Top 5 Art Events to Launch your New Year with Amy Boaro
Today’s Top 5 is written by Amy Boaro. Amy shares her 5 most anticipated local art events coming up in the Tri-Cities!
I love that the Tri-Cities has a vibrant art community, and it seems to get better each year as an increasing number of artists come forward to share their work. If you haven’t dipped your toes in the local art scene, I encourage you to start the new year off right by checking out some of these events and artists.
I present to you, in chronological order, the events or projects that I’m most excited to attend, peruse, and admire in the coming weeks and months. A caveat: I support many of these artists, either by buying their work or participating in their projects, so I may be a teensy bit biased.
Anytime: Lotus of the Moon Grand Re-opening
Lotus of the Moon, a shop that features local art and spirituality offerings, had their grand re-opening December 31st. You don’t need to have attended the re-opening to see their new venue, though. I plan on stopping by and checking out the latest art from Ashleigh Rodgers and Lené Kimura. The store is located at 1386 Jadwin Avenue in Richland. Find their hours on their webpage: lotusofthemoon.com
January 12 (and every 2nd Friday) at 7 PM : The Urban Poets Society Open Mic Night
The Urban Poets Society gives Tri-Citizens an opportunity to express themselves artistically. Show up and hear the polished tones of experienced poets, singers, and writers, and to warmly encourage up-and-coming artists who are honing their craft. You, too, can get up on stage and perform for this welcoming audience. If the notice is too short for this month’s event, you can attend the one on February 9.
You can follow this link to their Facebook event: Urban Poets Society Open Mic
January 19, 6–9 PM: Pedestal Film Festival
This show, hosted by Drewboy Creative, will be the premiere for InVisible, a documentary about mental health that grew out of the popular InVisible art show in May 2017. Another featured film is the documentary “Faceless Fields of Colour” about the artist Cameron T. Mills. The Pedestal Film Festival will take place at the Uptown Theatre, 1300 Jadwin Avenue in Richland. Pedestal Film Festival
February 6, 6:30–7:30 PM: The Words in Progress Open Mic
This writer-focused open mic will give you another opportunity to listen to the creative musings of local writers. You can even request that someone read your work for you if you’re bashful. This open mic is hosted by the Mid-Columbia Libraries at Paper Street Brewing Company. You can lean more about the event on Facebook at The Words in Progress Open Mic
Coming in 2018: Love Me
Love Me is a collection of women’s stories that have been encapsulated in paintings, using the women’s bodies as canvases. This collaboration between Lené Kimura, artist, and Scott Butner, photographer, is one of the things I’m most excited to see come to fruition this year. Together they have blended their skills to create what will be a one-of-a-kind book of stories, and art. Both Lené and Scott can be sponsored on Patreon at patreon.com/lenekimura and patreon.com/thepicturefairy respectively.
Amy Boaro is a data nerd, scribbler, and navel gazer. Her most recent project is an experiment in oversharing at justunemployable.