BY YAYIO LENA WINFREY for WEEKLY VOLCANO 10/10/25 |
As the autumn leaves flutter against a fading sun, many Northwesterners may feel the winter blues coming on. But our annual citywide Arts Month event could bring that sense of summer they crave. Welcome to the annual Tacoma Studio Tour Weekend! It’s like a big backyard barbecue featuring local artists serving up a myriad of appetizing art to their guests.
During Tacoma Arts Month, Tacoma Studio Tour takes place on October 11 and 12 this year. With over 100 Tacoma artists participating in 60 locations, it promises to be an inspiring and joyful open house. Each artist, no matter their medium or style, will welcome the public into their private workspaces to share their process of creating. Sometimes visitors are encouraged to dig in and get hands-on with them, making their own creations too. Children are also welcome to join in the festivities.
You’ll experience the artists’ process by joining them in the comfort of their studios, whether it’s an old converted garage, a slick structured office, attic, basement, or warehouse transformed into spaces for creative endeavors. From ceramics to paintings, from fiber to glass, from jewelry to printmaking, from dancing to playing musical instruments, art will not only be shared as it’s being made, but most of the final products will also be available for sale. Incredibly, this two-day event is free for both participating artists and “tourists.”
Locations will cover the city of Tacoma, and a digital map is available to help you navigate the artists you’d like to spend the most time with. There’s also the printed official Studio Tour Booklet that can be used to track studios you visit just as you would for countries you travel to on your passport. Keep it as a souvenir afterward to remind you of this happy time.
Organizers suggest that participants dress as they would for any type of trek, as they will likely be making their way from location to location on foot. Longer distances between studios, of course, will require driving. Actually, driving is recommended because these studios are all across town (see map on this page).
With so many featured artists, everyone is bound to find a style or medium they love. For instance, artist Kaitlin Lloyd uses acrylic paint to express her love for a multicultural Northwest in her print titled Heart of Tacoma (featured on the cover of this issue of Weekly Volcano). Against a brilliant sunset splashed over Mount Rainier, this piece features three women of divergent religions. The artwork invokes tranquility while quietly making a statement about harmonious diversity. Lloyd also creates murals throughout Tacoma and hand-painted ceramics that you can preview at kaitlynlloydart.com.
Jared Haviland of Studio 6 calls his work “Typograffic Abstraction”—a mix of typography and graffiti presented in an abstract form. Utilizing strong splashes of color that look like a combination of airbrush and spray paint, Haviland creates words in acrylic that seem to pop off their canvases with excitement. His powerful messages benefit from the urgent sense created by his bold style. You can preview this work at jaredhaviland.com.
Patton Glass is both a Tacoma-based and woman-owned ceramics shop. Its owner, Mary, creates unique, whimsical art that’s both playful and pretty. Some of her glass works include colorful “jelly planters” with bubbly surfaces. Those pieces resemble jellyfish when held upside down with aloe vera leaves protruding from them—cute! You can preview them at pattonglass.com.
If you’re in the mood for a professionally created picture of yourself, visit Neeah Williams-Randolph of Wild Sage Dreamscape Photography. She will create a stylized photograph of you in a “nature-inspired photo booth.” You can even help produce the dreamscape you’ve long dreamed of seeing yourself in, and those edited digital photos are available for purchase. Preview her work at msha.ke/wildsagedreamscapephotography.
South Sound Choir Academy invites you to stop by to sing with them—or you can pick up an instrument they provide and join the band. A mini performance is scheduled for every half hour, so you can help put the show together. For more information, visit sschoiracademy.org.
Art People is Mauricio Robalino, who says, “My art is a celebration of life rooted in nature and curiosity.” Robalino has created art since he was a child in Ecuador. Using bold colors and graphic shapes, he’s painted murals and designed sculptures reflecting traditional folk art. He also works with glass, mixed media, and digital images. Preview his work at artpeople.com.
Retired Savages is a team of photographers and videographers working collectively to create national ad campaigns. Now, they’ve opened a photography studio on Hilltop called RECESS that will focus on youth and an upcoming show titled Listen Up! Learn more at recess.studio.
These are just a small sampling of the engaging studios around Tacoma featured during Tacoma’s Studio Tour Weekend. Whether your desire is for a leisurely walk among falling autumn leaves to casually visit various artists, or if you want to actively participate in making art yourself, Tacoma Studio Tour is an absolute winter blues chaser. Be sure to check the schedule because not all studios are open both Saturday and Sunday.
Tacoma Studio Tour
October 11–12, 2025 | 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Locations citywide
Maps and booklets available online at TacomaArtsMonth.org.
