Articles by Karen Lunde
By Karen Lunde and Billy Thomas Imagine a 20-pound rodent that looks like a weird cross between a beaver and a rat. It has enormous orange teeth and a skinny tail. It lives in swampy, tidal areas and dines mostly on aquatic plants. It procreates prolifically. You’ve got yourself a nutria, and it’s the subject …
By Karen Lunde Olympia brings artists and thousands of art lovers together each spring and fall for its semi-annual celebration of the arts, Arts Walk. Angel Nava, arts-program specialist for City of Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation, has taken the helm for the fall event, shifting responsibility from arts-program manager Stephanie Johnson. Johnson pointed out …
By Karen Lunde The Masterworks Choral Ensemble is poised for its 38th season under the leadership of artistic director and conductor Gary Witley, who’s helmed the choir since its inception in 1981. This season begins with a concert at The Washington Center on October 13. The concert celebrates the four sacred elements: air, earth, fire …
by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS Although few people welcome ants parading across their kitchen counter, the students in Julia Abrams’ first and second grade class at Hansen Elementary are getting excited to put the industrious insects on parade for this year’s Procession of the Species. “I’ve been bringing my class to the Procession of …
New updates to the Harlequin story include a public statement from Harlequin Productions Board of Directors, the appointment of new leadership, and the announcement of a new artistic season for 2018-2019. by KAREN LUNDE and NED HAYES In the winter of 2018, Olympia’s own theatrical powerhouse, Harlequin Productions, weathered a significant storm. The theater’s Board …
by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS In June of 1947, the Olympia Symphony Orchestra (OSO) performed its first ever work — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Overture to Don Giovanni.” Now, at the culmination of its 65th season, the OSO will once again open with Mozart’s famous overture — in essence, coming full circle. The concert …
by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS When one thinks of Mendelssohn, one likely thinks of Felix. But Felix Mendelssohn’s older sister Fanny was a virtuoso pianist and a prolific, gifted composer. Her talents were obscured by the societal constraints of her time, which kept women from pursuing musical professions. For its April concert, Masterworks Choral …
New updates to the Harlequin story include a public statement from Harlequin Productions Board of Directors, the appointment of new leadership, and the announcement of a new artistic season for 2018-2019. by Karen Lunde and Ned Hayes for OLY ARTS In October, 2017, The New York Times published a report detailing decades of sexual harassment …
by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS Each year for the past 11, members of the Olympia musical group Entertainment Explosion have put on a show to benefit homeless children in Thurston and Mason counties. This year, the show features a guest artist, The Brothers Four. The group’s musical career spans 50 years and includes sing-along …
by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS When an orchestra covers a beloved composer, it must take care to play his music with precision. “No piece of music is easy,” said Huw Edwards, Music Director and Conductor of the Olympia Symphony Orchestra, “but Mozart is famous for being so exposed — any blemish on [the performance’s] …