A visit to the Kitsap Forest Theater, an hour from Olympia, is as much about the place as the plays. The productions, often old-fashioned musicals on a grand scale, boast strong production values, winning performers and well-played live music. But the theater itself is arguably the star of every show. “The space is magical,” said Gala Lindvall, a producer for the theater, owned by the Mountaineers. “As you walk down to it, it’s like it was 100 years ago. We take audiences on a journey away from regular life.” Next up at the outdoor theater, on a 466-acre nature preserve near Bremerton, is Oliver, opening July 25.
On December 4, 1956, a “twist-of-fate” brought Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins into the same space for a once-in-a-lifetime jam session at Sun Records. Just imagine what that jam session must have been like! Historical memory, nostalgia, and imagination is brought to life as Harlequin Productions takes audiences back to that incredible night with the Tony nominated musical, “Million Dollar Quartet!”
Molly Gilmore “Arts Aficionado” — July 8, 2026 — Get thee to a gallery and take your pick of parks — SPSCC Regional Juried Exhibition returns — Music in the parks — Concerts at Tumwater Falls
Line is the way we first learn to make a mark. From crayon drawings of infants to Kathe Kollwitz to a Leonardo da Vinci cartoon, quality of line has varied ways of evoking and portraying our experiences of life around us. Line is subtly seductive in its simplicity or can be bold, dynamic, and dramatic. The emotions we can evoke using line are as varied as any gestural mark possibly could be. “Form a Line” at Childhoods End Gallery July 31 through September 20 s a visual exploration of observations from nature through expression in line.
The summer print edition of Oly Arts magazine is published! Copies of the printed version are available free of charge throughout the area – find out where you can pick up a copy and see a list of articles in this issue.
Molly Gilmore “Arts Aficionado” — July 1, 2026 — Revel in the weather or escape into air conditioning:
Party with legends at Harlequin – “Million Dollar Quartet”
Shakespeare in the trees – Animal Fire Theatre’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost”
Semiquincentennial celebrations – Lacey and Tumwater 4th of July
Molly Gilmore’s popular arts and entertainment column, is moving to “Oly Arts” beginning Wednesday, July 1st. She’ll keep readers in the know about much of what’s new and important in South Sound’s vibrant arts scene in her “Arts Aficionado.” Molly has been an excellent and consistent writer for Oly Arts since the very first edition of Oly Arts.
At summer’s height, when many theaters are dark, two South Sound companies go out to play in picnic-perfect parks. Both Animal Fire Theatre and String & Shadow Puppet Theater stage major shows when the days are long and the skies most likely blue. Animal Fire is producing the seldom-staged and seriously silly Love’s Labour’s Lost, opening July 3, and String & Shadow. is producing a return of 2025’s Night at the Grand Opera. These outdoor productions will be performed in Olympia’s Decatur Woods Park and Wonderwood Park.
Susan Christian has lived in Olympia for 54 years and she has been central to the arts community here. Irritated that there were few places for artists to show art, in 2011 she started Salon Refu Gallery downtown. There she showed many local artists, held poetry readings, book readings, and artist talks. It was a joyous hub of the local arts community. Speaking of her own work, Christian says she very intentionally doesn’t paint pictures of things, nor suggestions of things either. She describes her work as someone “touching the surface.” She points out that art needs to be visible and, not one for complacency, she was “not going to let people go to sleep.”
Slow Work is an excellent art exhibition featuring paintings on wooden lathe with a sea full of blue by Susan Christian and bonfire fired pottery by Steve Belz at Childhood’s End Gallery in Olympia — thought provoking, deceptively simple and beautiful art. This is a must-see exhibition through July 26.
A visit to the Kitsap Forest Theater, an hour from Olympia, is as much about the place as the plays. The productions, often old-fashioned musicals on a grand scale, boast strong production values, winning performers and well-played live music. But the theater itself is arguably the star of every show. “The space is magical,” said Gala Lindvall, a producer for the theater, owned by the Mountaineers. “As you walk down to it, it’s like it was 100 years ago. We take audiences on a journey away from regular life.” Next up at the outdoor theater, on a 466-acre nature preserve near Bremerton, is Oliver, opening July 25.
On December 4, 1956, a “twist-of-fate” brought Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins into the same space for a once-in-a-lifetime jam session at Sun Records. Just imagine what that jam session must have been like! Historical memory, nostalgia, and imagination is brought to life as Harlequin Productions takes audiences back to that incredible night with the Tony nominated musical, “Million Dollar Quartet!”
Molly Gilmore “Arts Aficionado” — July 8, 2026 — Get thee to a gallery and take your pick of parks — SPSCC Regional Juried Exhibition returns — Music in the parks — Concerts at Tumwater Falls
Line is the way we first learn to make a mark. From crayon drawings of infants to Kathe Kollwitz to a Leonardo da Vinci cartoon, quality of line has varied ways of evoking and portraying our experiences of life around us. Line is subtly seductive in its simplicity or can be bold, dynamic, and dramatic. The emotions we can evoke using line are as varied as any gestural mark possibly could be. “Form a Line” at Childhoods End Gallery July 31 through September 20 s a visual exploration of observations from nature through expression in line.
The summer print edition of Oly Arts magazine is published! Copies of the printed version are available free of charge throughout the area – find out where you can pick up a copy and see a list of articles in this issue.
Molly Gilmore “Arts Aficionado” — July 1, 2026 — Revel in the weather or escape into air conditioning: Party with legends at Harlequin – “Million Dollar Quartet” Shakespeare in the trees – Animal Fire Theatre’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost” Semiquincentennial celebrations – Lacey and Tumwater 4th of July
Molly Gilmore’s popular arts and entertainment column, is moving to “Oly Arts” beginning Wednesday, July 1st. She’ll keep readers in the know about much of what’s new and important in South Sound’s vibrant arts scene in her “Arts Aficionado.” Molly has been an excellent and consistent writer for Oly Arts since the very first edition of Oly Arts.
At summer’s height, when many theaters are dark, two South Sound companies go out to play in picnic-perfect parks. Both Animal Fire Theatre and String & Shadow Puppet Theater stage major shows when the days are long and the skies most likely blue. Animal Fire is producing the seldom-staged and seriously silly Love’s Labour’s Lost, opening July 3, and String & Shadow. is producing a return of 2025’s Night at the Grand Opera. These outdoor productions will be performed in Olympia’s Decatur Woods Park and Wonderwood Park.
Susan Christian has lived in Olympia for 54 years and she has been central to the arts community here. Irritated that there were few places for artists to show art, in 2011 she started Salon Refu Gallery downtown. There she showed many local artists, held poetry readings, book readings, and artist talks. It was a joyous hub of the local arts community. Speaking of her own work, Christian says she very intentionally doesn’t paint pictures of things, nor suggestions of things either. She describes her work as someone “touching the surface.” She points out that art needs to be visible and, not one for complacency, she was “not going to let people go to sleep.”
Slow Work is an excellent art exhibition featuring paintings on wooden lathe with a sea full of blue by Susan Christian and bonfire fired pottery by Steve Belz at Childhood’s End Gallery in Olympia — thought provoking, deceptively simple and beautiful art. This is a must-see exhibition through July 26.