While surfing the “Internet” the other day, I ran across a fantastic blog from the folks at Beaver Island Jewelry of Michigan. The author says, “Glass beadmaking is my passion..and my business!” And she recently took what looks like the trip of a lifetime to visit Venice and its glassmaking city Murano. You can visit lots of official tourist sites, but to get a real street-level view of Murano, check out her blog. She also took a master class from Lucio Bubacco, whose work is on display in our own lobby!

–Dale

At Savi Day Spa, located inside our hotel, visitors begin getting special, personalized treatment from the time they make their initial phone call. Co-owner Sharon Kline tapped her husband, songwriter Myron Kline, to produce a jingle that callers would hear while on hold. (If you want to hear how it sounds, do what I did: call the spa at (253) 627-2000 and ask Stephanie to put you on hold. She’ll gladly oblige. Then do what I’ve also done: call back and make an appointment.) Myron also wrote the music that accompanied guests as they walked into “Museo”, the gala benefit that we hosted in March for the Tacoma Art Museum. Who knows? Maybe you’ll hear more from Myron around our halls or phone lines….

–James

The Venetian art world is both ebullient and poised; traditional, yet youthful. It respects its own illustrious history, yet no one takes its lore less seriously than the Venetians themselves. Lucio Bubacco understands such seeming contradictions. A Venice native himself, Bubacco is well-trained in the traditional lamp-working techniques of his forebears. Yet every piece he creates is like a breath of fresh air, keeping established traditions fresh and relevant. In his hand the exuberant paganism and of the Venice Carnivale takes center stage as masked men and dancing women cavort with devils and satyrs. His work is a toast to life in all its decadent and spiritual forms, and who can tell which is which? Take your guess by catching his work near the front desk.

–Dale

A few months ago, I mentioned that Narcissus Quagliata’s chimerical “Dreamer,” would be installed in our hotel. As it turns out, glass art is a family business for the Quagliatas, and his son, Orfeo, has earned a world-class reputation in his own right. Orfeo Quagliata spent his childhood in San Francisco, where he began working with glass at age 12 as an apprentice to his father. Since then he has moved on to appear in top-rank museums and galleries around the world. His work always makes a great first impression. Maybe that’s why he was chosen to design our front desk!

–Dale

After three years of working to create a groundswell under its booths, the Tacoma Farmers Market Board of Directors has decided to give its Dome District location a break for 2008. The TFM website chalks the market’s lackluster success up to low traffic and unprofitability. Says board president Richard Hines, “We want to look at it again when there is more population density and a base of shoppers directly in and around the Dome neighborhood who are committed to having their own market.” Later this year, the board will review the status of the Dome District location again and make an announcement regarding reopening the market for 2009. If you would like more information or to make your voice heard, you may contact Mr. Hines via the TFM site.

–James

The Tacoma blogosphere is about to get the Hollywood treatment. It seems that Tacoma Gnome – that adorable garden dwarf – has been brushing up his acting chops and is starring in his own movie. Catch the preview here.

– James

With 18 years of operation under its belt, the Downtown Tacoma Farmers’ Market is an established tradition. Over 80 booths of the season’s freshest produce, flowers, artisan crafts, jams & jellies, live music and more are returning to the city beginning May 15th for their seasonal run through October 16th. Here’s the schedule:

Day: Thursday
Time: 9:00am to 2:00pm
Where: Downtown on Broadway between 9th and 11th

–James

Billy Morris once assisted Dale Chihuly as a gaffer, which, in glass art circles, refers to a master glassblower who shapes glass as it comes out of the kiln. In other words, he worked directly with Chihuly to help execute that master’s designs and ideas. Since then, he has moved on to become one of the most original, creative and virtuosic glassblowers in the world. Inspired by ancient civilizations, tribal cultures and mythology, his sculptures raise ordinary artifact to the level of art. Raise yourself in our elevator to the 25th floor and see the work he’s done for us.

–Dale

One of my pet peeves about the Web is that whenever creative organizations launch a new website, all-too-often, navigation is difficult and those fancy-schmancy flash animations render the download times interminably long. Ugh. Thankfully, this is not the case with the Tacoma Art Museum site. Easy to surf, yet pretty to behold, this site is, in my opinion, a model of Web design. (Such good design doesn’t come cheap, I’m sure.) Here’s an opportunity for you to help the museum pay for its facelift: October 18, TAM will be holding its annual gala benefit. Show up and pitch in!

–Dale

We’ve been online for a while now, bloggin’ and all, but I have to give it up for our sister hotel, the crazy cool Hotel Lucia in downtown Portland, Oregon. They just joined us in the digital world, but not with a blog as you might expect. The hotel went and one-upped us. It’s on Facebook!

I was admittedly reluctant at first to give it its due praise, but eventually I caved. The page is just too slick. It gives users updates on hotel packages, an interactive map, a history of the hotel, a place to make a review, AND it streams OUR blog right there! If you’re a fan (not in the literal sense), you can even upload your own photos of the hotel right there. And I hear that they may be offering promo codes there for anyone interested in visiting our neighbor down south.

If you have some free time at work (come on, I know you have some free time), you should take a look. Let us know what you think, we just might have to make one ourselves.

Consider yourself poked,
- James