Art is most effective when it can evoke the essence or the spirit, of a person, place or event without necessarily looking like that person, place or event. More often than not it is most effective when it does not look like the subject because illusory depiction often detracts from the core of the artistic statement. Coastal Alchemy at Museum of Glass beautifully, inventively and powerfully evokes the natural world of our Pacific Northwest in painting, sculpture and poetry by artists Anna Skibska, Meg Holgate and T.s. Flock.

Read Alec Clayton's full review of "Coastal Alchemy" in the Music & Culture section.

"COASTAL ALCHEMY," 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, through Sept. 28, Museum of Glass, 1801 Dock St., Tacoma, 866.468.7386, http://museumofglass.org