Spotlight: Symphony names new chorale director

Kristina Ploeger is the new music director for the Spokane Symphony Chorale, the symphony announced Thursday.

“Her personality and expertise will be instrumental in raising the voices of the chorale to a new level,” said Spokane Symphony Music Director Eckart Preu in a news release.

Ploeger is an associate professor at Eastern Washington University, where she serves at director of choral activities. Previously she was artistic director for the Spokane Area Youth Choirs and taught at Gonzaga University and various high schools.

She holds degrees from Central Washington University and EWU, and is completing a doctorate in musical arts in choral conduction from the University of Kentucky.

Ploeger replaces Julián Gómez-Giraldo, who left this spring to return to his native Colombia.

Creative use of space

Window Dressing is expanding.

The program that puts art in vacant downtown storefronts is launching Creative Enterprise with the goal of supporting Spokane’s creative economy.

It’s based on similar programs in Tacoma (Spaceworks Tacoma) and Newcastle, Australia (Renew Newcastle).

Local makers, artists, designers and entrepreneurs can apply to take part in an eight-week course during which they’ll create a business plan.

Then, Window Dressing will match those with viable plans with vacant storefronts to test their ideas.

The training has been partially underwritten by the Community Colleges of Spokane Foundation. Participants may have to pay up to $109 for tuition. Once matched with a space, participants will have to pay for appropriate licensing, utilities, insurance and other costs.

Applications are due July 31. For more information, visit https://terrain.submittable.com/submit/60992 or email windowdressingspokane@gmail.com.