It’s Monkeyshines season in Tacoma. What’s that, you ask? Find your answers here
Tuesday marked the start of the Lunar New Year, and streets will soon be filled with dancing lions and the occasional firecracker.
In Tacoma, the season is known for another kind of sight: People peering behind bushes, craning necks to look in trees and, occasionally, screaming with joy.
It’s Monkeyshines season.
The guerrilla art event is essentially a weeks-long treasure hunt where the prizes are more than 2,000 colorful glass floats and medallions. It’s become a Tacoma tradition — one that nods to Tacoma’s reputation as a center of glass art while bringing joy to people after almost two decades.
“We thought we needed it last year,” said organizer Ms. Monkey. “We need it even worse this year.”
Ms. Monkey, like her fellow artists, is anonymous. They create and hide the orange-sized balls and medallions embossed with a tiger — all over Tacoma without any public recognition or payment.
Monkeyshines is now in its 19th year. Not bad for something that was first held as a one-off event.
“We had no intention of it being anything other than a one-time thing,” said Ms. Monkey.
The event is centered on the Lunar New Year which began Tuesday, Feb. 1. The Chinese Zodiac animals embossed on the glass change with each year. 2022 is Year of the Tiger.
WHERE TO FIND MONKEYSHINES
Monkeyshines are hidden only in public places within the city of Tacoma. A searcher doesn’t need to trespass or snoop in peoples’ yards.
The art is hidden over a period of days — maybe weeks — they won’t say. They won’t even reveal when they’re hidden. But now is the time to start looking.
“There are so many Monkeys hiding that we don’t know where each of us goes,” Ms. Monkey said.
Parks are a natural place to look, but that’s not the only place they’re hidden. The Monkeys will not comment further on locations.
The event has become so popular that people started following the Monkeys as they hid the glass art in the wee hours of the night.
That’s bad form and just kind of creepy, Ms. Monkey said.
What else is a no-no? Taking more than one per year, she said. And while you can give them away or rehide them, selling them is asking for bad luck.
IS MONKEYSHINES COMING TO AN END?
The event began in 2004 — the Year of the Monkey. 2028, another Monkey year, will mark two full 12-year cycles of Chinese zodiac animals.
That’s when it might be time to hang up Monkeyshines, Ms. Monkey said Saturday. It’s a lot of work and expense.
But, she’s said that before and then kept going.
“I would get emails, ‘It’s the only time I get to hang out with my 15-year-old son,’” she said.
Monkeyshines fever was filling up the group’s Facebook page this week.
“Thanks for sending me into parks I haven’t been in for years, I love the wander, you have given the whole city a great gift, seeing our beloved home with the eyes of a child,” a Facebook fan wrote this week.
Monkeyshines is so popular that seekers schedule their lives around it. It’s even spawned its own fringe Monkeyshines movement — The Rogues. They make and hide their own art around the city. The Monkeys approve, Ms. Monkey said.
“We’re so excited, my daughter and I have made this a tradition each year for at least 10+ years now,” another poster said.
Nearly everyone who finds a Monkeyshines seems to have a story — of joy, of reaffirmation, of a resurrection of child-like glee. Those moments are what keeps her going, Ms. Monkey said.
Even those who have searched but never found are fans.
“My son and I have never found anything, but have been participating for years,” a Facebook poster said. “Honestly, it’s a great bonding experience and we love the search! The day we do finally find one, is going to be extra special!”
This year, the project is largely donation and grant funded. While the floats and medallions are never sold, the group is selling candle cups to raise money.
“The funds we are raising support more glass studios, artists, artist grants and other items for the project,” Ms. Monkey said.
The pandemic and its economic impacts have made struggling artists struggle even more.
“They needed help last year and this year,” she said. “It’s about paying people what they’re worth.”
In addition, Hilltop Artists assists in the project with their own grant-funded project. Tacoma Glassblowing Studio and Area 253 Glassblowing also make Monkeyshines.
TIPS FOR FINDING A MONKEYSHINES
▪ Look only in public places. They’re never hidden on private property.
▪ They come in all colors, including clear and camouflage.
▪ There are more medallions than floats in 2022.
▪ They are hidden only within Tacoma city limits.
▪ They might be hidden at a low, medium or high level. “We take into consideration our entire audience,” Ms. Monkeyshines said.
▪ Look again if you don’t succeed at first. The same location could be used again by a different monkey.
This story was originally published February 1, 2022 at 12:09 PM.
