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.”

Teen Writing & Art Contest: Lacey Loves to Read 2024

Teens in grades 6-12 who live in the North Thurston Public Schools service area are invited to enter the 2024 Lacey Loves to Read Teen Writing & Art Contest! This contest is sponsored by Lacey Loves to Read member organizations Timberland Regional Library, North Thurston Public Schools, City of Lacey, and many community partners. The …

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A Veteran Storytelling Event

Stories matter. The act of sharing a story at its core is how we as a species connect. There’s an alchemy that results from what happens when we listen to others share a life experience and in this case, hearing tales from our friends and neighbors who have served is beneficial for all. It allows …

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The Center Salon

Are you ready to experience a one-of-a-kind artistic event? Join us for the 6th Annual Salon. This popular event is unlike any other, offering a rare opportunity to interact with poets, authors, musicians, and artists. Hosted by Jill Barnes, the Salon provides an exclusive inner circle experience. Our talented performers, including Robyn Chance, Sherwin Cotler, …

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Virtual Reading and Discussion with Lisa Ganser

Join us for a virtual reading and discussion with author of What’s My Address? Lisa Ganser! In their book writing debut, Lisa Ganser paints a Matriarchal, Midwest Portrait of a Poor and working class upbringing of displacement and determination. What’s My Address? Is an honest question that puts oral herstory to paper. The book is …

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5th Annual Olympia Witches March

The 5th annual Olympia Witches March Social Justice Protestival has a day packed full of diverse presenters, ceremony, song, dance, workshops, and entertainment for you to enjoy including; Belladonna Laveau Archpriestess of the Aquarian Tabernacle Church, poetry from Robert Lashley, Tela Rose, The Never-ending Tea Bucket, Prism, South Sound Street Medics, and many more. Hosted …

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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.

Poetry Reading with Katerina Canyon

Join Orca at the Lamplighters for a live reading and discussion with Katerina Canyon! Katerina Canyon is an Award-Winning Poet, Best Selling Author, civil rights activist, and essayist. She is a writer who has overcome some serious obstacles and trauma. Her book Surviving Home which was released on November 9, 2021, is a collection of poems that …

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Washington State Poet Laureate Claudia Castro Luna at the Lacey Library

by Bryan Willis for OLY ARTS Washington State’s new Poet Laureate, Claudia Castro Luna, will be featured at the Lacey Library Monday, May 7 at 7:00 p.m. at a free event for the public. Castro Luna will be joined by Olympia poets Dawn Pichón Barron and Emily Van Kley. All three poets will read from …

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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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