Kiwanis Speaker Series | Puyallup Valley Japanese American Citizens League
Thursday, August 14 | 6 - 7:30PM
All Ages | Free

The Kiwanis Club of Auburn will be hosting a speaker series here at Postmark Center for the Arts! Each month will feature a different speaker associated with Kiwanis, including cultural leaders and representatives of local organizations from Auburn's community.

The Puyallup Valley Japanese American Citizens League will be presenting about pre-war Japanese and Japanese American community, wartime incarceration and the Remembrance Gallery Educational Center at the Puyallup Fair Grounds. The Japanese American Citizens League is a national organization whose mission is to advocate and safeguard the civil and human rights of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and all communities who are affected by injustice and bigotry.

Upcoming Speakers (more details to come):

• Thursday, September 11 | 6 - 7:30PM | TBD
• Thursday, October 2 | 6 - 7:30PM | Tamiko Nimura, Writer
• Thursday, October 30 | 6 - 7:30PM | TBD
• Thursday, November 20 | 6 - 7:30PM | TBD

Please drop by or register for free here!

Made possible by 4Culture!

Poets at the Postmark
Wednesday, September 3 | 6:30-8PM
All Ages | FREE

Come to our monthly Postmark Poetry Nights! April 2nd is poetry night in Auburn! Doors open at 6:00PM, poetry starts at 6:30PM.

First Wednesday poetry nights are hosted by the City of Auburn and Auburn Avenue Poets at the historic Postmark Center for the Arts (20 Auburn Avenue - parking in back).

Arrive early to peruse artwork by local artists, bring a poem to share during the open mic, and bring a poetry book to swap for a poetry book at our book exchange!

September's featured poets will be:

Former Auburn Poet Laureate Susan Landgraf, 
https://moonpathpress.com/SusanLandgraf.htm

Author & Poet Katy E. Ellis, 
https://moonpathpress.com/KatyEEllis.htm

Author & Poet Cindy Veach, 
https://moonpathpress.com/CindyVeach.htm

Second Saturdays
September 13, 12-4PM | FREE
Every Second Saturday

Visit Postmark Center for the Arts gallery, open to the public each Second Saturday from 12-4PM! Each month features FREE, all ages performances, crafts, and events!

1-3PM
KEEP A' LIVIN'

Listen to Kathya Alexander share her personal stories of living through the Civil Rights Movement. Go beyond the history of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with interactive storytelling that has audiences fully engaged for the duration of her performance. Her novel, KEEP A' LIVIN', is a work of fiction, it is storytelling connected to her personal childhood experiences.

For many, this is their first experience meeting someone who lived through the Movement. History lessons come alive through a first-hand account of both great and terrible moments
in our nation’s heritage. Now more than ever that history needs to be revisited and retold.

12-4PM
Create a Zine

Stop by our classroom from 12-4 to create your own zine! Inspired by Kathya Alexander's storytelling, you will have the opportunity to write, draw and make your own story in the form of a mini folded book!

Made possible by 4Culture and the Kiwanis Club of Auburn!

One-Day Pottery

Come and bring out your creativity! Make bowls, cups, plates, and more items you can enjoy your next meal with. Classes emphasize hand building lessons for youth and their parents. Making pottery together is a great way to spend time together! Clay has a way in bringing out the joyful and playful spirit within us. No experience necessary, all supplies are provided. BOTH child and parent must register for class.

Date: Thursday, September 4 | 5:30-7:30PM
Ages: 18+
Fee: $43/$54 Resident/Non-Res
Instructor: Bryan Ohno

Register Now!

Introduction to Watercolor

Learn basic watercolor techniques while exploring a variety of papers and tools for water-based media. Students will work from different source material, including found objects/still lifes, animals, and personal photographs. No experience is required, but students will need to bring their own supplies. A supply list will be provided.

Dates: Thursdays, September 5, 12, 19 and 26 | 1-3PM
Ages: 18+
Fee: $60/$75 Resident/Non-Res
Instructor: Brian Schenk

Register Now!

Youth & Parent Pottery Class

Come and bring out your creativity! Make bowls, cups, plates, and more items you can enjoy your next meal with. Classes emphasize hand building lessons for youth and their parents. Making pottery together is a great way to spend time together! Clay has a way in bringing out the joyful and playful spirit within us. No experience necessary, all supplies are provided. BOTH child and parent must register for class.

Dates: Thursdays, September 11, 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9 | 4:30-6PM
Ages: 8+
Fee: $180/$225 Resident/Non-Res
Instructor: Bryan Ohno

Register Now!

Adult Pottery

Sink your hands into clay and experience the magic. You’ll start by crafting functional pieces like cups, bowls, and plates, while also learning essential shaping and glazing techniques. As you progress, participants can take on more complex projects and personal styles, with guidance from the instructor. Join our vibrant community of pottery enthusiasts and discover the joy of creating beautiful, handmade pottery!

Dates: Thursdays, September 11, 18 & 25 and October 2 & 9 | 6:15-7:45PM
Ages: 18+
Fee: $192/$240 Resident/Non-Res
Instructor: Bryan Ohno

Register Now!

2025 Holiday Artisan Market

The City of Auburn, WA is seeking applications for art vendors for the 2025 Postmark Center for the Arts Holiday Market, taking place on November 15, 2025. This Holiday Market will be a small, cozy experience for holiday shoppers interested in unique, handmade arts by local creators. Located in the Postmark Center for the Arts, selected artists will receive one 24” x 60” table to display a selection of their work for sale.

Eligibility: We welcome all Washington State artists and craftspeople making unique, handcrafted, and accessibly priced work to apply!

Deadline: August 27, 2025 at 10:59 PM

Vendors will be notified: Friday, August 29, 2025

For more information or to apply, please view the online application.

2026 Galleries in City of Auburn

The City of Auburn is seeking artists and/or artist groups working in two-dimensional or small three-dimensional media to exhibit their work at City of Auburn gallery spaces in 2026. Galleries are within City operated buildings including the Auburn Senior Center (Cheryl Sallee Gallery) and the Community & Event Center.

Artists and/or artists groups of diverse mediums are encouraged to apply, including but not limited to: printmaking, painting, drawing, mixed media, textiles, mosaic, glass, recycled materials, photography, calligraphy, collage, fiber art, ceramics, jewelry, metal sculptures, etc.

Eligibility:
- Established and emerging artists and/or artist groups working in two-dimensional or three-dimensional media will be considered.

Deadline: September 4, 2025 at 10:59 PM

For more information or to apply, please view the online application.

2026 Site-Specific Arts Galleries

The City of Auburn, Washington, seeks applications from regional artists to install 3-dimensional or multi-media art installations in two site-specific gallery spaces in downtown Auburn: the Art on Main Gallery and the Vault Gallery. Both spaces provide a $1,000 artist stipend to support the creation of new work and site-specific projects, or the installation of existing work.

Eligibility:
- Any individual artist or collaborative artist team in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho) may apply.
- Past participants of Art on Main are welcome to reapply.

Deadline: September 4, 2025 at 10:59 PM

For more information or to apply, please view the online application.

Postmark Arts & Cultural Programming Grant

This program provides funding support for artists, arts or cultural organizations, or community members proposing ideas for free arts and cultural programs serving residents and visitors at the new Postmark Center for the Arts. We are excited about bringing local artist and community members together in a space that aims to provide opportunities for growth, creative participation, inspiration, and understanding through dynamic and multi-faceted programming.

Eligibility: Individuals, groups of people, neighborhood or business organizations seeking funding for an art program or cultural event at the Postmark Center for the Arts.

Project Budget: Grants are typically awarded from $500 to $2,000 per project.

Application Resources:

- Postmark Programming Grant Guidelines (PDF)
- Sample of a successful full grant application (PDF)
- Sample of a successful grant budget (PDF)
Please note the income must match the expenses.

Deadline: September 30, 2025

For more information or to apply, please view the online application.

Artist Project Support Grant

The goal of this program is to provide support to arts-related projects and programs within the City of Auburn to encourage the growth, innovation, excellence, and accessibility of the arts. This is an opportunity for artists to create art projects or programs that have free public benefit for Auburn residents and visitors.

Eligibility: This is a call to artists residing in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon and Idaho).

Project Budget: Funding is typically awarded for $500 to $1,000.

Application Resources:

- Artist Project Support Grant Guidelines (PDF)
- Sample of a successful grant budget (PDF)
Please note the income must match the expenses.

Deadline: September 30, 2025

For more information or to apply, please view the online application.

Sit and Stitch
Every Wednesday | Free
10AM-12PM

Come by Postmark Center for the Arts with your current sewing, knitting, crochet, or any other project fiber-arts related! Visited by artist Christy Caravaglio, take time every Wednesday morning to sip coffee or tea, chat with other artists, and work on your project in a casual, no-pressure environment. Beginners to advanced welcome, stay for the whole two hours or only 10 minutes!

Make & Mingle
Every Wednesday | Free
10AM-12PM

Stop by the Postmark for our Make & Mingle session! Join us for a cup of coffee with whatever art project you might be working on. 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! 

Drop-In Painting with Amy Sie
Every Friday | Free
10AM-12PM

Drop-In Drawing
Every Friday | Free
10AM-12PM

Come stop by for our Drop-In Drawing sessions at the Postmark! A free, no-pressure environment for artists and creatives to drop-in to 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. There will be on-site help for critique/questions/advice.

Unprecedented: The Inaugural Postmark Biennial
Exhibition Dates: July 23-October 9, 2025

Postmark Center for the Arts and the White River Valley Museum are hosting a competitive juried biennial art exhibition, titled “Unprecedented: The Inaugural Postmark Biennial.”

"In times of crisis, art becomes a vital medium for both reflection and action."- Virginia Vigliar

How is art informed by the exceptional moment in which we are living? Curated by two esteemed jurors, Ellen Ito and Jabari Owens-Bailey, this exhibition is seeking work from artists living and working in Washington state; Unprecedented is interested in highlighting creative explorations in all media created from 2020 to the present.

ROAD CLOSURE NOTICE

As part of the ongoing Downtown Infrastructure Improvements Project, full road closures will begin on Monday, June 2, impacting the following areas:

• East Main Street between Auburn Avenue and B Street NE
• Auburn Avenue between East Main Street and 1st Street NE

These closures are expected to last through the end of August 2025.

For ongoing updates, detour maps, and project timelines, visit our project webpage.

Postmark Center for the Arts is OPEN normal hours during construction.
Wednesdays 12-4PM
Thursdays 12-6PM
Fridays 12-4PM
Second Saturdays 12-4PM