where is the art in oly?

August 6, 2008 11:36 AM

What's up with the arts scene in Olympia, WA? and where can I find it? Talking visual art, performance art, maybe some theater and music and film....

I'm moving to Olympia and trying to find organizations/groups/places where I can feed my interest in art/go to cool events/take classes or maybe even find a job/volunteer. On the web, all I find are lists of commercial galleries and watercolor leagues, I'm looking for the radical, modern, avant garde, grass roots kind of places. Oly is known for this kind of stuff, but does it extend to the art community? I know Seattle is brimming with this stuff but I'm looking for places closer to Oly, Tacoma would be sort of a maximum distance.

Helpful answers include:
places to take art/crafts/dance classes
places to see art or performances
places that work to bring art to the community/kids/etc.
public art projects
alternative exhibition venues or museums
artists co-ops

thanks!

posted by dahliachewswell to media & arts (6 comments total)

One of my all-time favorite artists, Nikki McClure, is in Olympia. Perhaps you can ask her what she thinks? I met her at a show one time and she was very approachable.
posted by funkiwan at 12:17 PM on August 6, 2008

Evergreen State College is in Olympia. Check out its classes and events.
posted by Carol Anne at 12:29 PM on August 6, 2008

Olympia Film Society
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:46 PM on August 6, 2008

evergreen is good for events as well as classes. all things arty and pompous in oly start there.
posted by nadawi at 1:00 PM on August 6, 2008

Procession of the Species! (I keep meaning to do that, but end up just going to the parade.)

Similarly, Arts Walk.

I'm not a visual arts person, so I don't know a whole lot else, but you might try looking/asking on OlyBlog. (I'm epersonae there, too.)

Welcome to our wacky little town. :)
posted by epersonae at 2:03 PM on August 6, 2008

You're gonna love it here. It's harder to avoid art in Oly than it is to find it. Arts Walk is pretty amazing.

Do you like drawing comics at all? The best comic shop in the Three Cities, the Danger Room, hosts a monthly "comics night," where local cartoonists gather and draw comics together. You can either just kick back and do your own thing with your sketchbook, or add panels to the numerous jam strips on the middle table.

This usually happens the first or second Saturday of the month. The next on is this Saturday, and I can hardly wait.
posted by EatTheWeak at 8:31 AM on August 7, 2008