[cid:image001.png@01DBE451.D641C500]The Tacoma Arts Commission recently awarded $100,000 in Tacoma Artists Initiative Program (TAIP) funding to 25 Tacoma-based artists working in artistic disciplines including dance, film, interdisciplinary, literary, music, performance, and visual arts. The artists will receive $4,000 each and have two years to develop new work and produce free public programming. "It is an honor to support the work of Tacoma artists, across all arts disciplines, career stages, and neighborhoods," said Tacoma Arts Commission Chair Heide Fernandez-Llamazares. "We're excited by the public programs these artists have envisioned, providing meaningful opportunities for community building through shared cultural experiences." The 2025-2026 TAIP funded artists and their public projects, which will be free and open to the public, are: * Brendan Allen - public performance of a new musical composition for string quartet, featuring musical instruments he will build from reclaimed wood * Curtis Ashby - creation of a large-scale public mural celebrating local bird species and native plants * Vaquero Azul - exhibit of nichos (folk art three-dimensional display boxes) exploring Mesoamerican Indigenous and queer identities, and a community workshop to create nichos exploring personal cultural expressions * Tor Caspersen - live stream and on-demand viewing of a record release concert for an extended play album blending hip-hop, electronic music, and Norwegian Hardanger fiddle * Saign Charlestein - distribution of forged bronze medallions, celebrating the year of the horse, hidden around Tacoma for community members to find and keep * Sarah A. Chavez - writing workshops and a literary reading with open mic, focused on expressions and experiences of grief and its connection to culture * Cennady Coleman - exhibit of photos paired with personal stories, as well as other visual artworks, exploring relationships to hair as an avenue of self-expression across multiple cultural and social groups * Alex Fazekas-Boone - screening of a feature-length documentary celebrating the skateboarding history and cultural significance of Thea's Park * Aaron Green - an immersive live event pairing glass art with hip hop performances, in celebration of the release of an album of music * Mari Griffin - two live performances featuring spoken word poetry paired with jazz and R&B music, as well as two creative writing workshops * Erin Guinup - a concert featuring her choral music composition exploring depression and anxiety and strategies for managing their effects * Julia Josephine - a lantern-making workshop and community art experience celebrating unity and collaboration, featuring large-scale, illuminated puppets * Jenny Liou - a series of writing workshops focused on nature and displacement * Jason Loan - a public talk and series of temporary site-specific video installations featuring Tacoma-centric and community created content * Mel McCarthy - a screening of Wheel Force Go!, a feature-length comedy about a team of existential teenage superheroes, followed by a discussion with the local creatives who worked on the film * Stephanie Meredith - exhibition of acrylic and embroidered paintings exploring motherhood, as well as a workshop covering basic embroidery and painting skills * Yaya Mulvey Moir - exhibit of hand-beaded pieces exploring ancestry and connecting Mohawk and Irish/Scottish art forms and designs * Teresa Owens - a series of community crochet sessions as well as an exhibit of artwork exploring lichen (a hybrid colony of algae living symbiotically with fungi) as a metaphor for humans living together across real and perceived differences * Allison Preisinger - album release concert of Folk Americana music rooted in guitar, vocals, and piano * Adela Ramos Marché - two hands-on workshops where participants will explore family recipes related to meaningful memories and traditions through writing and zine-making * Saiyare Refaei - community event for the release of a children's book about Norooz (Persian New Year), which will include a workshop, book signing, story time, and cultural experiences * TQ Spellman - community dance performance showcasing the dance style of majorette and exploring the fusion of hip hop, jazz, African, cheerleading, gymnastics, and J-sette * Jessica Spring - multi-disciplinary reading events for the release of "Queer Tails", a letterpress-printed abecedary (alphabet) book that combines natural science, illustration, and alliterative writing * Helen Thorsen - a dance workshop and dance concert featuring Butoh performances (Japanese avant-garde dance-theater), live music, and a film screening * Kristin Tollefson - a pop-up performance of jewelry and wearable art, made to elevate the beauty of aging bodies, modeled by elders The TAIP was established in 1999 to encourage the contributions made by individual artists within the city of Tacoma. The goals of the program are to recognize creative expression of the artists in our community, financially assist artists in generating new work and growing their skills, and engage the broader community through free public components presented by the funded artists. The TAIP is one of two funding programs administered by the Tacoma Arts Commission. For more information, visit tacoma.gov/funding<http://www.tacoma.gov/funding>. [Logo Description automatically generated] Naomi Strom-Avila (she/her) Funding & Cultural Programs Manager Arts & Cultural Vitality Division nstrom-avila@tacoma.gov<mailto:nstrom-avila@tacoma.gov> (253) 591-5191 (desk) (253) 453-9983 (cell) Arts & Cultural Vitality Division<http://www.tacoma.gov/arts> | Tacoma Creates<http://www.tacomacreates.org/>

- Brendan Allen – public performance of a new musical composition for
string quartet, featuring musical instruments he will build from reclaimed
wood
- Curtis Ashby – creation of a large-scale public mural celebrating
local bird species and native plants
- Vaquero Azul – exhibit of nichos (folk art three-dimensional display
boxes) exploring Mesoamerican Indigenous and queer identities, and a
community workshop to create nichos exploring personal cultural expressions
- Tor Caspersen – live stream and on-demand viewing of a record
release concert for an extended play album blending hip-hop, electronic
music, and Norwegian Hardanger fiddle
- Saign Charlestein – distribution of forged bronze medallions,
celebrating the year of the horse, hidden around Tacoma for community
members to find and keep
- Sarah A. Chavez – writing workshops and a literary reading with open
mic, focused on expressions and experiences of grief and its connection to
culture
- Cennady Coleman – exhibit of photos paired with personal stories, as
well as other visual artworks, exploring relationships to hair as an avenue
of self-expression across multiple cultural and social groups
- Alex Fazekas-Boone – screening of a feature-length documentary
celebrating the skateboarding history and cultural significance of Thea’s
Park
- Aaron Green – an immersive live event pairing glass art with hip hop
performances, in celebration of the release of an album of music
- Mari Griffin – two live performances featuring spoken word poetry
paired with jazz and R&B music, as well as two creative writing workshops
- Erin Guinup – a concert featuring her choral music composition
exploring depression and anxiety and strategies for managing their effects
- Julia Josephine – a lantern-making workshop and community art
experience celebrating unity and collaboration, featuring large-scale,
illuminated puppets
- Jenny Liou – a series of writing workshops focused on nature and
displacement
- Jason Loan – a public talk and series of temporary site-specific
video installations featuring Tacoma-centric and community created content
- Mel McCarthy – a screening of Wheel Force Go!, a feature-length
comedy about a team of existential teenage superheroes, followed by a
discussion with the local creatives who worked on the film
- Stephanie Meredith – exhibition of acrylic and embroidered paintings
exploring motherhood, as well as a workshop covering basic embroidery and
painting skills
- Yaya Mulvey Moir – exhibit of hand-beaded pieces exploring ancestry
and connecting Mohawk and Irish/Scottish art forms and designs
- Teresa Owens – a series of community crochet sessions as well as an
exhibit of artwork exploring lichen (a hybrid colony of algae living
symbiotically with fungi) as a metaphor for humans living together across
real and perceived differences
- Allison Preisinger – album release concert of Folk Americana music
rooted in guitar, vocals, and piano
- Adela Ramos Marché – two hands-on workshops where participants will
explore family recipes related to meaningful memories and traditions
through writing and zine-making
- Saiyare Refaei – community event for the release of a children’s
book about Norooz (Persian New Year), which will include a workshop, book
signing, story time, and cultural experiences
- TQ Spellman – community dance performance showcasing the dance style
of majorette and exploring the fusion of hip hop, jazz, African,
cheerleading, gymnastics, and J-sette
- Jessica Spring – multi-disciplinary reading events for the release
of “Queer Tails”, a letterpress-printed abecedary (alphabet) book that
combines natural science, illustration, and alliterative writing
- Helen Thorsen – a dance workshop and dance concert featuring Butoh
performances (Japanese avant-garde dance-theater), live music, and a film
screening
- Kristin Tollefson – a pop-up performance of jewelry and wearable
art, made to elevate the beauty of aging bodies, modeled by elders

Congratulations to all artists! I would love to partner with them for our upcoming Festival of Light happening on October 4 at the Eastside Community Center from 11 am to 6 pm. The festival will have several cultural performances, live music, art exhibits, Bollywood workshops, and hands-on activities. I am leading this festival as chair of Tacoma-Kochi Committee at the Tacoma Sister Cities, a 501c3. If you are one of the artists, please let me know. Would love to have a discussion. Regards, Syed K. Jamal | Bio <http://gobranta.com/ceofounder> CEO & Founder, Branta <http://www.gobranta.com/> | Grit City Studio Board Member: Tasveer <http://tasveer.org>: Oscar-qualifying Film Festival ​Chair, Tacoma-Kochi Sister City Committee ​ <https://www.risefortheworld.org/>Executive Producer, 222 Pictures Board Member, The World Affairs Council - Tacoma <http://www.wactacoma.com/> Member, International ACAC <http://www.internationalacac.org/> | Pledge1% <https://pledge1percent.org/> | AWS EdStart <https://aws.amazon.com/education/edstart/> On Mon, Jun 23, 2025, 3:17 PM Strom-Avila, Naomi <nstrom-avila@tacoma.gov> wrote: > The Tacoma Arts Commission recently awarded $100,000 in Tacoma Artists > Initiative Program (TAIP) funding to 25 Tacoma-based artists working in > artistic disciplines including dance, film, interdisciplinary, literary, > music, performance, and visual arts. The artists will receive $4,000 each > and have two years to develop new work and produce free public programming. > > > > “It is an honor to support the work of Tacoma artists, across all arts > disciplines, career stages, and neighborhoods,” said Tacoma Arts Commission > Chair Heide Fernandez-Llamazares. “We’re excited by the public programs > these artists have envisioned, providing meaningful opportunities for > community building through shared cultural experiences.” > > > > The 2025-2026 TAIP funded artists and their public projects, which will be > free and open to the public, are: > > - Brendan Allen – public performance of a new musical composition for > string quartet, featuring musical instruments he will build from reclaimed > wood > - Curtis Ashby – creation of a large-scale public mural celebrating > local bird species and native plants > - Vaquero Azul – exhibit of nichos (folk art three-dimensional display > boxes) exploring Mesoamerican Indigenous and queer identities, and a > community workshop to create nichos exploring personal cultural expressions > - Tor Caspersen – live stream and on-demand viewing of a record > release concert for an extended play album blending hip-hop, electronic > music, and Norwegian Hardanger fiddle > - Saign Charlestein – distribution of forged bronze medallions, > celebrating the year of the horse, hidden around Tacoma for community > members to find and keep > - Sarah A. Chavez – writing workshops and a literary reading with open > mic, focused on expressions and experiences of grief and its connection to > culture > - Cennady Coleman – exhibit of photos paired with personal stories, as > well as other visual artworks, exploring relationships to hair as an avenue > of self-expression across multiple cultural and social groups > - Alex Fazekas-Boone – screening of a feature-length documentary > celebrating the skateboarding history and cultural significance of Thea’s > Park > - Aaron Green – an immersive live event pairing glass art with hip hop > performances, in celebration of the release of an album of music > - Mari Griffin – two live performances featuring spoken word poetry > paired with jazz and R&B music, as well as two creative writing workshops > - Erin Guinup – a concert featuring her choral music composition > exploring depression and anxiety and strategies for managing their effects > - Julia Josephine – a lantern-making workshop and community art > experience celebrating unity and collaboration, featuring large-scale, > illuminated puppets > - Jenny Liou – a series of writing workshops focused on nature and > displacement > - Jason Loan – a public talk and series of temporary site-specific > video installations featuring Tacoma-centric and community created content > - Mel McCarthy – a screening of Wheel Force Go!, a feature-length > comedy about a team of existential teenage superheroes, followed by a > discussion with the local creatives who worked on the film > - Stephanie Meredith – exhibition of acrylic and embroidered paintings > exploring motherhood, as well as a workshop covering basic embroidery and > painting skills > - Yaya Mulvey Moir – exhibit of hand-beaded pieces exploring ancestry > and connecting Mohawk and Irish/Scottish art forms and designs > - Teresa Owens – a series of community crochet sessions as well as an > exhibit of artwork exploring lichen (a hybrid colony of algae living > symbiotically with fungi) as a metaphor for humans living together across > real and perceived differences > - Allison Preisinger – album release concert of Folk Americana music > rooted in guitar, vocals, and piano > - Adela Ramos Marché – two hands-on workshops where participants will > explore family recipes related to meaningful memories and traditions > through writing and zine-making > - Saiyare Refaei – community event for the release of a children’s > book about Norooz (Persian New Year), which will include a workshop, book > signing, story time, and cultural experiences > - TQ Spellman – community dance performance showcasing the dance style > of majorette and exploring the fusion of hip hop, jazz, African, > cheerleading, gymnastics, and J-sette > - Jessica Spring – multi-disciplinary reading events for the release > of “Queer Tails”, a letterpress-printed abecedary (alphabet) book that > combines natural science, illustration, and alliterative writing > - Helen Thorsen – a dance workshop and dance concert featuring Butoh > performances (Japanese avant-garde dance-theater), live music, and a film > screening > - Kristin Tollefson – a pop-up performance of jewelry and wearable > art, made to elevate the beauty of aging bodies, modeled by elders > > > > The TAIP was established in 1999 to encourage the contributions made by > individual artists within the city of Tacoma. The goals of the program are > to recognize creative expression of the artists in our community, > financially assist artists in generating new work and growing their skills, > and engage the broader community through free public components presented > by the funded artists. > > > > The TAIP is one of two funding programs administered by the Tacoma Arts > Commission. For more information, visit tacoma.gov/funding > <http://www.tacoma.gov/funding>. > > > > > > > > [image: Logo Description automatically generated] > > *Naomi Strom-Avila* (she/her) > > Funding & Cultural Programs Manager > > Arts & Cultural Vitality Division > > nstrom-avila@tacoma.gov > > (253) 591-5191 (desk) > > (253) 453-9983 (cell) > > Arts & Cultural Vitality Division <http://www.tacoma.gov/arts> *|* Tacoma > Creates <http://www.tacomacreates.org/> > > > > > //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > To UNSUBSCRIBE from the TacomaArt listserv, send an email to > Tacomaart-request@list.cityoftacoma.org and put the word 'unsubscribe' in > the subject line. > > > To POST to the TacomaArt listserv, send e-mails to > TacomaArt@list.cityoftacoma.org > > For all other administrative questions, please email > TacomaArt-owner@list.cityoftacoma.org > > ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////