Matt Eklund describes the process of putting together the Urban Arts Festival as being, in and of itself, like creating a huge piece of art.

Tacoma can experience this particular piece of art on Sunday, June 24, at Fireman’s Park off of South Eighth and A. The park itself can be seen as art-worthy, or at least artful, since it’s a little chunk of nature chiseled out of a city hillside, and resting on a freeway overpass. It’s a sizable oasis tucked away behind one of Tacoma’s busier streets — Pacific Avenue — that Eklund and his wife Laura, co-creator of the Urban Art festival, happened upon almost by accident after last year’s Urban Art Festival.

They were in search of a different venue for this year’s event, since last year there were, “some issues with the street not being big enough,” according to Eklund.

That street, Broadway, was sort of the beginning of the Eklunds’ love affair with Tacoma, and the artistic process of collaboration, one of the other main components to the art of festival-birthing.

“It all kinda’ started at the Rampart,” explains Eklund. The Eklunds met up with Linda Honeck and Johanna Gardner at “a really cool art party,” and eventually the party moved into Rampart. In 2004, the four collaborated for the Art in the Park event, and then had the idea, in 2005, of putting together, in Eklund’s words, “a really huge block party the artists and artwork that wouldn’t ordinarily show.”

That was the first Urban Art Festival, which Matt describes as “a hit, everyone dug it and enjoyed it.” Attendance at 700 attests to the success of that event, just as outgrowing the street attests to the growth of the second one.

For this third major art installment in the medium of “festival,” the planners decided to bring more music, helped by urbanXchange’s second stage.

So, what’s the art that makes up an Urban Art Festival?

For visual arts, expect to see artists such as Joey Morrison, Aaron Wilkes, James Hume, Jeff Olson, Jeremy Gregory, and Laura Eklund (in her fine-arts/visual artist capacity.)

Performing Artists will include the likes of Teddy Haggerty, Lynn Dinino, Kulture Lab (resurrected??!?) Hogbot, Loyalty Clothing, Houston S Wimberly III, MLK Ballet, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot Theatre Company, and, potentially, the festival itself.

Musical artists on the Totem stage will be Lazy Bones kicking off at 12:15-1:15 p.m. followed by 206 Zulu Nation, The Senate, Eleven Eyes, Vicci Martinez Band, and closing out the evening at 8:15, James Whiton and the Downtown Apostles.

Slated on the urban X stage, starting at 12:30, see Oh Voices followed by Allan Boothe, “Shoreleave,” a performance art and fashion show (starting at 3:30, going till 4) after which Don’t Tell Sophie play, with the urban X evening winding down at 6:30 with Captain Incognito (for exact times, go to www. urbanartfestival.net/bands).

Hypothetically, if you were the festival-creating artist, you might be wiping at the sweat on your brow and saying something like “Phew, that was hard; I’m done now.”

But that’s why you’re not putting this together.

Because the enterprising festival-throwing five-some, (they picked up extravaganza-throwing pro Lisa Fruichantie for this event — Eklund describes her as a “huge contributor to the event”) as well as a hard-working band of sponsors, have more up their collectively large, artistic-festival sleeve.

First off, kid-stuff.  Leah Craven will head up a special mask and puppet activity, and when creative kid-juices ebb, there will be a big bounce house for blowing off kiddie-steam.

And, of course, there will be booths, but not of the mass-market flip-flops and mass-produced silver-tone jewelry variety. Nope, this festival features hand-made, organic, vegetarian, and vegan goods, with a substantial nod to the sustainable, ecological side to the festival.

Working with Citizens for a Healthy Bay, the Eklunds have the vision for “a small eco village.”

Overall, Eklund said, “We’re just people who want to see the community come out as a mass, and really tread lightly.”

He added, “Really, what we want to do is showcase local art. That entails bringing fresh ideas to the table every year.”

Even before the festival has come and gone, plans for next year are being made.

“We’re talking about downsizing, wanting to gear to a more performance art stage, with 360 degrees,” Eklund said. He added that this theatre on the round concept might include break dancing and other performances including music, but, “We don’t want to make it look like a spotlight, like ‘here’s the music.’”

More, with the Urban Arts Festival, Eklund said, “The fusion of all the different media is really attractive.” 

Picture this: you’re at a booth learning about creating a healthy bay, while the next booth’s art captures your attention. Drifting notes from a band capture your attention, but oh look … a butterfly. Or is it the performance art piece?

Or, ask yourself this, as you arrive home and reflect: was the whole thing just one big piece of art?

3rd Annual Urban Art Festival

• When: Sunday, June 24, noon to dusk


• Where: Fireman’s Park, 803 A St., downtown Tacoma


• For more information: go to www.urbanartfestival.net


• Totem Stage: Lazy Bones (12:15 p.m.), 206 Zulu Nation (1:45 p.m.), The Senate (3 p.m.), Eleven Eyes (4:15 p.m.), Vicci Martinez Band (6:15 p.m.), James Whiton & the Downtown Apostles (8:15 p.m.)


• Urban X Stage: Oh Voices (12:30 p.m.), Allan Boothe (2 p.m.), “Shoreleave” performance art/fashion show (3:30 p.m.), Don’t Tell Sophie (4:45 p.m.), Captain Incognito (6:30 p.m.)


• Deep Groove DJ Stage: Crazy Crystal (1 p.m.), Mr. Clean (2 p.m.), DJ Broam (3 p.m.), Suga (4 p.m.), dAb (5:30 p.m.), DJ Habit (7 p.m.), .W. (8 p.m.)