Oct 11 Sunday
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the Washington State Historical Society invites you to explore the history of building the State History Museum. 30 Years and Counting: The Making of the Washington State History Museum is a special exhibition that uncovers the vision, effort, and community spirit that brought this iconic Tacoma landmark to life.
Discover the bold ideas and architectural ingenuity that shaped the museum’s distinctive look. From early sketches to final blueprints, see how the building’s design reflects both innovation and reverence for Washington’s past. Go behind the scenes of the museum’s construction. Through photographs and artifacts from the building process, witness how a dream took shape—brick by brick, beam by beam.
Staff Picks: 30 Objects for 30 Years
In a special feature area, museum staff share their favorite objects from the collection—each one a personal reflection on the power of history to inspire, surprise, and connect us.
This is a permanent exhibition. Since time immemorial, Tribal nations have existed in this place we call Washington. This Is Native Land invites visitors to understand Washington State through the lived experiences and voices of its Native people.
Tribal nations are sovereign nations. Today, Native history, culture, and community thrive in our state. Through everyday acts of sovereignty – big and small – Indigenous peoples demonstrate they are still here, they have persevered, and they will always be here.
This Is Native Land is guided by three teachings:We are of the land and watersWith knowledge comes responsibilitySovereignty protects people, lands, and waters
These teachings are shared through multimedia, artwork, and interactive objects designed for guest engagement. They represent a contemporary continuation of Tribal stories and traditions.
Over 100 Native contributors from more than 60 Tribes shaped the exhibition’s stories and content. We thank the Native Advisory Committee and all community participants for their contributions.
LeMay – America’s Car Museum proudly presents The Birth of the American Supercar, a groundbreaking exhibition guest curated by renowned automotive innovator Steve Saleen. This one-of-a-kind display invites guests on an exhilarating journey through the evolution of American supercars. From early speed pioneers to cutting-edge modern marvels, visitors will experience a stunning lineup of vehicles that have redefined engineering, speed, and style, built by a wide range of American automotive manufacturers like Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Saleen himself, and even some more obscure ones like Vector, Cunningham, and Hennessey. From roaring V8s to sleek carbon-fiber bodies, discover how American automakers pushed boundaries, challenged European rivals, and redefined what a supercar could be. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see some of the most thrilling and historically significant American-made performance vehicles ever built—all under one roof.
Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music unveils the profound legacy of Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul artists who shaped the soundscape of American culture and used their music as instruments of resistance, identity, and representation.
Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul embody the profound influence of African American music on culture and history. From the spiritual foundations and transformative movements of Gospel hymns to the revolutionary improvisations of Jazz, the Blues’ Southern roots rising from the Mississippi Delta, and Soul’s powerful amplification of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, these genres have defined the unique sound and undying spirit of a nation that continues to echo through contemporary Black music today.
“Every piece I create, from the humblest tumbler to the most baroque sculpture, makes a statement about isolation, striving, access, perseverance, boundary pushing, and the pursuit of excellence. I believe my presence in the field as a working-class Black man, striving and excelling in a field occupied chiefly by society’s most privileged (whitest), is a powerful artistic and political gesture. “—Jason McDonald
Glass vessels evocative of the highly ornamented Baroque style, black silhouettes embedded in scenes on ancient pottery vessels, and medallion reliefs of Black figures all abide in the deliberate, expansive practice of Jason McDonald. McDonald’s visual language is deeply rooted in research of ancient histories, traditional techniques, and race. Here, contemporary ideas blend and transform tradition with caring attention to detail, precision in thought, and beauty. Motivated by glass—with its magical properties, myriads of endless possibilities and potential—McDonald’s devotion lies in the desire to refine the craft, making his hands more familiar and knowledgeable with each replication. Through his repetition and re-imagination of these historical forms, the objects transform into sculptures and vessels of time, carrying with them the essence of centuries-old traditions, as well as McDonald’s commitment and insertion of the representation and notions of Black identity. With a commitment to the craft that transcends his own work, McDonald diligently carves out space for those who will follow him through mentoring and the creation of his own glass studio, which he has named Ideal Conditions.
Organized by Tacoma Art Museum and curated by Victoria Miles.
Follow the journey of a lifetime as thousands of Pacific salmon return to local watersheds to produce the next generation of fish. During this free community event, knowledgeable Seattle Aquarium naturalists will be stationed at four locations along the Cedar River in Renton and Maple Valley on select weekend days in October. See our website for dates and times: SeattleAquarium.org/CRSJ
🎷 Jazz Jam at Butter Notes Café 🎷📍 Butter Notes Café – Everett, WA🗓️ Every 1st & 3rd Sunday @ 2 PM
☕ Come sip, snack, and swing!
Join us for an afternoon of live jazz and spontaneous creativity at Butter Notes Café! Whether you’re here to play or just enjoy the vibes, you’re welcome.
🧇 Fresh croffles and warm coffee served all afternoon🎶 Open to all instruments, all levels💛 Donations encouraged to support local musicians and future sessions
Bring your instrument, your friends, or just your love for music!
Album release concert. When these two take to the stage, you are in for a unique experience summoning spontaneous and fresh musical worlds. Sitarist Arjun K. Verma is both a tradition-bearer and innovator in the world of North Indian Classical music, growing up as an Indian Classical musician in the West and trained by the Maestro Ali Akbar Khan. New York-based, Danish pianist and composer Nikolaj Hess has a sound that spans Nordic jazz, post-bop, new-classical, and West African jazz traditions. Collaborations with artists including Fela and Femi Kuti have shaped his distinctive amalgam.
Winner of the 1938 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Thornton Wilder’s masterpiece has stood as a timeless pillar of the American stage. Poetic, poignant, and profoundly human, this groundbreaking play invites us to slow down, look closer, and cherish the fleeting beauty of life.
Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok’s Sanctuary City asks the question: In a nation built on the promise of opportunity, how do we determine who benefits? Where once belonging was measured by front‑porch waves and neighborhood gatherings, today it hinges on paperwork and the threat of separation – or possibly far worse.
