for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf

“…somebody/anybody, sing a black girl’s song, bring her out to know herself to know you…” By Ntozake Shange Directed by Michelle Matlock Join the circle as seven women share their stories and find strength in each other’s truth, passion and humor. This fusion of poetry, dance, music and song explodes off the stage and touches …

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Olympia Is Searching for Next Poet Laureate

Since 2017, the City of Olympia Poet Laureate has used the written word as a frame to explore timely topics, facilitate community conversations and revisit local landmarks and landscapes. This spring, the City of Olympia is searching for the next Olympia Poet Laureate and is inviting members of the public to submit applications for the position.

A Gathering of Poets

We gather monthly at different Tacoma Public Library branches (this month at Moore, 215 S 56th St, Tacoma, WA 98408). Voices of Tacoma: A Gathering of Poets is partly funded by the Tacoma Artists Initiative Program and, in addition to the monthly Gatherings, hosts workshops and events to support the literary arts community in the …

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The Art That Surrounds You, All in One Place: Tacoma Armory

“Another thing I think is different and nice about this event is that it’s not just visual artists,” Daniel Garcia continues. “In some cases, we have literary artists, we have poets, we have dancers, so we’re really trying to find that whole realm of artistry and bring it through to Arts at the Armory.”

Christina Vega and Jonah Barrett

The Return of the Celebratory Center Salon

“I’ve been doing salons for about 20 years through the Northwest Playwrights Alliance,” playwright Bryan Willis explains. “I really love the format.” Happily for Willis, executive director Jill Barnes was eager to host a salon in The Washington Center’s black box theater, a utilitarian space adjacent to its main auditorium. It returns this May after a three-year hiatus.

Amy Solomon-Minarchi

Amy Solomon-Minarchi at Fall Arts Walk 2017

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Olympia poet Laureate Amy Solomon-Minarchi is doing everything she can to change the perception of poetry as a stuffy, elitist art form. “Poetry is accessible,” says Solomon-Minarchi. “We do not need to be in a fancy school, have advanced equipment and technology or have a small window of opportunity …

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Amy Solomon-Minarchi

Bus Stop Poetry

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Bus stops are not very interesting places. Because of that, most of us spend our time at bus stops with our heads buried in a book, looking down at our phones, or staring off into the distance to avoid contact with strangers. But this Fall, Olympia’s inaugural poet laureate, …

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Lennée Reid

The ARTery Performance Art Festival

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS There’s something unique about the Olympia arts community, especially when it comes to cross-genre collaborations. The arts community is constantly pushing its members to hone their craft, whether through music, theater, writing or dance. This June, that spirit of encouragement and growth will be showcased at the ARTery Community …

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Jim Lynch

Saint Martin’s Summer Creative Writing Institute

by Nora Kovacs for OLY ARTS Saint Martin’s University will open its doors to 15 local fiction writers for the second installment of its Summer Creative Writing Institute. The small, week-long intensive invites writers of all ability levels to live and work on campus, collaborate with peers, learn from professionals in the field and develop …

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