Numerous Tacoma artists display some fascinating ideas of what Tacoma could look like as a utopia in the exhibit “City of Destiny: Utopian Visions of Tacoma,” now on view at The Lark Gallery inside Sanford and Son. Sometimes wacky, sometimes inspiring, sometimes humorous, the collection includes works of seasoned Tacoma artists as well as those just starting to show their art to the public.

Tacoma-born and raised Maureen McHugh is co-owner of Mad Hat Tea Company and works in a variety of media. For this show at The Lark, she created a fun and happy ink-on-paper showpiece titled “Glittertown.” Full of detail and packed with the most fantastic array of people and places in Tacoma, along with a few surprises like Cookie Monster and Bigfoot, one must spend a few moments studying “Glittertown” in order to see all that’s in it. She said it took her just a few days to complete it, but it looks like it could’ve taken weeks. Prints are available for $5 each, with proceeds going to Save the Bridge, a grassroots effort to save Murray Morgan Bridge.

Josh Casey’s art has been seen in exhibits throughout Tacoma, and the accomplished painter never fails to elicit admiration from viewers. For the exhibit at The Lark, he’s showing “Secret Rights & Rituals of Tacoma Utopian Preservation, c. 2008.” It shows a grinning skull sporting a fez like the kind worn by members of brotherhoods and secret societies. Beneath this are two crisscrossed switchblades and the numbers of our local area code - “2,” “5” and “3” - that give the impression of being an ominous and foreboding code, like “666.” Accompanying his painting is this statement that offers intriguing food for thought: “Tacoma may never be perfect, but it is the closest thing to utopia some of us will ever know. Let’s preserve what we have by fostering the myth that Tacoma is still a dangerous and sinister town.”

Matthew Scott is showing his artwork for the first time in this exhibit. Having left the military just a few years ago, he said he started painting in 2006 as a way to deal with issues related to the war. Having received no formal art training, his peaceful works are made with intuition as his guide. Scott’s paintings are full of symbolism. In “Destiny Dreaming,” a bird painted in soothing hues of blue ascends from the “smokestack” that rises from the Museum of Glass. A Buddha’s head overlooks the city, and in the sky are three gold orbs; on each of these is printed a Chinese character for beauty, harmony and enlightenment. “This is how I’d like to see Tacoma; a community based on these principles,” he said.

Dave Davison is another Tacoma artist who often shows his works. In “Arcadian Tacoma” the composition is key. His point of view is from the upper level of the Tacoma Art Museum. Amid various geometric shapes of Tacoma Dome, Museum of Glass and other landmarks he placed three reclining nudes in a style that gives a respectful nod to Matisse and Picasso. Trees add a touch of nature.

There are many more works to see in this exhibit. The Lark Gallery is located inside Sanford and Son Antiques at 743 Broadway. For additional information, visit www.myspace.com/thelarkgallery.