Immanuel Presbyterian Church is turning 100 years old this fall, and is celebrating with an art competition. The juried art contest honoring the historic church building located at 901 N. J Street will result in the winning entry being displayed in the church and used for celebration material, as well as earning a $500 prize.

Artists may submit original works in paint, drawing or mixed media based entirely on an outside view of the Immanuel Presbyterian Church building. There is no entry fee. The submission deadline is September 19; all submissions must be delivered to the church on this date between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. The winner will be announced on September 20, and the winning work will become the property of Immanuel Presbyterian Church.

An exhibit of all submissions will take place at the church after the 10:30 a.m. worship service and before the 5:00 p.m. Blues Vespers on September 20. Artists submitting work may wish to make their work available for sale. For more information, see www.ipctacoma.org

Congratulations to the winners of the juried art show at the Proctor Arts Fest, held last Saturday in the Proctor District. Categories judged were two-dimensional art, three-dimensional art, photography, textiles and people's choice. Jurors were artists Janet Marcavage and Sally Tjostelson, and Handforth Gallery manager David Domkoski. And the winners are:

TWO-DIMENSIONAL
First - “The Decision” by Pat Graham
Second - “A Stroll in London” by Jeanne Strohmann
Third - “Harmony” by Karen Marie Petrillose
Honorable Mention - “Snow Days” by Michele Livernash

THREE-DIMENSIONAL
First - “Eris Coyote” by Michael Haney
Second - “Post Looking for a Gate” by John Simpkins
Third - “Red Tailed Hawk” by Dave Miner
Honorable Mention - “Heart of Flicker” by Enrique R. Leøn

PHOTOGRAPHY
First - “A Dingy Reflects” by Sharon Styer
Second - “Bad Hair Day” by Daniel Suckow
third - “Dandelion Dreams” by Jim Oliver
Honorable Mention - “Rear View” by Lenny Zimmerman

TEXTILE
First - “Oriental” by Patricia Yates
Second - “Pentecost” by Darlene K. Cloud
Third - “Self Portrait” by Patricia Yates
Fourth - “Easter” by Darlene K Cloud

PEOPLE’S AWARDS - VOTED BY ART SHOW GUESTS
First - “Beautiful Buddha” by Sheri Neville
Second “The Decision” by Pat Graham
Third - “Jacobson Point” by Frederika Thomas

Margaret Morris, "Happy Frog." Photo courtesy Washington State History Museum.

This weekend at the Washington State History Museum it's the annual Native Arts Market and Festival. Held outdoors between the museum and the Bridge of Glass, the market is a great way to see local artists of many tribes in a variety of media: carving, weaving, glass, printmaking and more. There are storytellers and dancers, musicians and food vendors, and the outdoor stuff is all free.

With museum admission, though, you get to see "In the Spirit," the exhibition component to the market. It's a juried show, with prizes awarded and a People's Choice award (which you can vote on until 5 p.m. this Sunday.) This year's exhibit is smaller than in previous years, with more average and less high quality art, but it's still worth a look.

With just 16 two-dimensional and 11 three-dimensional works, it doesn't take long to make your way around the large exhibition room on the WSHM's third floor. Amid the preponderance of rather sentimental batik prints and cheesy loud acrylics are some understated, well-wrought items. A lovely bentwood box by Pete Peterson (Skokomish), has pale and cleanly carved sides, the lid woven in warm red and yellow cedar bark by Lois Thadei. Two interesting quilts include "Sea Otter Family" by Alaina Capoeman (Quinalut), its indigo and black wool quilted into a bold cut-out design.

One of the best is "Happy Frog" by Margaret Morris (Tlingit) – an elkskin drum painted with a wonderfully cheeky female frog, feet delicate and turquoise, mouth an orange-lipstick smile.

"In the Spirit: Northwest Native Arts Market and Festival" runs 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Aug. 8 and noon-5 p.m. Aug. 9. Outdoor activities free, indoor exhibit admission$25 families/$8 adults/$7 for seniors/$6 students and military/free for age five and under. For information and schedule, see www.washingtonhistory.org/artsfestival

The Grand Cinema's free screenings of Hollywood favorites continues this Saturday with a 10:30 a.m. showing of "Shrek".

The doors open at 10 a.m. but you don't want to be late because the offer is limited to the first 100 people who show up.

Next up in the monthly series (which runs through December) is "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" on August 15.

For more information call 253-572-6062.

Fashion at this Sunday's Art on the Ave. Photo courtesy The Shoe Show.

This Sunday sees Tacoma's 11th Art on the Ave: that slightly wacky festival on 6th Avenue celebrating every kind of art from visual to performance to dance, theater and music. Oh, and food, if you count that as art. But this year, you'll see wearable art too - a runway will be set up in the site under the trees (near Prospect Street) and 26 local designers will show their stuff in two runway shows at noon and 1:30 p.m., repeated at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Called "A Peace of Art," the show is sponsored by the Fashion Association of Tacoma, The Shoe Show on 6th Avenue and Tacoma Fashion Co-Op. Organizer Ondia Shapiro, owner of The Shoe Show, will conduct the show. The designs will cover men's and women's wear in everything from yoga clothes to wedding dresses, including jewelry and shoes, says Shapiro.

And despite Tacoma's reputation for being a few years behind everywhere else fashion-wise, a lot of the styles are "just really astonishing," Shapiro says. Faves to look out for? "Lindsay Hayes has cute summer stuff," says Shapiro, "and Chloe White does awesome rockabilly clothes, which is the new look, the '50s pin-up look. Irene Lim has adorable dresses, and Justin Bartle does great wedding dresses."

And if you like what you see, you can buy it. Next to the runway will be a Fashion Lounge, operating all afternoon, where designers will have bios and portfolios, there'll be live photo shoots, and almost everything will be for sale.

Says Shapiro: "There's definitely opportunity (for designers in Tacoma.) It's a lot of hard work to launch it, you have to have a good mix of business and artistic talent."

Maybe, for local talent, Art on the Ave is a good place to start.

Art on the Ave runs from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. along 6th Avenue between Cedar and Trafton Streets, Tacoma. It's free. www.artontheave.org

Get in free to the Museum of Glass all weekend this Saturday and Sunday, and catch the new, MOG-organized exhibition of Tlingit artist Preston Singletary.

Singletary, a renowned Seattle-based artist whose work is featured at the Hotel Murano and who showed last November at Traver Gallery, transforms the curves and strong lines of Northwest Native art into opaque red, black and clear glass to create work that's both dramatic and profound. The MOG show, "Preston Singletary: Echoes, Fire, and Shadows," has been in the works for a while, and is the first mid-career survey of Singletary's work.

Here are the events for the opening weekend:
8 p.m. July 10: Member and artist reception. Free for MOG members and tribal members; $15 otherwise.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. July 11: Opening day. Free admission to all. 1-4 p.m.: Family activities include readings by Tlingit artist and author Miranda Belarde-Lewis, creating your own family crest regalia, performance by Native American violinist, storyteller and poet Swil Kanim (1 p.m.), performance in regalia by Northern Star Dancers (3 p.m.)
Noon-5 p.m. July 12: Museum open and free to all. 2 p.m.: Conversation, lecture, slide presentation and walk-through with Preston Singletary


After this weekend, however, MOG admission rates are going up. (Sign of the economic times?)
The new rates are: $12 adults/$10 seniors, students and military/$10 per person for adult groups of 10+/$5 children 6 – 12/$36 family/free for members and under-fives
The Museum of Glass is located at 1801 Dock St., Tacoma. 866-4-MUSEUM, www.museumofglass.org

Barbara De Pirro, "fungi plastica" and "vine plastica." Photo courtesy Barbara De Pirro.

If you're up Seattle way, drop in at Carkeek Park, where the Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA) has teamed up with Parks and Rec and various neighborhood councils to produce a really great summer art event: environmental art in the park. "Heaven and Earth" features sculpture by 11 regional artists that links both the idea of heaven (or haven, a safe, relaxing place) and earth (natural materials.) Sculptures had to leave no trace in the park, either by decomposing or by leaving no mark when they're removed on August 10 at the exhibition's close.

Barbara De Pirro is one semi-local artist on show. The Shelton artist is known in Tacoma, showing her tightly-woven, elegantly-curved bio-forms made of plastic bags at the Envirohouse and recently served as artist in residence at the Museum of Glass (her installation "Plastic and Light" is still on view there through the end of the year.) For the Carkeek Park show, De Pirro constructed four biomorphic structures with recycled plastic bags and bottles: In her words, "An environmental statement through the juxtaposition of material, form and location." They're located on three sites: the apple orchard, near the bridge over Pipers Creek and tucked near the stairs at the model airplane field.

How about something like that in Wright Park, with Tacoma artists? Sounds fun.

"Heaven and Earth" is on view at Carkeek Park, 950 NW Carkeek Park Road, Seattle, through August 10. Entry is free. www.heavenandearthexhibition.org

The 100th Monkey art community party is on again, and this month it's at Old City Hall next Wednesday night. For those who haven't managed to go yet, here's the deal: Turn up with some food or drink to share, some art (if you're an artist) and prepare to meet some new folks. Result? You'll have a great time. You can also buy artist-made tiles and enjoy free music and performance art. And if you buy the 100th tile, you get to host the party next time! (Hence the name.)

So what's special about this 100th Monkey?

Well, the venue. Until now, these parties have been at bookstores, warehouses, theaters, churches or other large spaces. This time, the space has practical possibilities for artists. Faced with a recession, The Stratford Co., who bought Old City Hall, have stopped their whole expensive condo idea and realized that, actually, some regular tenants would be nice. But they kicked out the old tenants. You can read all about it here , thanks to former TNT reporter Dan Voelpel. So now, in an attempt to revitalize the gorgeous red-brick Italianate building, they're hoping artists will see it as a perfect location for a studio. Rents are apparently running between $14-$18 per square foot.

And what better way to advertise to the art community than holding a party there? Thanks to artist collective guru Linda Danforth, who suggested the whole idea to The Stratford's consultant David Morton, Tacoma artists can get a good look at the place while partying away. The party will be held on the main floor, where the apartments/offices have been refurbished, but the upper floors (including that drop-dead-view penthouse suite under the clock) will be on tour.

"The feel of the place is absolutely awesome," says Monkey coordinator Sue Pivetta.

Other good things about this Monkey include Celtic rock band Jug of Punch , and tile artists Dawn Palmer, Judy Gilbert and Di Morgan. And it's all thanks to host Jeannine Sigafoos, of Tacoma Glassblowing Studio.

The 100th Monkey will be from 7:30-9:30 p.m. June 24 at Old City Hall, 625 Commerce St, Tacoma. Info: www.100thmonkeytacoma.com

Long Le of Tacoma gives a thumbs up after learning a break dance move in a L.I.F.E. class run by Fab-5. (Photo by Lui Kit Wong)

Last April TNT arts reporter Rosemary Ponnekanti profiled the L.I.F.E. classes, run by local hip-hop organization Fab- 5.

With the L.I.F.E. classes, “we realized we could create a movement. Hip-hop has the power to move people into one positive direction,” said co-founder Jason Hulen. Along with some friends from Pacific Lutheran University, Hulen started Fab- 5 back in 2000 as an organization committed to holding positive drug- and alcohol-free hip-hop events for Tacoma youth.

The L.I.F.E. classes are aimed at helping youth achieve skills and self-expression through all hip-hop art forms: breakdancing, legal graffiti, DJing and music recording, with lunch provided. Beginning in 2005, the program has expanded with funding from major local foundations to its present 10-week format running April through June.

Now you can see what these youth have been up to at “Everyday L.I.F.E. – Fab-5’s Latest Vibes” 2 p.m.-7 p.m., Sunday, The program includes a free BBQ, live mural painting, student lead artist workshops (2 p.m. - 4 p.m.), breakdancing, graffiti, DJing, music production and performances and an art show.

The event is free but students will be accepting donations of food, clothing and money to benefit various organizations doing direct service in Pierce County.

It all takes place at The Brick City Project, 754 Pacific Ave., Tacoma.