Cultural Arts

Auburn is a center for the arts in South King County – its creative and diverse community results in an unusual mix of urban sophistication and small-town hospitality. Auburn is home to several prominent arts organizations. Quality performances attract people region wide to state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor theaters.

City of Auburn Arts Commission

Founded in 1985, the City of Auburn Arts Commission fosters cultural and economic growth in Auburn through its various arts and education programs, including a growing public art collection, the City Hall Gallery featuring emerging regional artists, and the popular BRAVO! Performing Arts Series, presenting national and internationally acclaimed touring shows, from dance, theatre and music to amazing circus acts and children’s shows. An arts education program, Artisans in the Schools, featuring BRAVO! artists, brings the artists into the lives and learning of Auburn students. Summer is time to get outdoors to enjoy the new Summer Sounds and Cinema series, featuring festive music and fabulous movies, perfect for the whole family at a park near you. The kids’ have a great time in the summer, too, at Kids’ Summer Sounds on Wednesdays at noon. Call the Auburn Parks and Recreation Department to request information or a brochure at (253) 931-3043

Auburn Performing Arts Center (A.P.A.C.)

This beautiful state-of-the-art 1,100 seat theatre is owned by the Auburn School District #408 and is located on the campus of Auburn Senior High School.  The A.P.A.C. opened in April of 1981 and caters to school district, community and professional groups. It is also home to the Auburn Arts Commission’s celebrated BRAVO! Series, the fully professional Auburn Symphony Orchestra, Evergreen City Ballet, the Miss Auburn Scholarship Pageant, and the annual Auburn Rotary Scholarship Show. The Center has been recognized as one of the top acoustical halls for music performance in the nation.

Bookings are available year-round. 700 East Main Street, Auburn, (253) 931-4827, www.auburn.wednet.edu/performarts/PACARTdefault.htm

Auburn Riverside Theater (A.R.T.)

The A.R.T. is a cozy 400-seat theater adjacent to Roegner Park along the Stuck River.  It is owned by the Auburn School District #408 and was constructed in 1995 as part of Auburn Riverside Senior High School. The venue is an excellent concert space and provides an intimate “living room” atmosphere, which works especially well for business meetings and small concerts.

Bookings are available year-round for professional and community groups and events.  501 Oravetz Road, Auburn, (253) 931-4827, www.auburn.wednet.edu/performarts/PACARTdefault.htm

Theatre at Auburn Mountainview (T.A.M.)

Located on the campus of the new Auburn Mountainview Senior High School, the 400-seat T.A.M. was opened by the Auburn School District #408 in 2005.  From the inviting charm of its classic art-deco motif to its exceptional acoustics, this beautiful new theatre provides the perfect setting for concerts and business meetings alike. 

Bookings are available year-round for professional and community groups and events.  28900 124^th Ave. S.E., Auburn.  (253)-931-4827, www.auburn.wednet.edu/performarts/PACARTdefault.htm 

Auburn Symphony Orchestra

The City of Auburn boasts one of the few fully professional symphony orchestras in Washington State.  The Auburn Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1996, conceived on a cocktail napkin by Stewart Kershaw, internationally renowned conductor and music director of Seattle's Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra (PNB), and Josie Emmons Turner, then cultural programs manager for the City of Auburn.  Its purpose was to provide professional musicians from the PNB’s orchestra and related organizations an opportunity to perform on stage.  It was also to provide Auburn residents and students with a world-class classical music within easy access. The quality of its music has been acknowledged by music critics throughout the State.  A local reviewer called ASO’s history “one of the more astonishing stories in the Seattle-area music world.” 

The ASO currently presents three programs a season, two in collaboration with the City of Auburn’s Arts Commission’s Bravo! Series www.auburnwa.gov.  Performances are held at the Auburn Performing Arts Center and free educational lectures are provided pre-performance.  In January 2006, ASO launched a Chamber Ensemble with the intention of presenting at least two Chamber concerts a year, to be held at the Theater at Auburn Mountainview.

ASO has a close relationship with the Auburn School District, which busses fourth and fifth graders to rehearsals on a yearly basis.  The orchestra has also nurtured a relationship with local schools by sponsoring “Musicians in the Classroom” activities.  Students from South King and North Pierce Counties have had the opportunity to audition and play with the orchestra.

For information and concert schedules visit www.auburnsymphony.org or call the Symphony office at 253-939-8509

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