe (“The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” etc) you’ve probably heard that famous Raven reference somewhere, enough to chime in with the ending: “Quoth the Raven—NEVERMORE!”

It’s this American writer’s genius for spine-chilling spookiness that has inspired vampire novels, Hitchcock films, even a whole genre devoted to spoofs of the ruthlessly rhyming, relentlessly Romantic poet. (Hey, I’m getting into the spirit of this!)

Whether you love Poe, or love Gothic, or just love poking fun at it all, you’ll want to come to SymPOEsium, a week-long Poe-fest being held by the University of Puget Sound next week. In celebration of Poe’s bicentennial, the SymPOEsium includes academic discussions, theatrical events and even open-mics related to Poe and his world with, as the press release puts it, “the same intellectual ardor, and occasional absurdity, that characterized Poe’s work.”

Oh, and let’s not forget the propensity for melodramatic alliteration, dark and eerie locations, trudging rhythms, ominous animals and the like. If you possess these qualities yourself, you’re a shoo-in for the open mic.

All events are free and open to the public. Academic sessions will be held in Trimble Forum Monday-Friday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Here’s the list of evening events, all at 7 p.m.:

Tue. Feb. 17: Lecture by UPS President Ronald Thomas on “Detecting Poe,” with music, and poetry reading by Bill Kupinse. Rasmussen Rotunda, Wheelock Student Center.
Wed. Feb. 18: Tacoma actor Tim Hoban performs “Edgar Allan Poe: The Poet’s Journey,” a one-man show by Northwest playwright Bryan Willis. Opening for Hoban will be the finalist of the Bad Poe parody writing competition (which is now closed to entries, unfortunately.) Rausch Auditorium, McIntyre Hall.
Thur. Feb. 19: Screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” Rausch Auditorium.
Fri. Feb. 20: Open-mic night. Bring along your melodramatic stage renderings, your Poe-ish poems (parody or otherwise,) your brooding music and dance. There will be prizes. Oppenheimer café, Thompson Hall.

More details: www2.ups.edu/SymPOEsium
Campus map: www.ups.edu/directions/xml
More about Poe: www.poemuseum.org

“Catch a Fire,” which I praised as “a harrowing yet ultimately heartening true-life story of a black South African’s struggle against the apartheid regime” when it debuted in theaters back in 2006 is returning to Tacoma for a one-night engagement tomorrow.

It’s being shown as part of the International Food & Film Festival being held at the Blue Mouse Theater, 2611 N. Proctor St., Thursday evenings through April 2. It stars Derek Luke of “Antwone Fisher” fame as a family-man hero who’s radicalized after being erroneously arrested on terrorism charges by South African authorities. Tim Robbins plays the cop who is his principal tormentor.

The festival is put on by the Tacoma-Pierce County Sister Cities program, and “Catch a Fire” was chosen in honor of Tacoma’s sister city, George, South Africa.

The picture will begin at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 5:45 at which time ethnic food will be served. For more information, call 253-752-9500.

What can you see in Olympia on a Wednesday evening?

Well, a yurt made of felt, for starters. Olympia artist Janice Arnold, who works in felt, is displaying an installation she's made as a commission for an exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York. The exhibit, "Fashioning Felt," will be up for six months at the Museum before touring the country. Arnold is the only American felt artist in the show.
You can read Molly Gilmore's story on Arnold in The Olympian here.

So where does the yurt bit come in? Arnold, who makes all her own felt (done by wetting wool, pressing it together and winding it tightly), was inspired by Mongolian nomads, who make their own felt by wrapping fibers around a pole and having their horses drag it, producing a tough felt with which they build tent-like houses, or yurts.

Before she packs the yurt to send to the Cooper-Hewitt, Arnold is displaying it for one evening only at the Swantown Marina, 710 N. Marine Drive, Olympia, from 6-8 p.m. today. Entry is free, but there will also be a silent auction for various handmade felt items by Arnold - partly to finance the huge costs of the installation.

The Cooper-Hewitt exhibit opens March 6, www.cooperhewitt.org. For more information on Arnold, visit www.jafelt.com.

Calling all poets! By happy coincidence, three poetic opportunities present themselves in Tacoma this month. Get your pens ready:

- Poet Laureate William Kupinse is offering a free workshop on “The Sustaining Community of Poetry” at Kilworth Chapel, University of Puget Sound. Entrants’ poems will be discussed and new work written in the light of concepts of sustaining communities through the arts. Workshop 2:30-4:30 p.m. Feb. 20, optional reading at 5 p.m. To register, email name and one or two poems relating broadly to sustainability to wkupinse@ups.edu by Feb. 18. Limited to first 18 applicants.

- Submissions are now being accepted for a new anthology of Tacoma poetry, to be published by Exquisite Disarray Publishing. Editors William Kupinse and Tammy Robacker are looking for around 75 local poets (established and new) to “represent the diverse voices and experiences that characterize Tacoma” in the provisionally-titled book “In Tacoma’s Shadow.” Sound like you? Send submissions by Feb. 20; find more information at www.exquisitedisarray.org/tacoma_poetry_anthology.html. The book, supported by Tacoma Arts Commission, the University of Puget Sound and Urban Grace church, will be released to coincide with National Poetry Month in April.

- Aiming higher? The position of Tacoma’s Poet Laureate is up for grabs. Current Laureate William Kupinse is at the end of his one-year term, and the second “Soul of the City Poetry Competition” for the new Urban Grace Poet Laureate is now open. The Laureate position, supported by Urban Grace church and the Broadway Center for Performing Arts, attracts a cash prize of $1,000, and involves providing two workshops and monthly poetry recitals at Urban Grace services from April 2009-April 2010. The new Laureate will be announced in a National Poetry Month event in late April.
Applicants may submit two poems and an application form by March 27 to Kenneth Coble, kcoble@urbangracetacoma.org, 253-272-2184 x106.

Impromptu Gallery explores artistic evolution
To honor Darwin’s 200th birthday, the Grand Impromptu Gallery are inviting a chain of friends-of-friends to show an evolution of aesthetics focused on science. Party 5-8 p.m. Feb. 12. Open 4-8 p.m. Thursdays, noon-8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 2-6 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 28. Free. 608 S. Fawcett Ave., Tacoma. 253-572-9232, www.grandimpromptugallery.com

Kids make hero masks at Tacoma Art Place
Seattle artist Jason Huff will offer a free workshop for kids aged 8-12 making ceramic masks to illustrate concepts of empowerment and superhero personas. Noon-2 p.m., Feb. 7. RSVP for free day pass. Tacoma Art Place, 1116 S. 11th St., Tacoma. 253-238-1006, www.tacomaartplace.org

See Walrus Dance at Barefoot Studios
Seattle’s Walrus Dance, presents “21 Vignettes about Frustration, Humiliation, and Rejection: An unconventional Valentine's Day Story.” The title says it all. Guest artists Serendipity Dance, live music by Halophile. 8 p.m. Feb. 7. $15 at door/$9 advance. Barefoot Studios, 1604 Center St., Tacoma. 253-627-2273, 800-838-3006, www.barefootcollective.org, www.brownpapertickets.com

Love, sex and a cappella singing from The Esoterics
A cappella choir The Esoterics get the jump on Valentine’s Day with “Votiva,” a program of love songs, including avant-garde setting of the erotic biblical Song of Songs. 3 p.m. Feb. 8. $20 at door/$18 advance/$15 students, seniors, differently-abled. Christ Church Episcopal, 310 N. K St., Tacoma. Also 7 p.m. Feb. 7 in Lynnwood, 8 p.m. Feb. 14 in Seattle, 3 p.m. Feb. 15 in West Seattle. 206-935-7779, www.theesoterics.org

Pierce County kids in grades seven through 12 can enter the Pierce County Library System’s 13th annual “Our Own Words” writing contest.

The contest gives young writers a chance to express themselves, stretch their imaginations, earn cash prizes and see their work published.

Beginning Sunday through March 21, teenagers who live in or attend school in Pierce County may enter one short story and/or one poem in the contest. Participation in the contest is free.

All entries must be in English. Poems must be 20 lines or less and short stories must be no longer than 1,200 words.

Get entry forms online at www.piercecountylibrary.org, at any Pierce County Library branch or at the library’s administration center. Submit entries online to the library Web site or by mail to Pierce County Library System, 3005 112th St. E., Tacoma, WA  98446-2215.

A total of 18 writers will be awarded cash prizes of $50 to $100. Winning entries will be published in books distributed to Pierce County Libraries and to the winning students’ schools. 

The News Tribune helps fund the contest.

- DEBBIE CAFAZZO; The News Tribune

Regional MONC winner, tenor Noah Baetge. Photo: Bruce C. Tom.

Tacoma’s newest opera star is on the rise. Noah Baetge, a tenor who grew up in Kent and graduated from Pacific Lutheran University last year, has just won the regional finals for the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, an annual national talent-seeking event for New York’s Metropolitan Opera company.

The Northwest regionals—covering 45 districts in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Western Canada and Alaska—were held on January 25 in Meany Hall, Seattle. Baetge’s first prize not only included $800 from the MONC, but $10,000 raised by its local Northwest Regional Council.

"I was surprised to win," says Baetge, who also competed three years ago, winning at district level. "There were some great talents at the competition and everyone sang so well."

So what happens now? Baetge, along with winners from the other 16 regions, will compete on the Met stage in New York on February 15 in the national semifinals, singing two arias with piano. If he’s one of the ten finalists chosen that day, he’ll go on to the grand finals the following weekend in a concert accompanied by the Met orchestra. The prize money for the (up to) five winners will be $15,000 each; runners-up get $5,000 each. Semi-finalists get $1,500 each.

But the big reward for winning the MONC auditions is a career. Finalists often go on to the Met’s Young Artist training program and roles in the company; past winners have included Stephanie Blythe, Deborah Voigt and Renee Fleming.

PLU’s Barry Johnson, who was Baetge’s vocal teacher, sees plenty of possibility for the 28-year-old tenor, who has spent the last two years singing with Seattle Opera’s Young Artists program. “Noah could go far, he’s extremely talented," Johnson says. "It’s a world-class voice, it’s got both beauty and power. And he’s a smart musician.”

For more on the MONC, see www.metoperafamily.org. For the complete regional results, see www.nwauditions.com