chalk art at Procession of the Species

Chalk Art at the Procession of the Species

by Ned Hayes for OLY ARTS Nearly every inch of the route for the Procession of the Species is covered with vibrant chalk art. The Procession team hands out chalk to children from ages 0 to 99: Everyone is invited to create their own art on the route. Yet this is not just a momentary …

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Eli Sterling, photo by Laura Killian

Eli Sterling: The Man Behind the Masque

by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS It’s no exaggeration to call Eli Sterling the visionary behind Olympia’s own Procession of the Species. He produced a series called Earthbound for Thurston County Television in 1991; it went on to win nine Northwest regional and national public-access television awards. Earthbound, says Sterling, “was dedicated to pursuing a …

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"Once I Was a Baby Blue Convertible," linoleum block print by Mimi Williams

REVIEW: Papercuts, Pastels and Prints at Childhood’s End

VISUAL ARTS REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS I have been following Sherry Buckner’s art, mostly in shows at Childhood’s End Gallery, for well over 20 years. Her latest serigraphs and pastels might be her best yet. There are two groups of these works in the current show. On the first group of panels …

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Amy Solomon-Minarchi

Writing in the Rain With Olympia’s Poet Laureate

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Olympia’s first poet laureate, Amy Solomon-Minarchi, is already hard at work promoting poetry within the community with her call for Writing in the Rain poems. Solomon-Minarchi is accepting short-poetry submissions until April 10, when she’ll select short poems of three to six lines to be “painted” onto city sidewalks …

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"Shells," sculpture by Lucy Gentry Meltzer

Lucy Gentry Meltzer: Biophilia Collection at Salon Refu

by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Artist and costume designer Lucy Gentry Meltzer is the next artist whose works will grace the interior of Salon Refu Galley. Described as couture or as sculptural dresses, Meltzer’s art is unlike anything commonly seen in galleries. People who frequent Salon Refu will recognize her as one of the …

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Marek Chabrowski, ink drawing

The Art of Poland and Chopin

by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS South Puget Sound Community College and the Lacey-Mińsk Mazowiecki Sister City Association are hosting an evening of music by Frédéric Chopin, featuring the two local winners of the Chopin Competition held March 20-23. The winners are students from southwest Washington. Highlighting the concert will be a solo performance by …

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Susan Christian

REVIEW: Susan Christian

VISUAL ARTS REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Once again Susan Christian is showing her painted stick constructions at her own gallery, Salon Refu. The paintings are assemblages of various kinds of sticks, mostly lathe, which she puts together in rectangular shapes and paints as if they were stretched canvases. The last time I …

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Snipes Studio

Pottery and Otherness With Kevin Snipes

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Combine whimsical drawings, pottery and a dedication to addressing “otherness” in art, and you’ll find yourself examining the distinctive work of pottery artist Kevin Snipes. The concept may seem distant, but this March, South Puget Sound Community College brings it up close and personal as it hosts Kevin Snipes …

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photo by Dan Barron

REVIEW: Dan Barron at Salon Refu

VISUAL ARTS REVIEW by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS I was warned ahead of time by Salon Refu owner Susan Christian that Dan Barron’s pop-up exhibition of “extraordinary” photos was going to be “exceedingly unnerving” and “incomprehensible.” With words like that, how could I not be intrigued? So I took myself down to Salon Refu, …

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"Mountain Lake," screen print by Sherry Buckner

Sherry Buckner’s New Works at Childhood’s End

by Alec Clayton for OLY ARTS Sherry Buckner returns to her beloved theme of plein-air painting in new work for the March exhibition at Childhood’s End Gallery. Exploring large open spaces in mist and fog, she forges a new approach to her images in both screen printing and chalk pastels. “My new work uses color …

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