BY KEELIN EVERLY-LANG for WEEKLY VOLCANO | 8/14/2026
You still have a chance to see the TCC 24th Annual Juried Local Art Exhibition in The Gallery. The current exhibition wraps on August 20, and there are two more chances to see live artist talks.
Gallery Coordinator Dr. Jennifer Olson shared that she started the exhibition “to provide an opportunity for artists in the community to show their work.” The gallery is an educational one that serves students, staff and the community.
Creative works were chosen for the show by a jury of three employees, which included Janice Taylor, manager of Continuing Education, Gig Harbor campus, and artist; Jared Peterson, TCC adjunct art professor; and Kyle Dillehay, art professor.
Rather than being a static experience, the show has included multitudes of opportunities to connect with the artists themselves, including artist talks, salons and even a book club.
The number of artist talks has increased this year, and if you missed out, they are also available on The Studio TCC’s YouTube page.
There are still two chances to see artist talks, beginning with Judith Perry, who will speak at noon on the 18th.
Perry is an award-winning artist, a signature member of the Hawaii Watercolor Society and president of the Women Painters of Washington.
On her website, Perry shared that “art encompasses everything around us and explains itself through endless forms, film, literature, drawing, painting, music, sculpture. They often overlap, with musicians who paint and painters who write. My own art falls on paper or canvas and is a reflection of where my eye finds beauty. It’s inspired by music, novels and drives down the highway.”
While her medium varies, her mission remains: “to introduce others to a piece of the world they’ve never noticed.”
Emily Jounghee Won will be the grand finale of artist talks and will speak at noon on the 19th.
Won shares in her artist bio that “her artistic journey began with a foundation in applied painting, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Seoul National University of Science and Technology. Driven by a desire to explore diverse artistic expressions, she pursued advanced studies in Western Art at Gachon University’s Graduate School.”
After relocating to the United States, Won continued to hone her skills through coursework in several schools in California.
“This rigorous exploration across disciplines has shaped her unique artistic vision, evident in her evocative and conceptually rich works,” her artist bio continues.
For the TCC show, visitors can see a piece by Won titled “Connected Identities,” which is a 60-by-48 piece made of copper wire drawings on canvas.
Won shared in a social media post that the human figures shaped by cool-colored copper wire express “the connection between humanity, identity, and relationship. Each figure represents an individual shaped by different expressions and perspectives, yet all are interconnected.”
Through this work, she shared that “by exploring the diverse expressions of the figures, I hope viewers will experience the joy and playfulness of art while recognizing the connections that unite us.”
At 5:30 p.m. on the 19th, there will also be an Art Gallery Salon Discussion on the topic of silence. Everyone is welcome to that event as well.
The show this year also featured work in memoriam to honor the memory of two artists who have died.
Jeanette Otis attended art classes at Tacoma Community College for almost 20 years and worked in several mediums, including bronze, wood, stone and acrylics. Born on August 30, 1937, Otis died on January 1, 2026.
Artist Rowena Forde had a deep passion for art and pottery and “wished to be remembered for her dedication to her craft,” according to a memorial flyer provided by TCC.
“She took so much pride studying under F. Carlton Ball in the 1970s in California and Reid Ozaki at Tacoma Community College,” they shared. Forde was born on October 5, 1942, and died on February 18, 2026.
Other artists featured in the show include:
- Tessa Asato
- Joe Batt
- Linda Belt
- Neil Berkowitz
- Colleen Black
- Ruth Bravetti
- Henry Caserotti
- Lynette Charters
- Carol Colin
- E. D. Dean
- Hadiya Finley
- Davis Freeman
- Becky Knold
- Gary Knudson
- Kim Lawson
- Hugo Moro
- Irene Osborn
- Dierdre Patterson
- Ryan La Porte
- Liz Pulos
- Dave Rollins
- Diane Topolski
- Mike Topolski
The Gallery is located in Building 4, near the corner of 12th and Mildred, and is open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays. Visitor parking is available in Lot G.
