Breaking Down Barriers

Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center

Tacoma, Washington

Supporting the Arts with Agility

This highly flexible space provides a home for Tacoma’s only Black performing arts community. The design balances daylight needs of a dance school with a black box theater concept to maximize production opportunities for the organization, its dancers and the Hilltop community well into the future.

Setting the Stage

Custom telescoping theater seats and a neutral interior palette set the stage for a wide range of practice to performances. Sprung floors, acoustic soundproofing and a professional lighting system that flatters all skin tones come together to elevate the dancer and audience experience.

Celebrating Diverse Voices

The studio’s vibrant lobby and art-filled walls invite local students and international mentors equally into T.U.P.A.C.’s bold mission—one that inspires individuals to express themselves uniquely rather than fit to a mold, as founder Kabby Mitchell III envisioned.