Save the Date: Spring Arts Walk April 25-26
Mark your calendars for Friday, April 24, from 5-10PM, and Saturday, April 25, from 12-6PM, as Arts Walk lights up Downtown Olympia with a vibrant two-day celebration of community, culture, and the arts!
This spring, Arts Walk features an incredible lineup-including the Procession of the Species Celebration from Earthbound Productions, along with artists, makers, and performers showcasing creativity in all forms. From exhibits and events to hands-on activities, more than 125 neighboring businesses become part of the experience, transforming downtown into a bustling hub of imagination and expression you won't want to miss!
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Call for Traffic Box Wrap Images
Apply now to be considered for the 2026 Traffic Box Wrap public vote!
Artists of any age living within 30 miles of Olympia City Hall (601 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA 98501) are invited to submit one image of their artwork for consideration to Olympia's Traffic Box Wrap Project.
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Applications open now through April 29!
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Learn more
Join us at Olympia Parks, Arts and Recreation for some great classes!
To register or for more information, please click the link after each class, call 360-753-8380 or stop by to see us at The Olympia Center, 222 Columbia Street NW, Olympia.
Performing Arts & Dance
Pop Goes the Ukulele!, Apr 8-29
Beginning Guitar, Apr 9 -May 7
Creative Contemporary Dance, Apr 13-Jun 8
Sensory Friendly Creative Dance Class, Apr 14-May 26
Discover Voice Overs!, May 2
Olympia Dance Squad, May 2-June 27
RakasaFit Core Fitness Belly Dance, May 4-Jun 29
Intermediate/Advanced Belly Dance, May 4-Jun 29
Hawaiian Dance, May 6-Jun 24
Advanced Hawaiian Dance, May 6-Jun 24
Songs & Stars Who Made the Ukulele Famous, May 6-Jun 3
Guitar II, May 14-28
All About Guitar Chords, Jun 4
Ukulele Summer Songs, Jun 10-Jul 8
Yes, You Can Play the Ukulele! Part 1, Jun 20-Jul 25
Visual Arts, & Crafts
Creative Watercolor Sketchbook, Apr 6-27
Painting People and Faces, Apr 11-May 23
Oil Painting II, Apr 14-May 26
Life Drawing, Apr 15-29
Color Your Canvas Painting - Spring Cactus, Apr 16
Watercolor Painting IV, Apr 16-May 25
Palette Knife Painting with Acrylics, Apr 18
Spring Celebration Cast Glass Art, Apr 18
Zen Ink Doodles, Apr 25
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Spring is Blooming at The Artists' Gallery - April Updates
Did you know?
The Gallery is celebrating 46 years in existence! 46 years of local art, local Artists and community!
The Gallery opened its doors in March 1980.
We are currently in our third location in the Olympia Capital Mall and have been located here for the last 1.5 years.
Prior to that we were located in one of the detached mall pavilion buildings for 12 years and the rest of our time we were located downtown.
Our longest-term member currently with the Gallery is Kim Hoover. With 20 years of membership, he has been an integral part of operating the Gallery and keeping it stocked all of these years with his beautiful wooden creations since 2006!
Upcoming at the Lacey Library - The Painted Screen
Experience art like never before: The Curious World Of Hieronymous Bosch
2016 - 1 hour 29 minutes
Join us for The Painted Screen, a new monthly series exploring the lives and legacies of artists who have shaped how we see the world. Each screening offers a window into the creative spirit...journeys of color, passion, and imagination told through the power of film.
After 500 years Bosch's paintings still shock and fascinate us. Delve into the vivid imagination of this true visionary. Who was Hieronymus Bosch? Why do his strange and fantastical paintings resonate with people now more than ever? How does he bridge the medieval and Renaissance worlds? Where did his unconventional and timeless creations come from?
Discover the answers to these questions and more with this remarkable new film from EXHIBITION ON SCREEN directed by David Bickerstaff. With his fascinating life revealed plus the details and stories within his works seen like never before, don't miss this cinematic exploration of a great creative genius.
"An astonishing homecoming for this madly inventive artist…" - Jonathan Jones, The Guardian
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Tuesday, April 7, 2026 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
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Lacey Timberland Library, 500 College Street SE, Lacey WA 98503
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Learn more
The Heartsparkle Players Present A Place of One's Own
In collaboration with the Thurston Housing Land Trust
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Friday, May 8th at 6:30pm
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Traditions - 300 5th Avenue SW (Downtown Olympia)
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Food and Drinks provided by Soul Cafe
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Call Traditions at 360.705.2819 to make Table Reservations
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Suggested donation $10-20.00 (No one turned away)
New additions to library featured in tours at Governor's Mansion
For National Library Month, free tours of the Governor's Mansion showcase some of the books recently added to the mansion's private library collection.
Tours take place Wednesday, April 8.
House of Welcome Native Art Market
Shop the work pf more than 50 Native artists celebrating Indigenous creativity, culture and community. Discover one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry, textiles, carvings, paintings and more.
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Saturday, April 25, 2026, 11am-5pm
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This event is free and open to the community.
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Food available for lunch on cash-basis only.
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Campus Parking: Free in B-Lot.
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The Longhouse at The Evergreen State College 2700 Evergreen Parkway, Olympia, WA.
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www.evergreen.edu/houseofwelcome
Boom Party
The Last Hurrah
Boom Studios final sale and goodbye - see you there.
Monday at the Eagles -- Greta Matassa
Hosted by Olympia Jazz Central (OJC)
In the Pacific Northwest, where she built her career, Greta Matassa wins wide acclaim; 8 times, the readers of Earshot, the Seattle jazz magazine, have voted her the best jazz vocalist in the Northwest. She was inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame in 2014. Jim Wilke, the Seattle jazz maven and host of the syndicated "Jazz After Hours" radio program, praises her versatility. "She has a fearlessness in approaching material," Wilke says, "that makes her like an instrumentalist in a jam session."
Her 40 year career has been a whirlwind of exciting opportunities and experiences. Over the last 20 years she has become established as one of the greatest jazz singers of her time. Working with top jazz musicians in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. In 2016 She was featured with bassist John Clayton's group in a centennial tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. With her will be Brian Monroney on guitar; Clipper Anderson on bass; Mark Ivester on drums; and Alexey Nikolaev on saxophone.
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Monday, April 4th, 7:00 - 9:30pm
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The Eagles Social Room
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4th and Plum
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All ages welcome until 9pm
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Eagles members and their guests are invited. Come and meet us, and OJC will count you as one of our guests -- we're all Eagles!
Also, don't forget: Olympia Jazz Central is hosting an all-day Jazz Camp Saturday, April 18th, at Aspire Performing Arts Academy in Lacey. It's FREE to all students through college, and only $35 for adults. We'll have sessions specific to your instruments in the morning, and in the afternoon you'll join combos to learn, arrange, and perform a tune for all assembled.
Here's the link to register.
Louise Williams Artwork at Auction
The annual Spring Soiree fundraiser for the Sherie Hildreth Ovarian Cancer (SHOC) Foundation will feature three works by Louise Williams in its silent auction in Lake Oswego OR on Friday, May 15. Funds raised go to ovarian cancer research.
On Allegro! -- the Chris Bickley Quartet House Concert
The Chris Bickley Quartet plays traditional, hard bop, modern jazz classics, and more! Chris has performed at the Montreux International Jazz Festival (Switzerland), North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Bix Beiderbecke Festival (Iowa), Detroit Montreux Jazz Festival (Michigan), and Carnegie Hall (New York).
The quartet is game, so we're going to have a Step Up tune. This is a tune decided on just before the gig where one audience member gets to sit in with the professionals. If you play or sing and would like to try it, bring your instrument along. The intimacy of a house concert is what can make this happen.
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The concert is Sunday, April 19th. Doors open at 3:30, with a downbeat of 4pm.
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$25 per person at the door.
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RSVP to [email protected] to be put you on the list and receive the address.
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Also, be sure to let me know if you're planning to bring your instrument and are willing to Step Up.
Newsletter Roundup
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Job Opportunity - Vancouver, WA
We're looking for an Inspire Vancouver Program Supervisor. In this role, you'll lead the vision and delivery of the new Inspire Vancouver grant program, providing funding for arts, culture, heritage, and science.
We want someone who is excited to work with artists, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholders to foster a vibrant, inclusive cultural community that reflects the diversity, accessibility, and identity of our city.
Help us turn vision into action. If you're a creative and strategic leader who is passionate about connecting people and increasing access to arts, culture, heritage, and science in the Vancouver community, we'd love to hear from you!
Community Space Available
Boom Studios/Gallery Boom artist studios have been at at 2120 State Ave NE (behind the new Vic's Pizza on the East Side) for the past two years.
The lease is up at the end of May and after twelve years of the Boom dynasty, management is ready to move on and is closing up all things Boom.
They have artists who would stay if someone would like to continue managing art studios in the space. The space has been really perfect for quiet, cozy studios. It would be lovely if having a community space was picked up by another with vision. There are current artists who could continue their leases and management would gladly hand down their knowledge to help the next person(s) create their own studio space. They would love to share their experiences on how it worked for us.
If you would like to talk it over, please contact Christine Malek at [email protected] or txt 360.339.8513. Make sure to mention your interest in the studios.
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Museum & Visitor Center Front Desk Docent
The Olympia Arts & Heritage Alliance is seeking volunteers to support the OlyAHA! Museum & Visitor Center. Volunteering at the Olympia AHA Museum is a chance to learn and share Olympia's stories, to build connections in the community, to gain museum and customer service experience, and to be a part of something local, vital and lasting. Our volunteers are the face of the Olympia AHA Museum. They greet guests, share stories, and connect visitors to the best of Olympia.
As a volunteer you will:
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Welcome and assist visitors
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Interpret exhibitions
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Sell merchandise
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Help visitors to discover Olympia's arts, heritage, and cultures
We're looking for committed volunteers who are enthusiastic about Olympia's arts, cultures and history.
Our volunteer team is:
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Friendly, welcoming, and professional
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Comfortable learning point-of-sale and scheduling tools
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Reliable, cooperative, and ready to assist visitors
Volunteer Experience
Volunteers work in pairs at our front desk for three- or four-hour shifts. Volunteers can expect seasonal appreciation events and ongoing learning opportunities!
Olympia Family Theater
Front of House Volunteers needed. No experience necessary!
Shifts available for ushering, selling concessions, and selling raffle tickets during performances.
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March 5-29, 2026 and/or May 14-June 7, 2026
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Time commitment is usually under 4 hours.
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Thursday/Friday at 6pm, Saturday/Sunday at 2pm
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Must pass a background check.
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Please contact Tracy at [email protected].
Olympia Historical Society
If you have an interest in local history, please consider becoming a volunteer with the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum. We have a variety of roles to fill, including tour guides for the museum's Sunday afternoon open hours (1:00pm-4:00pm), groundskeeping at monthly Saturday morning work parties, and committee work for our Education, Bigelow House Operations, and Events (annual historic homes tour and spring fundraiser) committees.
To learn more, please email us at [email protected].
Looking for Volunteers for 2026 Olympia Juneteenth Celebration
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Saturday, June 20, 2026
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Volunteer hours: 9am-6pm (split shifts are available). Set up and take down positions available as well.
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Contact Shawna Hawk at
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