Ethos and Accountability
Making sure we're not just moving fast, but moving right.
Ethos
Mission Statement
The Lumora Art Lab creates wild, welcoming, immersive art experiences—shows, exhibits, and learning labs—for the people of Tacoma and the Pacific Northwest, so everyone can step into surprise, practice creativity, and remember what it feels like to be fully alive.
Because art isn't just something you watch.
Art is something you enter.
Something that enters you.
Vision Statement
To become the Pacific Northwest's most beloved "yes-space"—a world-class incubator where immersive gatherings, interactive art, and creative education collide—launching new artists, new forms, and unforgettable nights that ripple far beyond our walls.
A catalyst.
A playground with purpose.
A cultural engine that keeps asking—
What else can art do?
Who else can it include?
How far can wonder spread?
Accountability
Here are 10 core values that must be consistently consulted, respected, and championed.
These aren't rules to police people.
They're vows that protect the weird.
A shared language for when the rehearsal gets tense, when the budget gets tight, when the idea gets too big, when the night becomes a thunderstorm of possibility.
Yes First
We begin with the posture of possibility.
The first answer is yes—and then we sculpt it, shape it, make it safe enough to fly and wild enough to matter. "Yes" is the doorway. Craft is the hallway. Wonder is the room.
Radical Welcome
Everybody belongs.
Not because we agree. Not because we're the same. But because this place was built for humans—all kinds of humans. We practice hospitality as an art form: in casting, in front-of-house, in bathrooms, in pricing, in access, in language, in vibe. Welcome isn't a slogan. It's choreography.
Surprise Is Sacred
Predictable is easy. Predictable sells. Predictable is also… sleepy.
Lumora reveres the left turn, the hidden door, the moment you didn't see coming that somehow tells the truth better than a speech ever could. We design for the gasp. For the laugh that escapes. For the holy disorientation.
Play With Teeth
Fun isn't shallow. Fun is resistance.
Fun is how nervous bodies unclench. Fun is how strangers become co-conspirators. But this play has teeth—bite, edge, consequence. We're not here to numb people out. We're here to wake them up smiling.
Artist as Alchemist
You're not just making content. You're transmuting.
Turning scraps into myth. Turning budgets into miracles. Turning fear into color. We honor experimentation—without copying, without performing "cool." Originality isn't a costume. It's a practice.
Collaboration Over Ego
The work is bigger than any one genius.
We trade "my vision" for "our ignition." We listen aggressively. We give notes like gifts, not weapons. We build ensembles—onstage and off—where credit is shared, labor is respected, and the show gets better because nobody has to defend their identity to stay in the room.
Audience as Co-Creator
The crowd isn't a commodity. They're a living element.
A scene partner. A weather system. We design experiences where the audience matters—not as a gimmick, but as a genuine relational force. Not everyone has to participate the same way. But everyone should feel the invitation humming.
Safety Makes the Wild Possible
Wild doesn't mean careless. Unpredictable doesn't mean unheld.
We protect the container so the content can leap. Consent is explicit. Boundaries are honored. Backstage culture is clean, respectful, and fierce about care—because nothing kills magic faster than people feeling unsafe. The rule is simple: If it costs dignity, it costs too much.
Make It With What's Here
Limitations are not the enemy. They're the palette.
We build from found objects, local stories, strange materials, and Tacoma's particular electricity. We value resourcefulness, sustainability, and the punk miracle of making something gorgeous out of almost nothing—echoing the DIY soul of Burning Man without importing its clichés.
Leave a Trail of Light
After the show, something should linger. Not just in photos. In people.
We aim for experiences that leave guests a little more alive, a little more connected, a little more open. Light doesn't mean "nice." Light means true. Light means you can see each other. And maybe… see yourself.
Questions or concerns? We want to hear from you.
Reach Out