Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers
Saturday, June 1, 2024
All Ages | FREE
@ Postmark Center for the Arts.

REGISTER for Session one: 1-2PM

REGISTER for Session two: 3-4PM

Join us for FREE performances of the Seattle Opera 2024 production, Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers. This 45-minute opera for youth audiences fuses together folktales from around the world to tell the story of Monkey and his brainy sister, Francine. The siblings must learn to cooperate to escape a hungry crocodile and outwit the greedy Lord of the Tigers. Combining multiple styles of music from Bollywood, Ethiopian jazz, Latin, and classical, this opera shares the timeless message that we all have different strengths, but when we work together, anything is possible.

Postmark Second Saturdays
Saturday, June 8, 2024 | 12-4PM
All Ages | FREE
@ Postmark Center for the Arts.

Join us at Postmark Center for the Arts for FREE, all ages, arts, performance, and crafts! Every Second Saturday of the month from 12-4pm. 

Special Guest:
Our special guest for this Second Saturday will be Sylvia O'Stayformore, who will be hosting Drag Story hour and Drag Bingo from 12-3PM for all to participate!

Art Activities: 

Rainbow Washi Tape Suncatcher: Create and take home your own sun catcher!

Postcards: Be a part of our next gallery exhibition at the Postmark Center for the Arts! Postmarked: Connecting Communities is an exhibition comprised of thousands of postcards, all created by our neighbors in Auburn, statewide, and abroad. Art supplies will be provided for you to participate by creating a postcard responding to the prompt, "What does community mean to you?"

Upcoming Second Saturdays:

• July 13 | Korean Ink Painting with Vault Gallery artist Wol-Un 
• August 10 | Floral design demonstration with the Auburn Garden Club

Made possible by the Kiwanis Club of Auburn!

Rhythm and Rhymes Story Hour
Saturday, June 8, 10:00AM - 11:00AM
Ages: 3-8 | Fee: FREE 
Instructors: Auburn Symphony Orchestra and the Auburn Public Library
@ Postmark Center for the Arts.

Register Now!

Join Auburn Symphony Orchestra and the Auburn Public Library for music and story time! Join ASO Musicians Sarah Viens, trumpet, and Charles DeMonnin, trombone and tuba, who will draw young ones into an interactive lesson. Auburn librarian Devon Abejo will read "How Do You Wokka-Wokka" by Elizabeth Bleumle. Explore themes of family and culture through music and stories. Participants will receive a craft to take home with them. Best for ages 3-8 but families of all ages are encouraged to attend.

Bits and Bobs Workshop
Thursday, June 27 | 2-4PM
Ages: 13+ | FREE
Instructors: Brenetta Ward & Debra Harris-Branham
@ Postmark Center for the Arts.

Join featured SISTAHS artists Brenetta Ward and Debra Harris-Branham for a bits and bobs workshop! Work with reused, recycled, and found materials to create your own artwork.

SISTAHS Artist Talk
Thursday, June 27 | 5:30-6:30PM
FREE
@ Postmark Center for the Arts.

Join us at Postmark Center for the Arts for an artist talk with Marita Dingus, Debra Harris-Branham, and Brenetta Ward.

SISTAHS is an exhibit of four Pacific Northwest artists of African descent.  Brenetta Ward is a fabric artist, third-generation quilter, and oral historian. Jite Agbro is known for her colorful figurative artwork featuring layered patterns, sharp contrast, and fabric and paper collage.  Debra Harris-Branham conjures the energy of her storytelling into artistic imagery.  Marita Dingus is an environmental feminist and mixed-media sculptor focused on using recoverable materials.

Introduction to Embroidery
Thursday, June 6 | 5:00-7:00PM
Ages: 15+, Mixed
Fee: $20/$25 Resident/ Non-Res | Register Now!
Instructor: Amanda Jenkinson
@ Postmark Center for the Arts.

Learn to embroider the silhouette of Mt. Rainier behind a bed of Washington native wildflowers! You will come away from this class having learned a few basic stitches. Embroidery pattern and materials are provided to create a hangable 3-inch hoop. Be prepared to handle a needle.

Zine Making Workshop
Thursday, June 13 | 5:30-7:00PM 
Ages: 15+, Mixed 
Fee: $16/$20 Resident/Non-Res  | Register Now!
Instructor: Aidyn Dervaes 
@ Postmark Center for the Arts.

What is a Zine? A small handmade booklet that provides a way for folks to share art, writing, musings, and give a platform to express oneself. In this workshop learn about the history of Zine making and start your own! Materials will be provided but feel free to bring anything that inspires YOU!

Make & Mingle
Every Wednesday, 10:00AM - 12:00PM

Ages: Suggested 18+, Mixed | FREE
Instructor: Postmark Staff
@ The Postmark Center for the Arts.

Stop by for our Artist Open Studio! Come join us for a cup of coffee with whatever art project you might be working on! This is a free, no-pressure environment for artists and creatives to gather. You can talk with other artists, ask for feedback or critique from on-site staff if available, bring your sketchbook to work out ideas, or just quietly draw in the gallery or work on your art! All are welcome. No need to sign up or register, just drop in!

Drop-in Painting with Amy Sie
Every Friday, 10:00AM - 12:00PM

Ages: Suggested 18+, Mixed | FREE
Instructor: Amy Sie
@ The Postmark Center for the Arts.

Amy Sie is offering Drop-In Gongbi Painting sessions at the Postmark! A free, no-pressure environment for you to start a new painting or work on an old one. Please bring your own tools and materials. On-site help for critique/questions/advice. All are welcome. No need to sign up or register, just drop in!

Drop-in Drawing
Every Friday, 10:00AM - 12:00PM
Ages: Suggested 18+, Mixed | FREE
Instructor: Postmark Staff
@ The Postmark Center for the Arts.

Come stop by for our new Drop-In Drawing sessions at the Postmark! A free, no-pressure environment for artists and creatives to drop-in. Draw from a still life or the gallery, stay for whole two hours or only 10 minutes! Bring tools to either shade or color with, and your own sketchbook or drawing pad. On-site help for critique/questions/advice. All are welcome. No need to sign up or register, just drop in!

Postmark Center for the Arts Gallery
20 Auburn Ave

Exhibition:
SISTAHS Curated by Marita Dingus
Exhibition dates: May 8 - July 18, 2024

SISTAHS is an exhibit of four Pacific Northwest artists of African descent.  Brenetta Ward is a fabric artist, third-generation quilter, and oral historian. Jite Agbro is known for her colorful figurative artwork featuring layered patterns, sharp contrast, and fabric and paper collage.  Debra Harris-Branham conjures the energy of her storytelling into artistic imagery.  Marita Dingus is an environmental feminist and mixed-media sculptor focused on using recoverable materials.

Featured artists: Jite Agbro, Marita Dingus, Debra Harris-Branham, Brenetta Ward

Vault Gallery
20 Auburn Ave

Artist: Wol-Un
Exhibition Dates: April 10 - July 13, 2024

"Through My World in Ink I share how I see the world through my infatuation with the materiality of ink. My practice is strongly rooted in the cultural traditions of Korean ink painting and calligraphy. By synthesizing these centuries-old techniques with contemporary methods, through the inclusion of new motifs, unconventional compositions, and modern styles of presentation, I aim to facilitate a connection between historical visual languages, narratives, and aesthetics within the modern world. My World in Ink features a series of ink paintings and calligraphy made with either rice or mulberry papers. This paper was prepared through a traditional process called wet mounting, where a wheat paste or animal fat glue is applied to combine and strengthen multiple layers. This process can take up to twenty-four hours of repeated wetting and drying before resulting in a satisfactory painting surface."

Art on Main Gallery
East Main Street between N. Division St. and Auburn Avenue

Artist: Lalitha Bandaru
Exhibition Dates: April 8 - July 8, 2024

We are happy to announce Lalitha Bandaru as our new Art on Main Installation artist! Bandaru aims to tackle the concept of "unfurling" and the life cycle of a butterfly. "The ‘Unfurling’ installation explores the fragility of things in nature more specifically— the metamorphosis and disappearance of the most beautiful, delicate little beings – the butterflies. Their journey from being an egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and then into a butterfly is both unique and magical and has always fascinated me." Seven painted canvas pieces will be installed draping from a center point, mimicking a butterfly that has just emerged out of its chrysalis. Says Bandaru, "I find this stage of the butterfly –where the butterfly is drying and stretching its wings – intriguing and beautiful as it is the start of its new journey of facing the challenges of the world. "

Auburn Community and Event Center
910 Ninth St. SE

Artist: Esther Loopstra
Exhibition Dates: May 9 - July 11, 2024

We are happy to have Esther Loopstra as our artist on display at the Auburn Community Center Gallery! "I am a Seattle-based artist and writer whose work reflects my ongoing relationship with my body and connection to others and the natural world. Being neurodivergent, and dealing with mental health struggles, chronic illness, and disability most of my life, I have a complex relationship with my body and mind that informs my work." These mixed media paintings swirl on the canvas and freely unfold according to intuition and Loopstra's own poems. "My work takes the viewer on a passage, revealing the abstract essences and blurring the lines between our human internal systems and the nature around us."

Cheryl Sallee Gallery
Auburn Senior Center
808 Ninth St. SE

Artist: William Hanley
Exhibition Dates: May 8 - July 10, 2024

We are happy to introduce William Hanley as our new Cheryl Sallee Gallery artist! Hanley was born and raised in Seattle, and still resides in the Pacific Northwest. "I am a professional nature photographer who emphasizes connections between positive mental health, nature, and art." As someone who has battled depression off and on for many years, he learned that his meditative, contemplative approach to photographing nature helped to lessen sadness and promote peace within himself.  He hopes that in observing his photos, the viewer may experience many of the same blessings of calm and awe that he feels during his nature walks.

Postmarked: Connecting Communities

Participate in our upcoming Postmark Center for the Arts Gallery Exhibition!

The purpose of this project is to bring creative communities from around the world together under one theme: What does community mean to you? This intends to capture personal definitions of community and identity from artists of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.

Postcard Pick-Up Locations:

• Postmark Center for the Arts | 20 Auburn Ave
• Auburn Community and Event Center | 910 9th St SE
• Auburn Farmers Market | Les Gove Park | Sundays 10-3PM starting June 2

Either mail or drop off in person at Postmark Center for the Arts by June 14. 

NW Native Plant Transfer Printmaking
With Yoshi Nakagawa

Artist Yoshi Nakagawa will be hosting NW Native Plant Transfer Printmaking workshops at Pierce County Library branches over the Summer. Register for individual sessions at the links below!

• Saturday, June 22 | University Place branch | 1-3PM
• Saturday, July 13 | Milton/Edgewood branch | 1-3PM
• Thursday, July 18 | Bonney Lake branch | 4-6PM
• Saturday, July 27 | Parkland/Spanaway branch | 1-3PM

Workshops are also at Tacoma Library Locations:

• Saturday, July 6 | Moore branch | 3-5PM
• Saturday, July 20 | Wheelock branch | 3-5PM