From now until the end of August, children under 18 years will get free admission to Tacoma Art Museum, in an offer made possible by museum donors.



“We want young people in our community to be exposed to the arts,”
said Paula McArdle, director of education and audience development.
 “We’d love to see teenagers and families take advantage of this
affordable, educational activity as the summer winds down.”



So what can kids see and do now at TAM? Current exhibitions include the vast array of art jewelry in the Helen Williams Drutt collection, some really funky jewelry from Seattle artist Nancy Worden, the best of Northwest painting and glass in the 2009 Neddy award show, selections from the permanent collection in "Speaking Parts," and the permanent showcase of Dale Chihuly's glass art (including the floats in the sculptural courtyard.)

There's also the excellent art studio, where activities are linked to current exhibitions, and the resource center/library.

TAM is open through Labor Day from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. third Thursdays and noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Hours change in fall. $9 adult/$8 student, senior, military/$25 family. Free for five and under and third Thursdays. 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma. 253-272-4258, www.TacomaArtMuseum.org

Dancers at last year's Tango at the Museum of Glass. Photo courtesy Mark Anderson.

Swishing skirts, sultry music, sexy footwork, and – a 90-foot-high steel cone. Yep, it's tango time at the Museum of Glass this Saturday night, as the tangueros and tangueras from Tango Puget Sound get together for their annual milonga on the plaza outside the museum. If you add in a backdrop of water, mountain and architecture to one of the world's sexiest dances, plus live music, you end up with a pretty romantic evening.

Tango Puget Sound organizes weekly Tacoma classes and indoor milongas, or tango dance sessions, and they've been dancing outdoors every summer for years. Their Tango by the Fountain at Heritage Park in Olympia on July 31 saw around 50 dancers, the most in 12 years of outdoor milongas there, and organizer Mark Anderson says he's expecting twice as many dancers this weekend at MoG.

The milonga runs from 6 p.m. until sunset on Aug. 22, and features tango duo Bandemonium (playing the bandoneon, a tango instrument similar to a small accordion and made famous by tango master Astor Piazzolla.) There's no charge, but donations will be gladly accepted.

If you're interested in dancing more tango, TPS holds weekly milongas every Sunday from 5:30-8:30 p.m. (future venue to be determined - see website) with an Olympia practica every Tuesday from 7-9:30 p.m. Tango classes are held Thursday nights at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Tacoma Tai Chi center, 508 6th Ave., Tacoma.

For more information, see www.tangops.com or call 253-222-0105.