Festival Creation & Direction
Tacoma Ocean Fest
In 2017 I imagined a festival that would unite arts, sciences and water fun to inspire people to protect something I love very much – the ocean. Tacoma Ocean Fest was born, and has seen enormous success, bringing thousands of people to the waterfront and online to celebrate, learn and protect our ocean.
Tacoma Light Trail
Then, in the dark pandemic days of late 2020, I imagined a festival that would fill my city with light, uniting the community through things we all need: hope, joy, truth, justice, peace. Tacoma Light Trail came into being, and has grown into a second year even bigger than the first, bringing artists, spaces and businesses together to celebrate the light in all of us.
Arts create empathy and drive imagination. Together, that’s a powerful catalyst for change in the world.
I’m the founding director of Tacoma Ocean Fest and Tacoma Light Trail. My skills:
- Founded highly successful arts- and science-based ocean environmental festival and winter light art festival in Tacoma, Washington, USA.
- Artistic planning and direction
- Project management, strategy, reports
- Team building, volunteer recruitment
- Grant writing, budgeting, contracts
- Communications direction and execution, including web content and some design
- Community partnership building and JEDI work
- Won a Tacoma Public Schools Community Partner Award (2019)
- Won a City of Destiny Adult Leadership Award (2021)
- Took Tacoma Ocean Fest entirely online in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic
Rosemary Ponnekanti 