The newspaper box challenge is back this year. If you missed us at Art on the Ave, we again invited local artists to take an old newspaper box and reimagine what it could be. This year’s talented artists transformed the boxes in many different ways, inspired by nature, a love for community and reading, and even Dungeons & Dragons.
The boxes will be on display at Court House Square now through September 23, so you can check them out in person!
You can vote for your favorite box in a fundraiser on our website, where proceeds from each individual box will be split between the artist and Weekly Volcano.
We are still working on becoming Tacoma’s newspaper of record, which will help ensure our future sustainability and longevity. Your support means the world to us as we continue our work to highlight and celebrate the artists, small businesses, community leaders, and all the people who make our community so special. Before the end of the year, our collection of more than 50 boxes will be placed inside trusted businesses in our coverage area. Read below to learn about this year’s competitors:
Kristen “Kcie” Monk, based in Tacoma, Washington, is an artist and illustrator who specializes in all things fantasy and whimsy. She loves drawing mermaids, witches, and fairies, among other mythical creatures. Her medium of choice is primarily digital art, but she is also very passionate about traditional techniques. Kcie is ambitious and always willing to experiment with mixed media. Her drawings are highly detailed, vibrantly colorful, and picturesque.
Kimberly is a multimedia artist currently living in Tacoma, Washington. She may have made you coffee. Or sung with you in a crowded bathroom, alley, or on a sidewalk. She hosts an open mic at Cider + Cedar on Thursday nights with her band, Western Sister.
Fred Novak is a native of Tacoma, Washington. With spontaneous creativity and a love for fashion, he has been a wellknown personality within his community and is adored by many friends. For years, Fred has kept elaborate mixed-media journals filled with expressive drawings, collages, and paintings. His journals sparkle, and every page is a treasure. His subject matter often takes on a whimsical psychedelic theme. Devoted to his art, Fred enjoys jewelry making, collecting vintage clothing, and incorporating his unique, eclectic style into everything he does. Find Fred Novak @freddie_whiskers or at facebook.com/fred.novak.10.
Amy Allen spent the first thirty years of her life moving constantly, switching towns, schools, and homes every year or two before settling in NE Kansas for almost two decades and finally moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2024. These continual transitions fueled her curiosity and instilled a love of exploration, seeing new places, and learning new things. Amy holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology and worked professionally with children and families in the mental health setting. She often used play and art therapy in her work with children and families. She left her psychology career to homeschool her children through their sixth-grade year. During this time, she began focusing more on her art practice. Her professional and personal life experiences influence her art practice. She currently lives in the PNW with her husband and children and enjoys collecting inspiration during their adventures.
Lauren VonDeadly is a lifelong Tacoma native who has never met a medium she didn’t mess with: paint, fiber arts, costuming, miniatures, and the occasional faux-fur murder scene. Marginalia is the quickest way to her heart, and by day she works in the library world, so this box exists as a love letter to books in all forms because reading is reading, whether it’s paperback, audio, comic, or newspaper. This is her second box for Weekly Volcano.
Valerie Carr is a multimedia artist whose otherworldly imagination finds its grounding in the details of everyday reality. She primarily uses acrylic paint, ink, pencil, and digital media but experiments with ways to mix several. This is her second time submitting a newspaper box for the Weekly Volcano, with this creation, “Mimic,” bringing fantastical creatures from one of her favorite hobbies, Dungeons & Dragons, into her box design this year.
I love community and making art with others. I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin with an artist mother who greatly influenced my work, along with my Catholic upbringing. After moving to Western Washington in 2019, I became more involved in the local arts community. My work includes planning artistic events and classes, supporting other artists, and creating collages using vintage ephemera, bananas, and Catholic imagery. I especially enjoy connecting with kids through art, teaching, and balloon twisting. I also manage The Tacoma Artists Meet Up and have worked with organizations and galleries throughout the West Coast, including The Tacoma Light Trail, Reggae on the Way, Celebrate PDX, and Artco Framing and Gallery..
I’m Faaron, a mom of four goblins and a kitty named Avacato. I own bugs, collect rare indoor houseplants, and love to create art! I’m a self-taught artist from Tacoma, Washington. I prefer to create art using acrylics, spray paint, and stencils, and a lot of my work is inspired by the gritty city I call home. I love taking ordinary, overlooked things and turning them into something people stop and look at. My art is a mix of Tacoma’s grit, its landmarks, wildlife, and the things that make this place feel like home. I’m still finding my style and pushing myself to try new things, but for me, art is about taking an idea and just running with it; it will all work out in the wash!
Mildred Perez is a self-taught artist who uses everything from colored pencils and acrylic and gouache paints to spray paint to create. Her inspiration comes from everyday life. It can literally be some lady’s outfit she’s seen, an elderly couple having coffee outside, or a juicy-looking peach. Anything that makes her feel something. She has lived in this area for about four years and is originally from Guam, which will always be “home” for her. Currently, she has plenty of tattoo projects that she is looking forward to, but she is also looking to expand her artistic abilities and do more art projects and work outside of tattooing.
Susannah Youngquist is a Pierce County artist who shared with Weekly Volcano last year that she finds inspiration from her natural environment, emotions, and even the influence of local culture and community. Her life in art extends past her own work. Together with her partner, she has run Youwen Productions, an arts-centered nonprofit responsible for bringing Art Battle® Seattle to the region. Those staged competitions have built a community around performance painting. For now, though, Art Battle® is on pause while she devotes herself to teaching and marketing at an alternative high school.
I have lived in the Pacific Northwest for over two decades, where the region’s lush forests, misty landscapes, and abundant wildlife inspire my creative practice. I create mixed-media artwork inspired by the beauty and mysterious menagerie of the natural world. My work combines ornate details, whimsical storytelling, and fantasy elements to create immersive pieces that celebrate the connection between nature, imagination, and wonder. Through layered textures and diverse materials, I seek to evoke a sense of enchantment and invite viewers into magical landscapes where the organic and the fantastical intertwine to create curiosity and wonder. I currently work through Sparkle LLC, developing art and craft opportunities in the community for those who face social and economic challenges and barriers to accessing such experiences, with an emphasis on giving a voice to creative self-expression.
Azja Campbell is an artist inspired by the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, creating vibrant works of art that capture the color, energy, and grit of the place she calls home.
Kaitlynn Radloff is an artist, educator, and musician in Tacoma, WA, originally from Milwaukee, WI. She is the founder of Sabertooth Studio, a multimedia arts initiative dedicated to activating communities and environments, raising awareness of social and environmental issues, and creating work that honors and celebrates the natural world.
Katrina Van Strien is a muralist and art therapist based in Tacoma. With a background in graphic design and illustration, her work is characterized by a bold use of color and liveliness. The Philippines has been a major inspiration for her and tends to show up in her art on a regular basis. She focuses on making art readily available and tangible, whether through zines, murals, or facilitating collaborative, community-focused projects and workshops.
