FINAL NOTICE: Call for Sculpture - Percival Plinth Project
Application deadline for the City of Olympia's 2026 Percival Plinth Project is Monday, January 5, 2026 by 10:45pm (PST).
Selected artists receive a $1,000 honorarium for the one-year loan of their work and are eligible for consideration for the Peoples' Prize purchase award of up to $10,000, where one sculpture is selected for purchase by public vote and added to the City's public art collection. Submitted work needs to be available from June 2025-June 2026.
NEW this year: Installation of artwork will take place on Friday, June 12, 2026. Plinths will be prepared with steel transition plate already in place, with an on-site welder making the connections once the artist has placed their sculpture. Artists can opt-out of the onsite welding and deliver their sculpture with the plate attached in advance if they choose to do so.
Olympia Celebrates National Day of Healing
Olympians are invited to participate in community healing by submitting an art or poetry piece that will contribute to a large window display at City Hall or The Olympia Center. Your submission and the display asks us to imagine a world where everyone feels safe, respected and included, no matter what they look like or where they come from. What would that world look like to you? How would people treat each other, and what could we do to make that happen in our schools, neighborhoods or families?
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Your submission can be an image like a drawing or painting or in written form like a poem, submitted on a 3.5" x 5" card.
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The deadline for your contribution to be included is noon on Jan. 12, 2026.
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Learn more
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
Creative Contemporary Dance, Jan 5- Mar 9
Sensory Friendly Creative Dance, Jan 6- Mar 10
Yes, You Can Play the Ukulele!, Part 1, Jan 7-Feb 4
Basic West Coast swing, Jan 9- Feb 13
Country western two step, Jan 9-Feb 13
Uke Gone Wild!, Jan 10 - Feb 7
Uke Goes Motown, Jan 10- Feb 7
Beginning Guitar, Jan 22- Feb 19
Visual Arts, & Crafts
The Art of Seeing: Beginning Drawing, Jan 6 - Feb 10
Life Drawing, Jan 7-21
Winter Scenes, Jan 10
Painting People and Faces, Jan 10- Feb 14
Color Your Canvas Painting - Mystic Deer, Jan 15
Alcohol Ink, Jan 17
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Timberland Library Events
Three events - three different locations!
1) Best Books of 2025
Join local librarians on a tour of the year's best fiction, nonfiction, and cookbooks -- and share some of your favorites! Light refreshments will be provided.
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Saturday, January 3, 2:00pm
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Olympia Timberland Library 313 8th Ave SE Olympia, WA 98501
2) The Librarians Documentary Screening @ Capitol Theater
Join the Olympia Library at the Capital Theater for a free screening of the 2025 documentary The Librarians, which follows a group of librarians who unite to combat book banning and defend intellectual freedom amid unprecedented censorship. The film will be introduced by WA State Librarian Sara Jones. Doors will open at 6:30pm. Movie at 7:00pm. Arrive early if you want to purchase concessions!
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Monday, January 12, 7pm
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Capital Theater 206 5th Ave SE
3) The Last Unicorn (G)
In this animated musical, the villainous King Haggard (Christopher Lee) plots to destroy all the world's unicorns. When a young unicorn (Mia Farrow) learns that she's in danger and that she may soon be the last of her kind, she leaves the safety of her protected forest and enlists the help of Schmendrick (Alan Arkin), a gentle, albeit clumsy, sorcerer. Together, they embark on a long and dangerous journey with one goal: to defeat Haggard and save the unicorns from extinction.
"Features a cast that would do any live-action film proud, a visual style noticeably different from that of other children's fare, and a story filled with genuine sweetness and mystery." - New York Times
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Saturday, January 3rd 3 pm - 5 pm
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Lacey Timberland Library, 500 College Street, SE
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Learn more
Capital City Chorus - Chorale presents "It is Happiness" Fundraising Event
The Chorale has been invited to Carnegie Hall for the national debut of composer Joan Szymko's "It is Happiness" based on the acclaimed poetry by Pulitzer poet, Mary Oliver.
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Saturday, January 17, 2026 | 3:00 p.m.
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United Churches of Olympia, 110 11th Ave, SE, Olympia 98501
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Tickets: $11 which include small bites and beverages, concert, poetry readings and silent auction. Tickets can be purchased at https://cccolympia.org/store/front/product_display/15
Fern Tallos at Olympia AHA Museum and Visitor Center
We need to prepare the Lobby Gallery walls for our upcoming exhibit, and we wanted to invite Olympia behind the scenes! This is an opportunity to view artist Fern Tallos at work while they paint a mural in the museum. This mural will be the backdrop for a new exhibit all about Olympia's history. A lot of art and craft goes into creating museum exhibits. Learn about mural painting by watching it in progress, and get a sneak preview of our upcoming exhibit.
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January 2, 12:00pm-4:00pm
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Olympia AHA Museum and Visitor Center
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This is a free event being held during the museum's open hours. Some gallery access may be limited by this event.
Harlequin announces accessible performances
Harlequin Productions announces expanded accessibility in Season 2026. Of the new offerings, Board Member and Education & Access Committee Chair Kate Faro notes, "Accessibility in the theater is about ensuring that the transformative power of the performing arts is available to everyone. Inclusive practices ensure people with varying needs can fully engage. And while accessibility is essential for some, it benefits a wide range of people."
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Large-print and Braille programs are now available to all.
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Large-print programs have been available since Murder on the Orient Express. Braille programs became available beginning with A Christmas Carol.
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Patrons can find large print programs at concessions as well as on our website on each show page.
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Braille programs are available at concessions.
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Beginning with Wait Until Dark, Harlequin will be offering:
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Community Talkbacks: Every first Sunday matinee will conclude with a 20-minute talkback, curated and hosted by Brian Tyrrell. Talkbacks may include the actors, as well as designers and other professionals hired for the production. Occasionally, members of the community whose experience is relevant to the production will also attend.
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Closed Captioning: The second Sunday of each performance run will include a closed-captioned option for patrons. Harlequin will provide a browser link to patrons, who can then use any device to follow along with live closed captioning of the performance. The captions will appear in white lettering on a black background. A similar service is provided by Village Theater and Taproot Theatre.
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Audio Description: Performance dates TBA. Patrons will hear a live audio description of the performance.
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Sensory Friendly: House lights will be dimmed but not extinguished.
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Visit our Talkback & Accessibility page to reference accessibility dates for upcoming performances.
Olympia Tumwater Foundation January History Talk
The Friendly People: The Story of the Griffin/Steamboat Area, From Early Native Peoples to Modern Times
Join us for our free monthly history talk series-an engaging, hour-long presentation led by a recognized expert in social or natural history. Talks are held at noon (doors open at 11:30). Seating is first-come, first-seated until capacity is reached.
Local historian and author Steve Lundin will share insights from his book The Friendly People: The Story of the Griffin/Steamboat Area, From Early Native Peoples to Modern Times. His talk explores the rich history of the area-from early Lushootseed peoples (who became the Squaxin Island Tribe) through settlement, schools, industry, and community life.
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Schmidt House, 330 Schmidt Place SW, Tumwater
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Noon, Thursday, January 8, 2026 (doors open at 11:30)
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Free (donations gratefully accepted)
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Questions? Contact Karen Johnson at 360-890-2299 or [email protected].
Newsletter Roundup
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Applications Open: South Sound Studio Tour
We are looking for creatives who love to share their creative process and work to apply to participate in the South Sound Studio Tour. SSST is a family friendly, free self-guided tour of studios and artists throughout Olympia, Tumwater and Lacey. If you are a creative working in the South Sound region and serious about your creative practice in any 2D or 3D medium, please consider applying for the Studio Tour!
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The ARCH Digest is a summary of Arts, Culture and History happenings in the greater Olympia area, submitted by the community. Please turn in ArCH Digest listings to [email protected].
Deadline Monday morning, 8 a.m.
If you know of anyone who would like to receive the City of Olympia Arts & Culture news, which includes a weekly ArCH Digest, direct them here and have them mark the Arts & Culture box.
Disclaimer: Information in the Arts Digest is not vetted through the City, nor is it endorsed by the City. The reader is solely responsible for checking background on any opportunity listed above.
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Contact
Stephanie Johnson, Arts Program Manager
Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation
360.709.2678
[email protected]
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