Arts Bridging Communities: A 3-day celebration of the arts

Peanut butter and jelly, coffee and cream, art and Grit City — all things that quintessentially go together. The long-standing relationship between Tacoma and the art community is be­ing celebrated this month by Arts Bridging Communities — a collabora­tion between community members, UW Tacoma students, alumni and faculty. Each year they facilitate free community-building art events that promote active engagement with the local art scene.

Several different shows will be fea­tured under the Arts Bridging Com­munities umbrella. The events span May 10–12 and will be held at the newly opened Tacoma art house, Alma Mater.

Alma Mater, formally The Carpen­ters Union building, is a beautifully transformed, 23,000 square foot art venue perched on Fawcett Avenue. This complex is home to many public spaces including a 500 person capacity theater, recording studio, restaurant and art gal­lery. The space serves as a connection point for artists that provides resources and networking opportunities.

The kickoff event of Arts Bridging Communities is May 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Alma Mater in the venue’s main performing area, Fawcett Hall. This first event, Art Slam Slide, will feature 20 local artists, each allotted two min­utes to present their work. Songs, dances, videos and more will be fea­tured. This event focuses specifically on social engagement and the arts, so it is bound to be filled with impactful visuals and powerful perspectives.

On May 11, the band Polyrhythmics will perform at 9 p.m. in Fawcett Hall with special guest Decent at Best — a self-proclaimed “general-binding, hy­brid band from Tacoma.”

The festivities will come to a close May 12 with Tacoma artist Will Jordan performing with Romaro Franceswa and Chromatography in Fawcett Hall at 7 p.m. Jordan is a Grammy nomi­nated songwriter, artist and producer who has worked on high profile tracks such as “Fly” by Nicki Minaj. Now he is celebrating the completion of his long awaited EP, “Deep Sleep” which dropped April 25.

Interested in organizing an Arts Bridging Communities workshop or showcasing your work and creativity— such as visual art, poetry or dance? Email celebration253@gmail.com or visit facebook.com/artsbridgingcommunities/