Tacoma Art Museum showcases local artists

TAM: Local is a branch of the Tacoma Art Museum that focuses on community outreach through community art shows. The shows they put on help connect visitors to the vibrant arts community within the greater Puget Sound region and encourage community involvement in the arts. The series they are currently doing is a rotation of four 11-week shows over the course of a year, providing an opportunity for local community partners to gather and share their array of artistic talents. The next exhibit on display, Sea, Still, was curated in partnership with the CultureShock Collective.

Sea, Still opens April 11 and is available until June 28. A reception for the exhibit, open to the public, will be held May 17 from 5 to 7:30 p.m on the third floor in the Cheney Classroom. This event is free and will feature culturally significant performances in the Murray Family Event Space.

The CultureShock Collective curates art and collaborates with artists of color and other creatives from marginalized backgrounds. In response to the lack of diverse representation in Tacoma’s art scene, the collective provides a platform for disenfranchised groups of artists to be visible in the arts community, and to initiate important dialogue amongst visitors. The foundation focuses on creating a network for artists of color, developing an engaged and aware art audience, and to foster a diverse and thriving art scene in the South Sound region.

Sea, Still — the first of The CultureShock Collective and TAM: Local collaboration — will feature a collection of pieces from artists of Asian and Pacific Islander descent. The exhibit will highlight first and second generation artists living in the Puget Sound area. A collection of various visual mediums, this exhibit reflects on the artists’ connection and relationship with water and the sea. The exhibit portrays an intricate relationship and reflects on the artists’ experiences with exploring their identity, ancestry and traditions.