TRAVIS JOHNSON STUDIOS & GALLERY STORE
Travis Johnson Studios Gallery Store is a multifaceted creative extension birthed from Johnson’s personal art practice as a painter, sculptor, and fashion designer. He thrives on cultivating curating, developing, and promoting local, regional, and international artists. His studio showcases artists in a seasonal exhibition series, and he and his team also spotlight artists monthly on their social media platforms. His studio is centered around cultivating and amplifying the arts and artists in Olympia. Along with nurturing artists, he also serves as a creative coach. His methodology is to walk beside artists and help elevate their art practice and brand. Travis Johnson Studios has a vivacious art practice that is focused on paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and clothing. He creates art for people to engage and find meaning in their daily life. Johnson says that all his work speaks to his years of growing up in the Mojave Desert inside the cocoon of a black family. He is so grateful and thrilled to think and create deeply about what it means to work, sleep, eat, and spread love as an artist.
WHAT Travis Johnson Studios and Gallery Store
WHERE Contact through website for private viewing
WHEN Check website for events
LEARN MORE Travisjohnsonart.squarespace.com
THE ARTIST’S GALLERY
A little-known gem, The Artists’ Gallery is located in the Capital Mall Promenade in West Olympia and is devoted to showcasing Olympia artists. They feature a variety of fine art mediums, photography, furniture, textiles, woodwork, jewelry, glass, ceramics and more. The Artist’s Gallery is a nonprofit business that gives local talent a space to display and sell their work. It is currently comprised of sixteen artists with many years of experience who have exhibited nationally and internationally. The gallery provides a venue for classes, lectures, and demonstrations in various mediums. They offer retail space where visitors can also talk to and learn from artists. The exhibits rotate every two months, and they have an invitational Guest Artist Program where artists who are not members are invited to display their work for a month in the gallery. In July there will be two artist presentations. One by Mia Schulte (abstract art). the other by Judith Gebhard Smith (collage) on Thursday, July 20 5-6:30 p.m. The presentations will consist of a talk about the artists’ inspirations and processes with question-and-answer sessions to follow. In August Robert Hunter will be their guest artist. He will display his new work in the gallery. Check website for details.
WHAT The Artist’s Gallery
WHERE 2505 4th Ave W, Suite 105 Olympia
WHEN Wed.-Sat., 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, 12-5 p.m.
LEARN MORE theartistsgallery.com
ART HOUSE DESIGNS
Art House Designs is celebrating their 22nd year as a fine art gallery and custom picture framing shop. They are a downtown hub and represent a diverse group of artists worldwide. It is a beautiful open space with great light, has custom picture framing, and they pride themselves on their knowledge and quality selection advice. They are also a musical performance event venue. July will feature new works by local artists Gregg Caudell, Sue Darious, Marz Doerfliner, Susie Engelstad, Michelle Bruchet, Nikki Bruchet, John Anderson, Marie Powell, and Mary McInnis. Olympia Free Jazz Festival July 6-10. Monday. July 10 7 p.m. Lewis Jorden At Large and The Joe Mailhot Jazz Unit. (Admission $20)
WHAT Art House Designs Gallery and Framing Studio
WHERE 420 Franklin St SE, Olympia
WHEN Tues.-Fri., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
LEARN MORE arthousedesigns.com
CATMA GALLERY
Contemporary and Transmodern Arts is an experimental immersion gallery with curated museum-like exhibitions and live events supporting visual, performing, film and literary arts, workshops, and community interaction. CaTMA’s mission is to evolve how we see and interact with art by presenting space for reflection and dialogue. They support artists and collectors through consultation, merchandising and access to art off wall or from their shop. They are fast-moving and update regularly with new events and opening hours so make sure you check the website for details before you head down there. Their summer exhibitions are: July: Middle Space with visual art by Rebecca Figel (Vancouver BC) and Lucy Gentry (Olympia), August: Quantum Untanglement with installation and performance by Frances Ney (France) and paintings by students of Leonce Love (Haiti).
WHAT CaTMA Gallery, Contemporary and Transmodern Arts
WHERE Contact through website for private viewing
WHEN: Check website for updates
LEARN MORE catma.art
THURSTON COUNTY MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
Founded in 2022, TCMOFA describes itself as a project dedicated to creating public arts spaces as engaging museum experiences featuring local arts and performances in Olympia. The organization was birthed by a desire to create a community-oriented public venue for the appreciation of art, free from any profit-driven motivation, and most importantly, free to enter. Their fall and spring Arts Walk collections feature a selection of interdisciplinary artists. They won a grant to transform the outbuilding at the Olympia Armory Creative Campus into their next show which will feature a brand-new collection of fine art from local Thurston County artists. It will be exciting to see what they create there.
WHAT TCMOFA, Thurston County Museum of Fine Arts
WHERE Olympia Armory Creative Campus 515 Eastside St SE, Olympia
WHEN July 8-15. Check website for hours and reception date
LEARN MORE tcmofa.org
GALLERY BOOM
Gallery Boom has more than 150 local/regional artists of many styles and mediums. Their diversity is our strength with the youngest artist of 12 and the eldest 95. They also have more than 1,000 stickers from more than 40 artists, a used art section and a rentable room for classes & events. 5,000-plus art pieces can be found on their website, and they ship across the U.S. The art gallery and store are located on Martin Way, East Olympia. It is the perfect place to shop for friends who like unique gifts. July & August Events are: Friday Walk in Watercolor: Every Friday noon to 6 p.m. All supplies provided. No signup or experience needed. Just show up and stay as long as you like. Mixed Media Drop-in: 2nd and 4th Sundays July 9 and 23. August 13 and 27 (Classes $5 suggested donation. No one turned away for lack of funds.)
WHAT Gallery Boom
WHERE 3959 Martin Way E, Olympia
WHEN Wed-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 11 a.m. -5 p.m.
LEARN MORE galleryboomshop.com
VAN TUINEN ART
Van Tuinen Art is a working studio and gallery situated on the corner of Views On 5th building at the beautiful Capitol Lake. Debra Van Tuinen has shown work in Canada, Asia, and Europe as well as across the United States. She creates work for residential and corporate collections. Visitors are welcomed by appointment or can visit the gallery and studio during open hours to see the work she is currently painting and hear about the encaustic process.
WHAT Van Tuinen Fine Art Gallery
WHERE 429 4th Ave W, Olympia
WHEN Tuesday and Thursday 10 a.m-.3.p.m., for appointment call 360-402-6517
LEARN MORE Vantuinenart.com
CHILDHOOD’S END
Situated by the marina, Childhood’s End Gallery has been a direct supporter of hundreds of artists and artisans in the Olympia area since 1971. They offer a wide range of curated local hand-made fine art and craft, as well as hosting regular rotating group and solo fine-art exhibitions, events, demonstrations, talks, receptions, and more. Aside from an ever-changing collection of new work, their summer plans include exciting exhibitions featuring returning and new artists. Their summer group shows are: Understory, open to July 30, highlighting PNW forests beyond the trees that make it up; dynamic and layered microcosms give our forests identity while threatened by a warming climate and human action. Restructured, August 4-September 24, artist reception August 4, 5-7 p.m. featuring process-oriented work through collage, cutting, stitching, and other ways of turning chaos into art.
WHAT Childhood’s End
WHERE 222 4th Ave W, Olympia
WHEN Monday-Saturday 10-6. Sunday 11-5
LEARN MORE childhoods-end-gallery.com
LEONOR R. FULLER GALLERY AT SPSCC
The Leonor R. Fuller Gallery at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts fosters transformative education and community connections through engaging and challenging exhibitions and programming. They show a diverse selection of artists from First Nations to a broad range of local artists, and student and staff shows. They have a once-a-year postcard fundraiser which is quite the event and not to be missed. Check websites for details.
WHAT Leonor R Fuller Gallery at SPSCC
WHERE: 2011 Mottman Road SW, Olympia
WHEN Monday-Friday 12-6 p.m., summer hours: Monday-Thursday noon-6 p.m.
LEARN MORE spscc.edu/gallery
SPLASH GALLERY
Splash Gallery Olympia artist co-op was the vision of nine local artists to promote artistic expression in the community. Celebrating 12 years in Olympia, the gallery is located on the boardwalk in the scenic Olympia Marina and is a one-of-a-kind art experience. Splash offers a vibrant selection of local fine art including oils and acrylics, watercolor, pastels, jewelry, glass, ceramics, photography, mosaics, wood-turned creations as well as pyrography, textile art and more. Splash Gallery averages four shows annually, while participating in many local activities such as Harbor Days, spring and fall Arts Walk, Olympia Wooden Boat Fair and many downtown shopping events. The gallery will formally celebrate its 12-year anniversary August 12 with a special reception from 3-6 p.m. Throughout the summer, artist demonstrations will take place on the dockside of the gallery on Saturdays from noon to 2 p.m.
WHAT Splash Gallery, artists’ community co-operative
WHERE 501 Columbia Street NW, Suite C, Olympia
WHEN Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
LEARN MORE SplashGalleryOlympia.com