Man Forever: Percussive Art in Olympia

by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Man Forever represents something of a music nerd’s platonic ideal. Led by John Colpitts (aka Kid Millions), the vocalist, drummer, and creative backbone of New York noise-rock titans heavyweights Oneida, Man Forever takes artistic ambition and makes a game of how far it can be stretched with complex syncopation …

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The Fall Cookbook Club at Browsers Bookshop

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Few people associate bookstores with intimate potluck dinners, food blogging or local food critics. Yet Browsers Bookshop has been quietly building a reputation for just that with its seasonal Cookbook Club: an intimate dinner event where lovers of the culinary craft gather to share delicious food, recipes and insightful …

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Jeffree Stewart’s Breath and Bone Songs

by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Jeffree Stewart has been making art in the Olympia area since the 1970s. Just off a month-long solo show at the Pierce College Steilacoom Fine Art Gallery, he is now showing a group of some 10 to 15 paintings at Allsorts Gallery in Olympia. Stewart is nothing if not …

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Tales Told in Ten: A Theater Festival

by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS Gather three dozen creative people. Give them a prompt and some help with props. The following day, they’ll serve six fresh bite-size plays, each 10 minutes or less and suitable for all ages. That’s the recipe for Olympia Family Theater’s Tales Told in Ten, the theater’s second annual festival …

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The Pumpkin House

by Ned Hayes for OLY ARTS Pumpkin carving is an annual tradition at the Halloween season. In Olympia, the act of pumpkin carving has become a refined art form for one family who have become legendary for their devotion to the practice. At the “Pumpkin House” in the South Capitol Neighborhood, the Sheeran family create and display …

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Poet Nikkita Oliver Returns to Olympia for 2017 Women of Achievement Celebration

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS In November, YWCA Olympia is welcoming back nationally known slam poet Nikkita Oliver to Olympia. Last spring, Oliver was keynote speaker at the YWCA’s inaugural Racial Justice Summit. This fall, Oliver returns for the Annual Women of Achievement Celebration at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. The event will …

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Kathy Dorgan

New Drama at Olympia High School

by Tom Simpson for OLY ARTS Kathy Dorgan, Olympia High School’s Julliard-fellow drama teacher, is bringing to the South Sound a four-act drama that opens next Friday, Oct 27. “Somewhere, Nowhere” is a theatrical play that provides a unique perspective on the high school experience. “I chose this lovely play because the voices of the …

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THEATER REVIEW: Young Frankenstein

THEATER REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Now Extended thru End of November Anyone who enjoys comedy and horror has seen the classic Mel Brooks movie Young Frankenstein, but far fewer have had the opportunity to laugh like hyenas at a live theatrical production. Now the Standing Room Only company has launched a live …

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REVIEW: Susan Christian’s Long Journey

VISUAL ARTS REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Susan Christian’s paintings at Stable Studios are the real deal. They are painting as painting is meant to be: simple, straight forward, unpretentious and with no trickery whatsoever. Some might see the cut-off figures, oddly elongated formats and mysterious scenes as gimmickry, but they’re not; they …

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OLY ARTS Podcast Samples

OLY APPETIZER (Weekly Local Food Overview) (90 SECOND VERSION) OLY ARTS – SOUND STAGES (Weekly Theater Overview) (90 SECOND VERSION) OLY UPDATE (Weekly Arts Overview) (90 SECOND VERSION) For full podcast versions, see this page

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