Theaters Are Getting Ready — and Ready for a Long Wait

By Molly Gilmore As restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus begin to lift, those running theaters in Olympia and around the state still have more questions than answers about when they can welcome audiences once again. What they do know is that it won’t happen anytime soon and that the plans they …

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Olympia Downtown Alliance Cancels Annual Music in the Park Series

By Jonah Barrett The 41st season of Olympia’s Music in the Park series has been cancelled this year due to public health concerns concerning COVID-19. The series has been an Olympia tradition, occurring at both Sylvester Park and the Port of Olympia every year through July and August. With the deluge of postponed or cancelled …

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Olympia Symphony Orchestra Provides Creative, Digital Offerings in Response to COVID-19

By Molly Walsh As Washingtonians enter another week of a “new normal” under Governor Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, social distancing measures have gradually woven into a routine way of life for many households across the state. As schools, workplaces and even wedding ceremonies have transitioned to a virtual setting, music and performing …

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Evolving Artist Becky Knold on Cardboard, Roofing Paper and Collages

By Alec Clayton Becky Knold was a late blooming artist. She didn’t start painting seriously until she retired from teaching in 2006. Her only formal training had been a few classes at The Evergreen State College. She learned by doing and by looking at the art of others as much as possible. Once she started, …

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Harro Art: For Love of the Sound

By Alec Clayton Harro, who goes by the one name only — like Prince or Pink or Adele — is an Olympia artist.  In his own words, he says, “Harro grew up street smart dodging ferry traffic on the salty shores of Mukilteo, in Snohomish County. His love for the unique Puget Sound environment is evident in his work. Where …

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Art in Flight: The Creations of Chris Maynard

By Alec Clayton Olympia’s Chris Maynard is a marvel. He makes art of a kind seldom if ever seen anywhere else. He makes images of birds and places them in shadow boxes. Often the birds are in flight and in combination with totem-like formations and abstract or stylized scenes, and everything in the boxes is …

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Teri Bevelacqua: Acrylics, Encaustics and Billboards, Oh My!

By Alec Clayton Imagine a billboard that is a work of art — not just a commercial that’s artistic, but an actual painting, and not a full-size billboard but large enough, and lighted for nighttime viewing. That’s what local artist Teri Bevelacqua created for Burning Man 2019. The title of the piece is “From Here …

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Alec Clayton: 50 Years of Painting

By Editor OLY ARTS writer Alec Clayton was invited to do a talk on his art at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts’ Center Salon. He prepared a PowerPoint presentation but was unable to use it because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Center Salon was postponed to a date at which he can’t be …

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Eli Sterling, photo by Laura Killian

Postponement of the Species: Eli Sterling Explains Importance, Benefits

By Christian Carvajal For two decades, the indisputable highlight of Olympia’s spring arts season was Arts Walk and its attendant, handcrafted parade, the Procession of the Species. Those events will go on hiatus this year due to SARS-CoV-2 and the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Formerly scheduled for April 24 and 25, the revised date of …

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Op-Ed: Last Call or a Call to Action?

By Anna Schlecht On March 16, 2020, I rolled into Equal Latin with a friend for what was likely the last happy hour for the foreseeable future. Like bars and restaurants across the state, Equal Latin was virtually empty with the owners and staff trying to make sense of the Governor’s order. Their familiar faces were …

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