Now in its twelfth year, Terrain has become a signature arts event for the Inland Northwest. This year’s annual showcase will feature close to 300 artists, musicians, and performers on display at the Jensen Byrd Building in Spokane’s University District.
As Terrain’s Operations Director, Jackie Caro is in charge of all the logistics to pull off one of Spokane’s largest arts events.
“We define art very broadly,” Caro says, “So there’s music, there’s dance, there’s poetry, there’s visual arts, there’s projection pieces, there’s interactive pieces, there’s you name it, it’s here.”
The Terrain event will take place over two nights. Thursday, October 3rd from 6 to 11 p.m. is a special preview night, with tickets available for $25 apiece. Friday, October 4th, the event is free and open from 5 p.m. to midnight. Since the first Terrain was held in event in 2008, the event has grown and moved to new locations, but the spirit has remained the same.
“Really the intent is to kind of break down the silos between the different arts,” Caro says. “There’s poetry and that’s a silo, and there’s movies and that’s a silo, and visual art, there’s a silo. And so, really it was meant to bring those people together to start to create community between each other. So they were starting to talk, starting to see what else is going on in the arts community. There are so many artists in Spokane, and I think this is one way to kind of showcase that all at one time.”
Though mostly known for this annual event, over the past twelve years, Terrain has expanded into a multifaceted arts and community-building non-profit organization.
“Besides this flagship event, Terrain, we have Bazaar and Brrrzaar which are art markets that are held in the winter and summer,” says Caro. “And then we have a retail storefront called From Here, which is located in River Park Square and a permanent gallery space in the Washington Cracker Building. We have a couple of different programs, one window-dressing artscapes and creative enterprise which help to educate and further along small, creative businesses.”
But for Jakie Caro and many of Spokane’s art lovers, Terrain is still one of the highlights of the year.
“It’s just one of those events that really kind of get you excited about living in Spokane, and living in the community we do,” she says. “Kind of seeing this excitement and what would typically be, or feel like, a big city thing happening in Spokane.”
Terrain 12 takes place October 3rd and 4th at the Jensen Bryd Buidling in Spokane. More information and tickets for Thursday’s Preview night are at terrainspokane.com.