Artists and arts organizations have started to inhabit formerly vacant spaces in downtown Tacoma as the Artscapes component of Spaceworks Tacoma. Spaceworks Tacoma is a joint initiative of the City of Tacoma, Shunpike, and the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce to activate empty spaces with creative use. On July 29, Spaceworks Tacoma will host a ‘block party’ style opening at the Theater on the Square and at the participating venues to celebrate the artists, their work and active life in downtown Tacoma. Site specific art installations are at 906 Broadway across from the Pantages Theater, the Woolworth Windows, Commerce and 11th streets and in the corner of the windows at 950 Pacific Ave. Look for many more installations throughout downtown Tacoma in the coming months. Colliers International, SimonJohnson LLC, and Tacoma Contemporary provided the space not just for static art installations but for artist residencies and creative enterprise. Soon, film shootings, renegade retail and theater, among other endeavors, can be found along Broadway, St. Helens and Pacific Avenue. For more information about Spaceworks Tacoma, artists and activities, visit http://www.spaceworkstacoma.com .

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For earlier Tacoma Daily Index coverage of Spaceworks Tacoma, click on the following links:

Artists invited to Spaceworks Tacoma meeting April 28 (04/20/10) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1754708&more=0

Tacoma artists needed for downtown storefront installations, performance art (04/02/10) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1745403&more=0

(Creative) Space Available: Pilot project pairs artists, vacant storefronts (03/12/10) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1732747&more=0