Anna Schlecht

An Olympia resident for nearly 50 years, Schlecht retired from 40 years in local government housing & homeless programs and now devotes her time to supporting public arts & murals and coordinates volunteer paint crews.

Kathy Gore-Fuss: At Home in Nature

by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS For nearly four decades, the art of Olympia artist Kathy Gore-Fuss has moved through a fascinating metamorphosis from multi-media, surrealistic, abstract and symbolic to paintings that are as traditional as naturalism en plein air landscapes. Her gradual shift has not removed the indelible and unique signature look of her …

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Apple Tree Showcases Musical Annie

by Tom Simpson for OLY ARTS South Sound children’s theater group Apple Tree Productions will open Annie for a limited run in mid-December. Annie is the first full-scale holiday musical for Apple Tree, in their new home in the historic Capitol Theater, owned by the Olympia Film Society. Heidi Fredericks, founder and artistic director of Apple Tree, …

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Olympia Celebrates a Festival of Lights

by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS One of the joys of living in a broad, multicultural society is the resulting plethora of holiday celebrations. Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, begins at sundown on Tuesday, December 12 this year and lasts for eight full days. It commemorates the revolt of the Hebrew Maccabees against the …

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The Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed – Messiah Sing-Along

by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTs As the winter months descend on the world, the cold and darkness is met with a combination of reverie and revelry. Nights get quieter, and the solitude is countered with companionship and sacred celebration. A singular holiday celebration is the annual singing of Handel’s Messiah, an oratorio from the …

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Masterworks Choral Ensemble Brings A Season of Light

by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS The Masterworks Choral Ensemble will brighten the Washington Center Main Stage on Saturday, December 2, with its annual holiday concert. This year’s performance, entitled Season of Light: A Christmas Celebration, will include familiar carols (some with new arrangements), medleys and four audience sing-alongs. The choir will even keep up …

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SOGO HoHo Holiday Variety Show

by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS The holidays kick off with a roar at the 2017 Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia (SOGO) holiday show, sponsored by Tumwater Eye Center, Academy Mortgage Corporation, and PCS Structure Solutions. The SOGO HoHo event acts as a variety show with holiday cheer to delight all attendees. The performing SOGO …

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South Sound Sacred Celebrations

by Ned Hayes for OLY ARTS Winter is a time for family and for fun. Christmas is often celebrated as a single day during which the birth of Jesus Christ is remembered, yet, for observant Christians, the weeks before constitute an entire sacred season called “Advent” (which means “the arrival”). Advent is celebrated for four …

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Olympia Family Theater Becomes the Hundred Acre Wood

by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS Olympia meets the Hundred Acre Wood this fall season at Olympia Family Theater. The family production company will perform a theatrical rendition of Winnie the Pooh from November through December. Heading this play is one of OFT’s co-founders and regular directors, Samantha Chandler. Pooh Bear, created by English author …

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The Stardust Christmas Fandango at Harlequin Productions

by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS This season’s The Stardust Christmas Fandango at Harlequin Productions is a Christmas card of comedy, nostalgia and great ’60s music. This year will mark the 22nd installment of this locally written and produced entertainment, centered around the Stardust nightclub in New York at Christmastime. “It’s a great alternative holiday …

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