Tacoma Artists Bring Dream Creatures to Life Along 6th Avenue
For this year’s Día de los Muertos celebration, we were inspired by the vibrant art form of Alebrijes — playful, imaginative creatures that spark curiosity and wonder.
What better way to both educate and delight our Tacoma community than to showcase an art tradition that celebrates the power of imagination?
Local artists and 6th Avenue businesses have teamed up to unleash their creativity, transforming storefronts into colorful displays of one-of-a-kind Alebrijes. From now through October 30th, visitors can stroll down 6th Ave to experience these fantastical works of art.
We are a proud sponsor of The Alebrije Project!
Scroll on down to view locations & artists
In the mid-1930s, Mexican artist Pedro Linares fell into a high fever that left him drifting between dreams and delirium. In that strange, luminous state, he saw a fantastical world filled with creatures unlike any he’d ever known — part dragon, part bird, part lion — all calling out a word he’d never heard before: “Alebrijes!”
When he recovered, Linares brought those dream-beings to life using paper, paste, and paint. From that vision, an entire art form was born — one that continues to celebrate imagination, resilience, and the vibrant spirit of Mexico today.
Visit all the Alebrijes along 6th Ave and cast your vote for Tacoma's favorite dream creature!
As sponsor of the Alebrije Project, Tacoma Loyal is proud to present the Tacoma’s Choice Alebrije Contest — a chance for the community to choose their favorite creation and celebrate our local artists.
How to Enter:
Visit the participating businesses (scroll down for list).
Snap a selfie with your favorite Alebrije.
3. Post it on Instagram.4. Tag @TacomaLoyal for your vote to count.
*Everyone who votes will be entered into a surprise giveaway!
Participating Businesses & Featured Artists
Sixth & Alder Apartments
3118 6th Ave
Hugo was born in Havana, Cuba, and was influenced by the socio-political shocks of the Cuban Revolution, initially by the assassination of his pro-Castro maternal grandfather and later by his mother’s disillusionment with the ensuing regime. He immigrated to New York City at the age of 12 to encounter a whole new set of cultural upheavals. From 1978 until 1999, he held various art director positions in advertising and publishing.
In 1999 he relocated to Miami, Florida, and completed an MFA in 2006 at Florida International University. He visited Cuba after thirty-plus years while at FIU for research and to exhibit his work. Some of the highlights of his career have been participating in the IX Havana Biennial, and the First Ghetto Biennial in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In 2014 he relocated to Seattle, and in 2021, to Tacoma, where Hugo works out of a home studio.
Hugo Moro
3116 6th Avenue
Grit City Books
Queer Tacoma based artist with a background in design and digital illustration.
Elora Blessing
3114 6th Avenue
Honey Salon
Sunshine is a lover of color, whimsy, and the fantastical. With a background in papier-mâché and community-centered art, she delights in creating pieces that spark joy and belonging. Her alebrije is crafted in honor of her beloved cat soul mate who recently passed—an offering of love, memory, and playful spirit to the Día de los Muertos celebration.
Sunshine Rebecca Littleton
3109 6th Avenue
The Hippie House
Wiley Reid is a Tacoma-based artist with Southwest roots. His practice is informed by interests in history, ecology, and religion, as well as his experiences of agrarian life at home and abroad. His current work, while primarily drawing and mixed media focused, reflects his training as a printmaker through a love for line and attention to detail. He has a BFA in Printmaking from the University of North Texas.
Wiley Reid
3023 6th Avenue
Wild Orchid
My name is Hanh and I am the 8bitsweetie! I am an artist/illustrator based in the Greater Seattle area. I use my art as a way for me to explore and learn more about the different cultures that make up my background and lived experiences. I hope my art can bring a smile to your face and make the world just a little bit brighter.
MyHanh Pham
3011 6th Avenue Ste C
Tacoma Frame Makers
Kcie Monk is an fantasy illustrator based in Tacoma, WA. Primarily self-taught, she is skilled in multiple mediums, including digital art, traditional watercolors, acrylic painting and ink drawing. Her detailed and unique artistic style is a captivating blend of diverse characters, nature-inspired elements, and fantastical settings. Kcie tables at many events throughout Washington and Oregon. Born and raised in Tacoma, with a brief two-year stint in Sapporo, Japan, Kcie has a deep connection to the PNW. This can be seen in a number of her pieces.
Kcie Monk
Alex is a professional comic artist who loves vivid colors, cooking, and the beauty of the desert.
Alex Barr
Frances Lorenz and Helen Milus have combined forces to create an alebrije.
Meet Polyanna, the nearly extinct spotted flying parrot.
Frances won the art award when she graduated from high school, pursued an art major at North Texas State University, and then was drawn into a career as a bilingual educator. Art is still one of her hobbies.
Helen Milus is director of education for Tacoma Sister Cities. In 2024 the Split, Croatia Committee brought a famous paper mache artist Nives Cicin-Šais to Tacoma for a workshop. Helen liked her work and was interested in learning how to do an animal. She created a four legged body with a tail; Frances added wings, a parrot head, and painted the creature. Together they created a “nearly extinct spotted flying parrot.”
Frances Lorenz and Helen Milus
When we saw the call for five artists needed to build alebrijes, we thought: We have four children! We love 6th Ave! We love art! Our children must have expert papier-mâché skills?
Do they? We will never know. Like any family project, one kid ended up at a volleyball game, one was on Roblox, and the rest were like:
“We don’t do papier-mâché anymore at school.”
So, we decided to think about what animals inspired our family and decided there are a few: sharks, corgis, and axolotls. I said: Hey, what if we made a corgi with an axolotl head? Because corgi butts drive you nuts, but our kids axolotl questions.
I was, of course, joking, but then came home to this creature, with the shape of a peeing Corgi and the head of an axolotl, colored in the inspiration of a sea. Just perfect.
We love Tacoma.
We are sure that every other alebrije will be expertly crafted, but much like Jawless Jerry, we know that every unique thing has a home in Tacoma, and so we hope that a 6th avenue business will love our creature.
We are calling it a: CORGIOTL (core-ghee-lot-uhl), because AX-ORGIE risked mispronunciation.
Tobes Heavin
3010 6th Avenue
Tacoma Bike
When I create art for community, I would like it to represent us all as a people of one. That is not always the case for most areas but by creating an artistic piece that everyone can relate to, could be the start to a whole new outlook on life.
An alebrije bunny with monarch wings symbolizes the harmony between earth and spirit. The bunny, a bringer of good fortune and renewal, hops gently through life with curiosity and hope. Its monarch butterfly wings shimmer with the essence of ancestral spirits, guiding and protecting it on its journey. Together, they represent a sacred balance, life’s blessings carried by the memories of those who came before us, reminding us that every step forward is lifted by the wings of our ancestors.
Roberto Sanchez
2802 6th Avenue
Tapco Credit Union
Jose Orantes. Guatemalan Artist. Moved to Seattle in 1978. He has done exhibits in Washington State, Chicago, San Francisco and other cities in USA. His work has been included in several exhibitions that have traveled within the United States, Central America and South America. For several years was part of WASAC (Washington State Art Commission) creating colorful murals with community groups, schools and Correctional Institutions. He enjoys creating new paintings and sharing his love of colors with the people. Since 1988, he started creating the animal masks/hats for the Bumbershoot celebration, in Seattle Center, also for the World Music & Dance celebration, in Redmond. Since then, the masks have evolved in such a way that they are now a realistic style, representing the characteristics of the animal.
http://www.facebook.com/p/Waterhole-Orantes-Original-100077450465142/
Jose Orantes
2714 6th Avenue
Hi-Voltage Records
Mixed media & collage artist of Japanese-American ancestry, lifelong community volunteer with longtime interests exploring the intersection of family history, communities, and social justice.
Mizu Sugimura
2315 6th Avenue
Alternative Back Care
Maila Cervania is a digital artist based in Tacoma, WA. Their decorative style is inspired by art nouveau and stained glass with themes involving flowers, seascapes, and skies.
