A growing enclave for the arts, 30 miles from Seattle

The City of Destiny was not destined to be Puget Sound’s cultural capital. It is a small star. But the arts scene in Tacoma has managed to shine.

Tacoma has a long-standing rivalry with its well-endowed sister city to the north, or perhaps it’s an inferiority complex. During the three years I lived in Tacoma, I heard a lot of talk about what Tacoma could do to be more like Seattle (or better than Seattle), or to attract more Seattleites (especially artists) to defect to Tacoma, or at least patronize it. This is due to the historical rivalry between the two cities, the seeds of which were sown when Washington was still the Wild West but continue to germinate resentment to this day.

By Lisa Albers

Full Story: http://www.crosscut.com/arts-beat/8249/A+growing+enclave+for+the+arts%2C+30+miles+from+Seattle/