ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Friday, March 15, 2013 • tacomaweekly.com • Section B • Page 3
TINKERTOPIA
‘CLASSICAL TUESDAYS’ WELCOMES An upcoming provider of peculiar procurements ACCLAIMED VIRTUOSO
PHOTO BY OF R.R. ANDERSON
T-TOPIANS. Tacoma cartoonist and man-about-town R.R. Anderson
(right) stands with his Tinkertopia co-horts Jessica Smeall (middle) and his wife Darcy Anderson. By Henry DeMarais Special to Tacoma Weekly
An apt comparison can be drawn between the nature of Tinkertopia and the projects it hopes to foster. The business is fueled by the accumulation of non-specific trinkets and trappings – objects that might be considered useless by the mundane observer. The inventory, in its motley glory, will soon be sold to anyone who requires the unique benefits an all-inclusive font of miscellany brings. The explorative artist, the budding inventor and the inspired educator will discover the disparate components of new projects at Tinkertopia. The enterprise will take in anything, and then sell it to anyone with a creative bent. R.R. and Darcy Anderson, a husband-and-wife team of Tacoma artists, founded Tinkertopia. R.R., an ex-web designer, cartoonist and founder of the donation-driven library known as the Free Radical Media Exchange as well as Darcy, a preschool teacher, wanted a business that would simultaneously encourage artistic creativity and conserve resources that would otherwise be wasted. Citing Portland’s creative reuse center SCRAP USA as an inspiration, R.R. Anderson said, “We wanted to make a place where weird donated materials can intermingle and mutate.� The list
of accepted supplies spans the alphabet from animals (stuffed or plastic, please) to zippers and represents only a fraction of possible items. Recent acquisitions have included piano parts and a collection of vintage tennis rackets. Assembling the inventory is far from passive. A “Tinkermobile� hit the road in February. The van, adorned with the Tinkertopia logo, was created to facilitate donations. “We want people to call us and say, ‘I have stuff for you; come get it,’ � explained Anderson. One such person is Jessica Smeall of Key Peninsula Parks. The organization recently obtained a piano too damaged to repair. Not
wanting to consign it to the dump, Smeall contacted the Andersons, who immediately agreed to pick it up. Smeall believes the material from the material will be put to good use. “Key Peninsula Parks will be hosting some recycled arts programs for our youth,� she said. “The piano may come full circle, with local kids making artistic creations from it.� Tinkertopia has a van, but it still needs a storefront. Though the Andersons initially searched for a North Tacoma and 6th Avenue location, they recently toured a space on Pacific Avenue. “There is a strong chance that this will be our storefront thanks to Spaceworks Tacoma program,�
they said. The University of Washington-Tacoma owns the location. UWT hopes Tinkertopia will be a valuable resource to its students. A Pacific Avenue store is also a draw for high school students from the Tacoma School of the Arts. Preparing the space will take about a month. The Andersons plan on covering the walls with murals and signs. And, of course, every little knickknack will have to be transferred from storage. Once the store is established, its owners will inspire customer projects by example. They plan on filling shop windows with donated lights and statues of their own creation. The interior will feature other exemplary models made of reused material. Ultimately, Tinkertopia will be a source of material and inspiration for local artists young and old. R.R. and Darcy Anderson eagerly await the moment when their shop opens. They plan to make it available for birthday/craft parties and field trips. Tinkertopia will provide an endlessly varied assortment of supplies to anyone in need of an obscure or unusual component. When visiting Tinkertopia, R.R. Anderson says, “People can be along for an adventure.� To contact Tinkertopia, e-mail rerun@tinkertopia. com or visit http://tinkertopia.com.
PHOTO BY JESSICA SMEALL
ODDS-N-ENDS. Among the random items Tinkertopia has happened upon are these vintage Air Force base bowling pins.
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SHAHEEN
Thanks to a generous last-minute offer from Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, and to Slavonian Hall for the use of their top-notch performance space, the Classical Tuesdays in Old Town series has added a bonus concert on March 19. Virtuoso violinist and oud player Simon Shaheen will take the stage at 7 p.m. Praised for his abilities to move from traditional Arabic sounds to jazz and Western classical styles, Shaheen’s soaring technique, melodic ingenuity and unparalleled grace have earned him international acclaim. His work incorporates and reflects a legacy of Arabic music, while it forges ahead to new frontiers, embracing many different styles in the process. On the oud, a pear shaped, lute-like string instrument common in the Middle East as well as Greece and North Africa, Shaheen is mesmerizing as he invokes the mystery and allure of his homeland, then seamlessly incorporates a classical guitar movement linking Western music to that of the East. It’s through his talent such as this that has raised Shaheen to the honor of being one of the most significant Arab musicians,
FILE PHOTO
performers and composers of his generation. This unique contribution to the world of arts was recognized in 1994 when he was honored with the prestigious National Heritage Award at the White House. Onstage, his concert credits are a veritable compendium of the world’s greatest venues: Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Cairo’s Opera House, Theatre de la Ville in Beirut and Belgium’s Le Palais des Arts. In May 2004, Shaheen appeared at Quincy Jones’ “We Are The Future� fundraising concert in Rome in front of a crowd of half a million. In addition to performing with his two bands, Qantara and the Near Eastern Music Ensemble, Shaheen tours as a solo artist internationally and as a lecturer throughout the academic world promoting awareness of Arab music through numerous lecture and workshop presentations. Admission to Shaheen’s March 19 concert is free, but donations are warmly welcomed to keep Classical Tuesdays in Old Town running strong. All ages are welcome. Slavonian Hall is located at 2306 N. 30th St. For more information, call (253) 752-2135.