Apply now to be on the 2026 Arts Walk cover!
Have you participated in Arts Walk within the past two years? Do you have 5 images of current work? Consider applying for the Arts Walk cover!
Each year two artists are selected and commissioned by the City to create a new, original work of art to be featured in the Arts Walk poster and other event publications. One artist is highlighted for each the fall and spring events. Artists are selected through a call for art that typically takes place in the fall for the following year. Selected artists receive $750 to create a new work that is featured on the Arts Walk cover.
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APPLY online by November 17, 2025 at 11:45pm.
Have you taken the fall Arts Walk survey?
Just takes a few minutes!
Experiments In Poetry - Virtual Writing Workshop
Olympia's Poet Laureate hosts the virtual writing workshop Experiments in Poetry, a two-hour hands-on lab for language. With poets A.M. O'Malley and Grant Gerald Miller, we'll cut, collage, and re-wire words-trying constraint games, erasures, found text, and quick prompts that spark surprise. No experience needed. Bring a pen, your curiosity, and a willingness to break the poem open.
A.M. O'Malley is a poet, educator, and community arts organizer. She's the author of Tuscaloosa Grief Factory and Expecting Something Else, and her work explores memory, class, and resilience. A longtime teaching artist, she's led writing workshops in prisons, schools, and community centers across the country.
Grant Gerald Miller is a poet, editor, and photographer whose work blurs image and text to examine place, intimacy, and inheritance. His writing and photography have appeared in journals and exhibitions throughout the U.S., and he co-leads creative writing workshops focused on experimentation and collaboration.
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Saturday December 13th, 1-3pm
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ZOOM event - Register here
Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County Public Presentation
The Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County is pleased to announce a free public presentation taking place at the Capital Mall Grand Court. This event is scheduled for Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9 during mall hours.
Program includes:
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Interactive question and answer session
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Gardening activities for children
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Recycling and compost information
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Learn about our programs
Additional workshop opportunity:
Toni Ghazal, Master Gardener instructor, and author of "My Eclectic Garden," will lead a 40-minute gardening workshop with a Q&A. Topics include fall garden prep for spring, autumn perennial care, organic vs. nonorganic soil amendments, and letting soil rest for soil organisms.
The workshop is at 6:30 in Capital Mall's REI classroom; An ASL interpreter will be available.
Supported by Inspire Olympia
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
Americana Ukulele, Oct 25-Dec 6
Creative Contemporary Dance, Nov 3 - Dec 9
Guitar II, Nov 6-20
Ukulele Holiday Songs, Nov 12-Dec 17
Visual Arts, & Crafts
Starscapes, Nov 1
Dotting Holiday Card (Dot painting), Nov 5-12
Life Drawing, Nov 5-19
Art Sampler, Nov 6-20
Palette Knife Painting with Acrylics, Nov 8
Exploring The Creative Arts Therapies, Nov 8-22
Fused Glass Art Autumn Celebration, Nov 15
Holiday Pop-Up Cards, Nov 17-24
Dotted Christmas Ornaments, Nov 18-25
Zen Ink Holiday Cards, Nov 22
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Congratulations to the recipients of the 2025 Grants for Artist Projects (GAP)! These unrestricted project-based grants of $1,500 from Artist Trust support artists of all disciplines across Washington State-representing a $97,500 investment in our creative community. This year, recipients were chosen from a record-breaking pool of applicants, making this the most competitive GAP cohort in the program's 36-year history. Four discipline-specific panels, each composed of three working artists, selected the 2025 awardees. See a full list of recipients and panelists below. Special congratulations to Tien Taylor and Oliver Dickson from Thurston County! Learn more SPSCC Theatre Collective Presents A Bright Room Called Day The South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) Theatre Collective presents A Bright Room Called Day by Tony Kushner at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts Main Stage from November 14 to 23, 2025. Set against the backdrop of 1930s Berlin, A Bright Room Called Day follows a group of artists ringing in New Year's Eve in 1932. Their celebration is warm and carefree until the rise of Hitler begins to cast a chilling shadow over their lives. As Nazism tightens its grip on Germany, each friend must confront impossible choices between integrity and survival. Some resist, some flee, and some are paralyzed by fear. Interwoven with this historical narrative is Zillah, a modern activist from the Reagan-era 1980s, whose fierce determination to fight repression echoes across time. Admission is a suggested $12 donation at the door. SPSCC students, staff, and faculty are free. More information, including performance dates and times, is available on the college's Arts & Entertainment Calendar. The Heartsparkle Players Playback Theatre: Legacy Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Playback Theatre in Collaboration with Window Seat Media Featuring Guest Musician Azadi Amaan FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 6:30pm Traditions - 300 5th Avenue SW Olympia Food and Drinks provided by Soul Cafe Suggested Donation $10-20 (no one turned away) Hands-On AI Demo Workshop Curious about artificial intelligence? Join us for a hands-on workshop where you'll explore and compare different AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. Participants will experiment with real-world tasks such as summarizing articles, creating a resume, drafting a cover letter, writing an email, generating images, and more. After each activity, we'll reflect together on what worked, what didn't, and how the tools compare. Please bring your laptop or phone, if you can. We'll also have a few devices available. Come experiment, learn, and share your thoughts in this guided exploration of today's most talked-about technology. No prior experience with AI is necessary. All are welcome! Saturday, November 1st 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm Lacey Timberland Library, 500 College Street SE Learn more Please join Seattle Pro Musica for its highly anticipated annual appearance at the St. John | San Juan Episcopal Church concert series The award-winning choral ensemble will treat concert-goers to its Northern Lights performance, inspired by the otherworldly beauty of the aurora borealis. From medieval chant and traditional carols to dazzling works by Arvo Pärt, Ola Gjeilo, and Veljo Tormis, you'll journey through a thousand years of ethereal Baltic and Nordic choral music. In the centerpiece, Northern Lights by Ēriks Ešenvalds, voices, chimes, and tuned water goblets combine to evoke the spectacle of the aurora. Suggested donation is $20. You may make a donation here or pay at the door. The concert begins at 3 p.m. Sunday, November 23 St. John | San Juan Episcopal Church, 114 20th Ave. S.E., Olympia. (Intercity Transit Route 13). An accessible entrance is off the parking lot at 19th Avenue and Capitol Way. Olympia Eagle's Fall Spectacular Open House Olympia Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie#21 invites the general public to its Fall Spectacular Open House! Come check out the Eagle's club and find out what we are all about. There will be live music all day long, both up in the classic ballroom and downstairs in the club social room. Enjoy food, dancing and an opportunity to explore the historic Eagles building in downtown Olympia. Meet long-time Eagle members and learn about the many benefits of Eagle membership and how this charitable organization brings people together while helping the community at large. Free Saturday, November 8, 2025, all day, beginning at 3pm Day of Event Specific times: 3pm Live music with rock band Sturgeon Moon downstairs in the social room. 7pm Live music and dancing up in the ballroom with the phenomenal 15 piece big band: The Dukes of Swing! All-Ages welcome until 9pm. 805 E. 4th Ave. Olympia WA. 98506. The corner of 4th and Plum streets downtown. Contact: Eagles Club 360-357-3722. More info: https://www.olympiafoe.com 16th Annual Native American Art Exhibition: A Retrospective Honoring Philip Red Eagle The Leonor R. Fuller Gallery and SPSCC are honored to present "Windows: A Retrospective of Philip H. Red Eagle", a landmark exhibition celebrating the life, legacy, and creative force of one of the Salish communities most impactful indigenous voices. Philip H. Red Eagle is a Vietnam Veteran, visual artist, author, activist, and canoe carver whose work and dedication to service in the military, indigenous community, and the arts span over 50 years. This comprehensive retrospective brings together writings, photographs, carvings, and archival materials that reflect Red Eagle's unwavering commitment to cultural preservation, indigenous sovereignty, and artistic exploration. November 3 - December 12, 2025 Opening reception: Friday, November 7, 6:00 - 7:30 pm Learn more Newsletter Roundup Find Connection and Celebration at ASHHO News of the Week in Downtown Olympia! Celebrating Halloween at Harlequin Furry Friends, Motown and Cirque Mechanics coming to the Center! The Spark: What's New at Lacey MakerSpace South Sound Studio Tour - October Newsletter Catch up on the Olympia AHA Museum and Visitor Center newsletters When a pianist conducts from the keyboard… magic happens.
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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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