Arts feed the soul in this post-pandemic world. They’re a balm to our spirits, inspiring us and bringing joy to those they touch. South Sound arts help us shine a spotlight on pride in people and place, build community, provide positive experiences, and celebrate the makers and doers who are our neighbors.

And we need to keep them alive and thriving. If you can, purchase tickets to our local, virtual performances and lectures. Buy art. Visit your favorite artists’ and musicians’ websites, Instagram feeds and Facebook pages and find out what they need. Donate even a little to venues and organizations you want to see thrive and keep the doors open. Tell everyone from local to state officials that you take arts and culture seriously and treat it as an important component of American life.

Local artists have created temporary public art, regional museums are sharing online collections and downloadable educational activities, and the City of Tacoma celebrates its artists with in-person and virtual activities during Arts Month. This fall, why not explore these exciting activities from South Sound arts organizations?

Let’s Get Outside

Take a walk on Tacoma’s Eastside on East 40th Street, between McKinley and the Pipeline Trail, where invisible poetry was written by students from Roosevelt Elementary with the help of Write253. You won’t see the poems until it starts raining, so swing by on one of those lovely fall days and check out the poems! Explore Arts Downtown, an outdoor public gallery in Puyallup, where you can browse an online walking tour while you check out the art.

Celebrate Culture

Join hosts Ala, Kimsang, and Mane of the Asia Pacific Cultural Center as they visit local Asian Pacific Islander eateries to see — and taste — what’s on their menus. Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center (TUPAC) students perform four seasons of Harriet Tubman’s life in the Center’s world premiere ballet, “Harriet: The Black Swan In the Year of COVID-19.”

Tune In to Special Events

Catch Tacoma Arts Live’s The Muse Hour with Grammy and Latin Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Lila Downs Nov. 8, Grammy Award-winning Americana-musician pair Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi Nov. 22, and a holiday concert with members of Pink Martini Dec. 12.

Surround yourself with sound! Check out all-ages virtual performances by regional bands every month in Classical Tuesdays in Old Town TacomaNorthwest Sinfonietta showcases its vibrant wind and string sections as it celebrates 30 years of performance in the South Sound with two virtual concerts this fall. Student musicians of all ages shine in the latest virtual performance of Piano Trios from the nonprofit Orchestral Recital Series of Tacoma.

Fun For the Kids

Calling all (kid) actors! Camp TMP is hosting a virtual preschool/kindergarten Story Play theater class for kids 3 to 5 years old, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3:30 to 4:00 p.m. through Nov. 20. Kids make, play, create, and collaborate virtually across Pierce County in free programs through the Children’s Museum of Tacoma! Weekly activities offer plenty of ways to “Play at Home” with videos and downloadable activities.

On Stage, Virtually

Enjoy an amusing, tongue-in-cheek online performance featuring popular favorites by Bizet and Verdi, a little bit of Schubert, and several surprises – shaken, not stirred — in Tacoma Opera’s The Drunken Tenor. Who doesn’t love a good ghost story? Catch Ichabod Crane’s tales in Tacoma Musical Playhouse’s production of “The Legends of Sleepy Hollow.” Watch the virtual performance Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30-31. And cinephiles take note: The 15th Tacoma Film Festival is virtual this year, Nov. 6–15, so plan now to see your favorites. Tickets went on sale Oct. 8.

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