Pop-Up Art Putt! in Downtown Tacoma

It’s finally here – the U.S. Open Golf Championship has come to the 253. For many, the anticipation has been building for years.

There has been word of Tiger Woods sightings as he played some practice rounds in the weeks leading up to the tournament. Some are hoping that practice might lead to a Tiger return to glory. It seems doubtful.

Others dream of a local boy like Michael Putnam or Ryan Moore coming out of nowhere to win their first major. That also seems unlikely, but would be really cool.

Whatever happens with the actual golf, we are all hoping for a nice economic boost for the city, county, and region. We can anticipate the world will fall in love with the pure aesthetic beauty of the course and its surroundings, as they watch the tournament unfold later this week.

I will not be heading out to Chamber’s Bay for the tournament. I’ve never played the golf course because, well, I’m terrible at and easily frustrated by the game of golf. Why pay all that money to be pissed off and when I can enjoy the course and the view for free by walking the trail? I’ll track the tournament and the coverage on T.V. this week.

If I actually grab a golf club this week, it will be to play something a little more my speed – like the Pop-Up Art Put mini golf course being brought to downtown Tacoma by the Tacoma Art Museum (TAM) and the Tacoma Arts Commission.

Ten local artists have been commissioned to create ten sculptural miniature golf holes for a course that will span TAM’s Paul G. Allen Family Foundation Plaza, Tollefson Plaza, and the Prairie Line Trail.

You can get your club, golf balls, and score cards at the TAM and when you are finished playing the course you can vote for your favorite artist-designed hole. Unlike Chamber’s Bay – this course is FREE to play.

As the first day of play is winding up at Chambers Bay, the party will just be getting started at the Pop-Up Art Putt course in downtown Tacoma.

The Opening Party for the exhibit will be this Thursday June 18 from 5-8 pm. You can dance along the course to tracks spun by a live DJ. There will be food trucks along the course and of course a beer garden, because this is Tacoma.

Come on – go ahead and check this out! This is one hell of a cool idea. Bravo TAM and Tacoma Arts Commission!

Pop-Up Art Putt! Hours will be…

Thursday, June 18, 5 pm – 8 pm
Friday, June 19, 10 am – 8 pm
Saturday, June 20, 10 am – 8 pm
Sunday, June 21, 10 am – 4 pm

Congratulations to the 2012 New Tacoma Award Nominees!

Each year the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber recognizes individuals, businesses and organizations making outstanding contributions to downtown Tacoma with the New Tacoma Awards.  This year the Chamber, in coordination with sponsors Cascade Regional Blood Services and Absher Construction, will honor nominees and winners at the Chamber Luncheon on July 13th at the Pacific Grill Event Center.  For more information on the program and to register, please visit the Chamber's website.


The 2012 New Tacoma Award Nominees are:


The Ghilarducci Award recognizing successful new development, renovation or beautification:

• 21st Street Park
• LeMay - America's Car Museum
• Old Post Office

The Popham Award recognizing the individual that has done the most to build community spirit:

• Athena Hitson, The Space
• Melanie Rushforth, Tap into T-Town
• Tim Waer, Tacoma Sports Commission

The Public Places Award recognizing the best activation of a public park, open space or right-of-way:

• Frost Park Chalk Off
• Polar Plaza at Tollefson Plaza
• Temporal Terminus: Marking the Line along the Prairie Line Trail
• Words at Tollefson Plaza
• Wright Park Sprayground and Playground

The Schoenfeld Award recognizing exemplary performance and pizazz as a retailer or restaurateur:

• 1022 South
• Corina Bakery
• Stink
• The Swiss

The Union Station Award recognizing organizations, companies or individuals that have built or sustained momentum for revitalization:

• Downtown: On the Go!
• First Night Tacoma-Pierce County
• Stadium Thriftway
• Tacoma Farmer's Market (2010 Winner)
• Voices of the City Initiative

Congratulations to all the nominees!  For a list of prior winners, please see the Chamber's website.  We look forward to seeing you on July 13th.

Celebrate Downtown at the 10/21 City Center Luncheon

UPDATED 10/17/11

Ice skating, fire breathing dragons, public art installations, and kids.  Where can you find them all in one place?  At this quarter's City Center Luncheon on 10/21.  You can register here.

A quarterly event highlight what's happening in and around downtown Tacoma, each quarter the luncheon features topics important to the people who live, work and play downtown.  This quarter is focused on all the exciting events in downtown as we head into fall and winter.  The current program includes the following:

First Night 2012: Year of the Dragon
Every New Year’s Eve Tacoma hosts its own New Year’s Eve celebration.  With the year of the dragon coming upon us, this gathering of every age, color and stripe brings music & dance, fire & ice, laughter & wonder all together culminating in a midnight embrace of all that is good and right in the world.  This celebration brings together about 10,000 people from Tacoma and beyond for a full day of festivities.  Learn more about this year’s plans from Co-Director Lance Kagey.

Polar Plaza: Ice Skating Rink in Tollefson Plaza
Ice skating in public parks is often reserved for northeastern cities and our northwest imaginations – until this year.  The Tacoma Art Museum and Franciscan Health System are bringing an ice rink to Tollefson Plaza just in time for the holidays.  Cameron Fellows of the Tacoma Art Museum will share more information about how you can make your triple lutz dreams a reality.

Art is Everywhere: Art @ Work Month & Prairie Line Trail Installation
This November is Tacoma Arts Month.  This 10th anniversary edition will illustrate the city's collective talent and get people involved in the arts.  This will be an opportunity to become an active part of Tacoma's cultural life.  In addition, the Prairie Line Trail will be seeing a special installation connecting its past to the present.  The City of Tacoma's Amy McBride will be sharing more on the hundreds of activities occuring next month.

Kids in Your Business: SOTA, SAMI & Downtown Businesses
You've seen teenagers wandering the streets of downtown.  Many of them are associated with some of our downtown schools.  Now the Tacoma School of the Arts as well as the Science and Math Institute are offering businesses the opportunitiy to show selected students the other side of their business through a brief 12-day internship.  Career Counselor Michaele Sein-Ryan will talk more about this rewarding opportunity for businesses and the community.

When: Friday, October 21, 2011
Time: 11:30 (registration) 12:00-1:15 (program)
Location: Courtyard by Marriott, 1515 Commerce Street, 98402
Sponsor: Rainier Connect

To register for the luncheon visit the Chamber's website, call or email Janice Hutchins (253) 627-2175, janiceh@tacomachamber.org

Prices: $25 Members pre-paid by October 18th

           $30 Members at the door

           $35 Non-members/Walk-Ins

Welcome, Welcome Figure

As of this morning the long-awaited Welcome Figure now watches over Tollefson Plaza. The wooden statue of a Native American woman stands 22 feet tall and wears a traditional woven cedar hat and white dress with a Thunderbird design, her hands outstretched in a welcoming gesture. She was carved by Puyallup native artist Shaun Peterson (Qwalsius).


The figure will welcome all who visit downtown Tacoma and stands in tribute to the Puyallup’s who were the first people to inhabit the area. The land around Tollefson Plaza was once an important village site to the Puyallup Tribe.

The Puyallup Tribe, City of Tacoma and Tacoma Art Museum will celebrate the installation and unveiling of the Welcome Figure with a blessing ceremony Saturday, September 18th, 10am – noon in Tollefson Plaza (S. 17th and Pacific Ave.).

Fireworks in Tollefson Plaza, no kidding

In the wake of Seattle’s announcement cancelling the Lake Union 4th of July Fireworks show and Tacoma’s invitation for all to join Tacomans at Freedom Fair on Ruston Way. The Washington Recreation and Parks Association has applied for a permit to light up Tollefson Plaza with fireworks on April 15th as part of their State Conference. This private event is unrelated to the Independence Day celebrations, but certainly a creative use for our barren cement plaza in the heart of downtown.

Chamber Returns Tollefson Management to City

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber has historically assumed, and continues to play, an active role in the revitalization of downtown Tacoma through such activities as managing the BIA and promoting and recognizing development through its City Center Luncheon. Given this commitment and as a follow-up to its involvement in the Project for Public Spaces activity and its sponsorship of Richard Florida’s Creative Cities class, the Chamber entered into a license agreement with the City of Tacoma to manage Tollefson Plaza, in the spring of 2008. The license agreement was not accompanied by any City funding.

The Chamber is very grateful to numerous community partners and the City of Tacoma and Tacoma Public Utilities staff for their efforts in helping to overcome barriers in activating the space. However, the recent and current economic situation has made it extremely difficult to secure adequate funding and sponsorships to fully underwrite staffing and appropriate marketing for meaningful programming of the Plaza.

Unfortunately, those challenging economic conditions and Plaza design issues have combined to thwart the Chamber’s ambitions to provide active management and programming for Tollefson Plaza. As a result, the Chamber has requested to be released from its license agreement with the City of Tacoma.

For the past 18 months, the Chamber has worked with sponsors and community partners to present two holiday season Tollefests, a Friday lunch summer series, a Lunar New Year event and has welcomed a variety of community events. Processes were established to accommodate various uses of the Plaza. A website and logo were created and promotional materials were developed.

Although the Chamber’s official role of managing Tollefson Plaza has ended, the Chamber looks forward to opportunities to collaborate on future efforts to activate the space.

Through its Metropolitan Development Manager Chelsea Levy, the Chamber will continue to invest considerable staff effort in both the management of the BIA (Downtown Tacoma Business Improvement Area) and in associated activities including working on downtown parking policies, graffiti prevention and filling vacant storefronts. The Chamber recognizes that the health and vibrancy of downtown is essential to attracting and retaining employers in Pierce County, and is the key to how visitors and employers experience Tacoma and Pierce County.

Inquiries regarding rental of Tollefson Plaza should be directed to the Tacoma City Clerk’s office.

Ice Skating in Tollefson Plaza?

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Downtown Merchants Group and Tacoma Art Museum have partnered to explore the possibility of a holiday ice rink in Tollefson Plaza for 2010.

The group’s vision is for a festive covered ice rink to fill the lower portion of Tollefson Plaza, the rink contractor will rent skates. Food and hot cocoa vendors will provide treats in the upper plaza and Two-Five-Trees will be welcomed back to sell Christmas trees.

Like most community events funding is the key to success. Achieving this vision will not be possible with out the financial support of the community. The group is soliciting major sponsors during the January and February feasibility period.

Sponsors will be asked to provide cash contributions and/or in-kind support. Cash sponsors will receive advertizing recognition ranging from corporate name(s) on event marketing material, inclusion in print and radio advertising and banners at the rink. In-kind sponsors will receive recognition and our most pressing need is print, television and radio advertising. The final decision for the Rink will depend on the response during this feasibility period now through February.

Help spread the word about this fantastic marketing opportunity. If you have a businesses or individual sponsor in mind the planning partners would love to hear about them. Contact Cameron Fellows at 253-272-4258 x3012 or cfellows@tacomaartmuseum.org for more information. Or visit the Downtown Merchant Group website.

Crafts, Trees and Santa Come to Tollefson Plaza

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber has teamed up with the Downtown Merchants Group this holiday season to put on the second annual Tollefest.

This winter festival will take place December 4, 5, and 6, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., in Tollefson Plaza, located on South 17th and Pacific Avenue. Admission is free!

Starting on Friday, December 4, Tollefson Plaza will be filled with festive activities and craft vendors. Don't forget to get your winter savings coupon book, available at Tollefest, to take advantage of holiday deals from a variety of businesses throughout downtown.

On Saturday, December 5, Santa Claus will be “coming to town” from noon- 2:00 p.m. and the lighting of the holiday tree gracing the center of Tollefson Plaza is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. The festival will continue on Sunday, December 6 until 6:00 p.m., wrapping up Tollefest—a winter weekend full of fun for the entire family!

Check out the new Tollefson Plaza website www.tollefsonplaza.com for more information about Tollefest and other events in Tollefson Plaza.

Get Your Christmas Tree in Tollefson

Tollefson Plaza, normally a treeless expanse in the heart of downtown comes to life this winter thanks to the Two Five Trees tree lot. The tree lot is made possible through collaboration between Go Local, Downtown Merchants Group, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and various city departments.

Two Five Trees opened for business last Friday and will sell trees through the end of the season.

According to the Two Five Trees website, http://www.twofivetrees.com/ you’re invited to “come on down for the best deals on Christmas trees in town (feel free to call it a Holiday tree for any wanting a tree without the “Christmas”). We’re excited to participate in the return of celebrating the holidays in our beloved Downtown!”

Location: Tollefson Plaze, Downtown Tacoma, S. 17th and Pacific Ave

Dates and Times: Starting Friday, November 27th, through Tollefest, on to the end of the season.

What: Lowest prices on Christmas trees in Tacoma; free candy canes, hot chocolate, and boughs; complimentary loading and twine; lots of fun events.
Trees: Blue Spruce, Grand Firs, Douglas Firs, Nobles, Table Top Nobles, White Pine–all grown locally.

Events: Two Five Trees will be a featured part of Tollefest 2009, the first weekend of December. Keep checking back here for details on other fun events lined up like pictures with Santa and live choral performances.

Community: Two Five Trees is firstly about the community of Downtown Tacoma and Tacoma at large. Bring a can of food down and get $1 off your tree. Know a family that can’t afford a tree? Write us and tell us why you think they should be a recipient of one of the trees we’re giving to families in need. But, let’s be honest, doing something, anything, in Tollefson is a community effort in itself. It’s time that Downtown and Tacoma have more feet on the street and engaged in civic centers… even if just to buy a Christmas tree.

Chairs and Tables in Tollefson, One man's experience

Thank you to Andrew Fry for sharing his Tollefson Plaza experience with us. Please read his Tollefson Ice tea post and share your own new Tollefson experiences here.

Chairs and Tables, a First Step for Tollefson Plaza

For too long Tollefson Plaza has been a black mark on the hard fought efforts to revitalize and breathe life into downtown Tacoma. Rather than enumerate all the disappointments associated with the Plaza let’s change course…

In February the Economic Development Committee of the Tacoma City Council reviewed recommendations from the Tollefson Plaza/ Century Park Planning Group. The Group comprised of representatives from the City, Save Our Station, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, UWT, Tacoma Art Museum, the Tollefson Family and other stakeholders has been meeting for the past two years to discuss strategies to turn the Plaza into a more inviting and active destination.

Building on recommendations from architect Lars Gemzoe, the planning group has proposed a series of recommendations some believe will make Tollefson Plaza/ Century Park a livelier place. The elements in the first phase of the recommendations include tables, chairs, umbrellas, garbage bins and planters.

Along with warmer weather and leaves on the trees, this spring will bring opportunity to Tollefson Plaza. The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, which manages the Plaza is working with the City to bring this list of amenities onto Tollefson Plaza by May 1st.

What to expect:

• Tables, chairs and umbrellas: Metal with a modern design that reflects the angles and simple architecture of the Convention Center and Tacoma Art Museum.
• Planters: Similar to the black ceramic planters in front of the Marriott Hotel adjacent to the Plaza.

Check back soon for pictures of the tables, chairs, umbrellas and planters that will be ordered... (the ones in this picture are not what will be in Tollefson)

Tollefest Invitation

Two Trees for Tacoma

This year Tacoma will celebrate the holidays with not one, but two holiday trees.

HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING, Saturday, November 29th

This is a free community event. In efforts to document historical events at the corner of 9th & Broadway, a community group photo will be taken at the Annual Tree Lighting Event. Also, a guest appearance will be made by Santa Claus in the Pantages Lobby beginning at 4:30 p.m. Complimentary hot cocoa and cider will be provided by the Broadway Center.

Scrooge: The Movie Musical will be shown at 3:00 pm, before the tree lighting and after the lighting at 6:00 pm at the Pantages. Scrooge: The Movie Musical is an adaptation of the beloved Charles Dickens; novel, A Christmas Carol. Advance tickets to Scrooge: The Movie Musical are available now for $8, seating is general admission. Tickets may be purchased at the Broadway Center Box Office located on 9th & Broadway or by calling the Box Office at 253.591.5894. To purchase online at any time or for information about upcoming events visit www.broadwaycenter.org.

TOLLEFEST, Saturday, December 6th

Yes, there is something worth doing in Tollefson Plaza (besides skateboarding). Come to “Tollefest,” the first annual winter festival in Tollefson Plaza! It is presented by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber with special thanks to Rainier Pacific Bank, City of Tacoma Public Works Department, BCRA, and AA Party Rentals.

Come listen to the Center of Faith Church Choir, play carnival games, and watch the tree lighting at 4:15 p.m.! Admission is FREE, but we encourage families to bring canned foods and non-perishable items to donate to the Emergency Food Network. See you there!