BY ANGELA JOSSY for WEEKLY VOLCANO | 8/14/2026
After a successful debut at Art on the Ave last Sunday, this year’s Newspaper Box Challenge is on display now through Sept. 9 in the main-floor lobby at Court House Square, 1102 A St., Tacoma, WA 98402. Admission is free.
You really need to see the boxes in person to appreciate the artistry involved. Every side of these boxes is a new discovery. You have until Sept. 9 to vote with dollars. You can donate a dollar per box or make just one contribution to the box you think should win.
Fifty percent of the funds donated for each box will be given to the artist, and the rest will support your favorite newspaper, Weekly Volcano, the last locally owned newspaper in Tacoma.
Once the competition is over, there will be an awards ceremony, and trophies will be given to the top three boxes. Ultimately, all the embellished newspaper boxes will be placed inside trusted local businesses along our delivery route. None of them will ever be left outside.
Our plan is to create some type of scavenger hunt involving the boxes to encourage people to visit these businesses and get to know all the artists who participated. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to stay informed as this project progresses. You can subscribe at weekly-volcano.com/local_news-page/.
For a list of artists and a chance to vote, visit weekly-volcano.com/newspaper-box-challenge-part-deux/.
Participating artists
BOX 1 – Kcie Monk
BOX 2 – Rachel Hoffman
BOX 3 – Kimberly Charchenko
BOX 4 – Fred Novak
BOX 5 – Amy Allen
BOX 6 – Lauren Angelo
BOX 7 – Valerie Carr
BOX 8 – Julia Josephine
BOX 9 – Faaron Schley
BOX 10 – Kylie Meuangkhot
BOX 11 – Mildred Perez
BOX 12 – Susannah Youngquist
BOX 13 – Tatlin Campbell
BOX 14 – Azja Campbell
BOX 15 – Kaitlynn Radloff
Box 16 – Katrina Van Strien
