Poets at the Postmark
Wednesday, October 1 | 6:30 - 8PM
All Ages | FREE

Come to our monthly Postmark Poetry Nights! October 1st 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).

We hope you can join us on October 1st and share a poem during the open mic!

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!

For October, we will be feature a group of haiku poets, reading their haiku poems from Glimmering Hour!

The contributing poets for the anthology Glimmering Hour live in the greater Puget Sound area and are members of Haiku Northwest. Local contributors will be reading their haiku poems from the anthology, and contributors Kathleen and Richard Tice will facilitate the reading.

Glimmering Hour celebrates the 35th anniversary of Haiku Northwest, which began in Bellevue, Washington, in 1988. There are about eighty poets whose poems are featured, including eleven who are remembered in a memorial section. Sheila Sondik's Japanese style sumi paintings on crinkled paper augment the poems.

To learn more about Haiku Northwest and Glimmering Hour, visit haikunorthwest.org.

Kiwanis Speaker Series | Tamiko Nimura "Writing Family, Writing Resistance"
Thursday, October 2 | 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.

“Writing Family, Writing Resistance”

Tacoma creative nonfiction writer and public historian, Tamiko Nimura, will be presenting on her family connections to her co-authored graphic novel, WE HEREBY REFUSE: JAPANESE AMERICAN RESISTANCE TO WARTIME INCARCERATION and her forthcoming memoir, A PLACE FOR WHAT WE LOSE.

Upcoming Speakers:

• Thursday, October 30 | 6 - 7:30PM | Auburn Service Clubs Panel | Lions, Rotary, Soroptimist, and Kiwanis
• Thursday, November 20 | 6 - 7:30PM
  Auburn Symphony Orchestra

Please drop by or register for free here!

Made possible by 4Culture!

Unprecedented: The Inaugural Postmark Biennial
CLOSING RECEPTION
Thursday, October 9, 5 - 6:15PM

Come join us for the closing reception and artist talks for the Unprecedented: Inaugural Biennial exhibition!

📍Postmark Center for the Arts | 20 Auburn Ave
5 - 6PM | Reception
5:15PM | Artist Talks

📍White River Valley Museum | 918 H St SE, Auburn, WA 98002
6 - 7PM | Reception
6:15PM | Artist Talks

Join us for a two-part closing reception, first held at Postmark Center for the Arts, then at White River Valley Museum! Artist talks will also take place, giving the artists featured in this exhibition an opportunity to speak about and discuss their work with guests! Light refreshments will be provided.

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 includes eighteen artists living and working in Washington state. Unprecedented is interested in highlighting creative explorations in all media created from 2020 to the present.

Second Saturdays
October 11, 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!

12 - 1:15PM & 1:45 - 3PM  | Marbled Ube Cookie Demonstration with Clarissa Grace Gines

Each individual must register for this free activity to participate. Limited spots available!

Learn to bake marbled ube cookies with Clarissa Grace Gines! This will be a participatory, hands-on workshop where participants will have the opportunity to follow along and make their own batch of cookies! During the demo, you will also learn about the history of ube, a vibrantly purple Filipino tuber that has gained popularity in recent years. You will leave the demo with freshly baked cookies and the cookie recipe for you to recreate at home!

Clarissa Grace Gines (she/her) is a Filipina-American cultural worker and arts administrator whose multi-layered identities as a child of immigrants, first-generation college graduate, mother, storyteller, and arts advocate inform her work in, and with community. In her free time, she can be found in nature looking at flowers, in a museum looking at art, or in her kitchen whipping up baked goods.

Please register for a free session below:
12 - 1:15 PM Session One registration
1:45 - 3PM Session Two registration 

Made possible by the Kiwanis Club of Auburn!

Acrylic 101

Over two sessions on October 3rd and October 10th, we cover all the basic foundational elements of creating a painting from value studies (dark and light), to basic color theory, to breaking apart a photo into basic shapes and learning to transfer those shapes (using a grid) onto a canvas. We then use our prior lessons to inform us as we paint our masterpieces!
Materials are provided.

Dates: Fridays, October 3 & 10 | 1 - 3PM
Ages: 18+
Fee: $150/$187 Resident/Non-Res
Instructor: William Cook

Register Now!

Beginner Linocut T-Shirt & Fabric Printing

Learn how to print linocuts onto t-shirts and fabrics! In this 1-day beginner workshop we’ll go over the basics of Linocut printing onto fabric. From creating a simple image, transferring it to a linoleum block, carving, inking, and then printing. Come with an image you’d like to turn into a linocut, or create one in the class. You can bring your own shirts or fabrics to print on, or some will be available to purchase from the instructor for $5. Beginners of all levels welcome!

Date: Saturday, October 4 | 10 - 4PM
Ages: 18+
Fee: $85/$99 Resident/Non-Res
Instructor: Patrick Conelly

Register Now!

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.

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.

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: Through 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.

Unfinished Business
Exhibition Dates: October 23 - January 2026

Parallax Arts Collective is an inclusive organization of AANHPI (Asian American/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Island) artists and allies, representing diverse genders and artistic mediums.
Its mission is to amplify the visibility of AANHPI artists and to advance their presence and impact within the broader arts landscape.

Unfinished Business presents a unique challenge to members of Parallax Arts Collective: to engage creatively with the incomplete. Every artist has unfinished works in their studio or a collection of raw materials—pieces whose potential remains unrealized. This project invites members to freely give unfinished art or materials to fellow artists, who in turn will respond by creating new artwork inspired by what they receive.

Participation in Unfinished Business requires a spirit of openness and collaboration. Artists must be willing to both give and accept materials freely, without reservation or expectation regarding their use. The emphasis is on trust, transformation, and the generative potential of creative exchange.

City of Auburn Community Conversations
Fall 2025 Townhall
Tuesday, September 23 | 6 - 8:30PM
📍Evergreen Heights Elementary

It’s time for another round of Community Conversations – and this time, we’re going big with a town hall series hosted by Mayor Nancy Backus!

We’ve listened to your ideas and concerns, and now we’re ready to talk, share solutions, and work together for Auburn’s future. Join us at one of several sessions across the city this fall – from schools to City Hall – to connect, ask questions, and make your voice heard. Light refreshments will be provided, and everyone is welcome.

Let's keep the conversation going.

Upcoming Community Conversations:

• Tuesday, September 30 | 6 - 8:30PM | City Hall, Council Chambers
• Wednesday, October 1 | 6 - 8:30PM | Community & Event Center
• Wednesday, October 8 | 6 - 8:30PM | West Auburn High
• Wednesday, October 22 | 6 - 8:30PM | Green River College
• Wednesday, October 29 | 6 - 8:30PM | Auburn Riverside High School

Auburn's Multicultural Holiday Festival
Saturday, September 27 | 3 - 6PM
📍The Commons at Auburn High School
711 E Main ST

You are invited to Auburn's 3rd Annual Multicultural Holiday Festival! Come join us for programming, food trucks and music including:

• Decorative displays in the traditions of each culture with gifts and treats
• A red carpet runway cultural dress fashion show
• Entertainment by cultural groups

Thank you to our sponsors!
Wellpoint
The Blue Ribbon Committee
City of Auburn