Arts & Entertainment Community

Harbor Happenings | ‘Desert Drought’ on display at TCC-Gig Harbor

Posted on January 16th, 2024 By: Charlee Glock-Jackson

The Gig Harbor campus of Tacoma Community College hosts a show of “Desert Drought” paintings by Lauren Napier through March 15.

A Lauren Napier work on display at Tacoma Community College’s Gig Harbor campus.

Napier, whose creative outlet is usually music or prose, turned to painting during the COVID-19 pandemic. This series was inspired by her time spent on the Navajo Reservation and the Arizona desert.

Live music

James Coates shares his covers of country, folk, soul and R&B tunes, plus some originals, on Friday, Jan. 19, at the Olalla Winery. Reserve tickets here.
Kimball Coffeehouse hosts an Open Mic night at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays. Musical and non-musical performers are welcome.

At the movies

The Flashback Cinema movie at Galaxy Theatre Uptown on Wednesday, Jan. 17, is “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” Showtimes are at 11:15 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday’s Flashback movie is “Interstellar,” a futuristic epic of what happens after a disastrous famine devastates Earth and a team of astronauts embark on a mission to find a new home for the human race. Show times are 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Flashback movies are just $5.

Upcoming artistic opportunities

The Gig Harbor Open Studio Tour (GHOST) will hold a screening for new artists on March 3 at the Gig Harbor Library, 4424 Point Fosdick Drive. This year’s tour will take place Sept. 20, 21 and 22. Click here for screening details.
Peninsula Art League is now accepting applications for their Summer Art Festival. The festival is moving to Sehmel Homestead Park on July 20 and 21, after many years on Judson Street. Click here to apply. The application deadline is March 6.

Civic engagement

The Gig Harbor City Council will meet for a virtual study session at 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. The agenda includes a Sports Complex update, including alternatives to reduce the $28 million price tag for earlier designs; and discussion of a proposal to remove several parcels from the Urban Growth Area surrounding the city. The study session can be accessed via Zoom at or by calling (253) 215-8782 and entering Meeting ID 932 1605 6382.
The next regular city council meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22, at the Civic Center on Grandview Street. Tentative agenda items include election of the mayor pro tempore; approval of a resolution declaring Gig Harbor a Welcoming City; and potential removal of several lots form the city’s height restrictions. The council will also hear a budget update from the city’s finance director. The meeting can be accessed via Zoom.