Grass Lake Nature Park Ribbon Cutting
with public art by Abe Singer
Celebrate the official opening of the new multi-use trail at Grass Lake, including public art by Abe Singer, fashioned from the 10' x 23' steel tank existing on the site. Entitled Recomposing, the project is comprised of a bird blind and two entrance sculptures inspired by the nature of the area.
In his application for the project, Abe noted "The prospect of repurposing an old steel water tank is particularly intriguing to me. This project brings together two recurring themes in my work: elevating elements of nature that are underfoot or overlooked, and embracing natural curvatures of cylinders. My sculptures highlight the potential beauty of things that are undervalued or disregarded. To some, an old steel water tank is trash, but to me, I see elegant curves, beautifully pressed hemispheres, and a wealth of three dimensional opportunities to explore."
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Grass Lake Nature Park Ribbon Cutting
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Thursday, June 12, 2025, 4pm
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700 Kaiser Rd NW
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
Sweeping Advanced Waltz, Jun 20 - Aug 1
Showtime East Coast, Jun 20-Aug 1
All About Guitar Chords, Jun 26
Adult Beginning Violin/Fiddle, Jul 7-28
Elton John hits on Ukulele, Part 1, Jul 9-Aug 6
Beginning Guitar, Jul 10-Aug 7
Discover Voice Overs!, Jul 22
British Rock Invasion Ukulele, Jul 26-Aug 23
Continuing Fiddle, Jul 29-Aug 19
Guitar II, Aug 14-Sep 4
Visual Arts, & Crafts
Color Your Canvas Painting - Every Woman, Jul 12
Shibori, Jun 14
Summer Solstice Mandala, Jun 21
Creating Glass Mosaic Art, Jun 28
Ceramic Lab, Jun 30-Aug 4
Ceramic Lab, Jun 30-Aug 4
Handmade Paper, Jul 12
Figure Sculpture, Jul 15-Aug 19
Life Drawing, July 16-30
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Announcing Emerald City Music's 2025-2026 Concert Season: Celebrating ECM at 10! Taking bold steps into the future with new programs, new partnerships and, for the first time ever, an Ensemble-in-Residence with GRAMMY®-nominated Sandbox Percussion. ECM at 10 reaches every corner of chamber music from the last 250 years. Explore all the world-class performances our Season 10 has to offer! Learn more Reader's Theater Unlimited Play on two dates, June 17 and 26 Not My Cup of Tea. Spinster daughters decide to do away with their elderly mother. Meanwhile, Mother decides to do away with her daughters. So Great To See You Again! Carol and Roger have surprise guests from long ago. Find out how they handle this socially awkward (but common) situation. Performed by Reader's Theater Unlimited volunteer Seniors . No admission charge, donations accepted for South Sound Seniors. June 17, 2025, Tuesday, at 1:00 pm in Stage Room at Olympia Senior Center, 222 Columbia St. NW, Olympia, 98501. https://www.southsoundseniors.org Ph. 360-586-6181 June 26, Thursday, at 1:00 pm in Stage Room at Lacey Senior Center 6757 Pacific Ave. SE, Lacey, 98503. https://https://www.laceysc@southsoundseniors.org">https://www.laceysc@southsoundseniors.org">https://https://www.laceysc@southsoundseniors.org">https://www.laceysc@southsoundseniors.org Ph. 360-407-3967 Belonging Story Flags Project on display at Roosevelt Elementary School until June 18 This year, Roosevelt Elementary School fifth graders created colorful flags to tell their stories about what belonging in community feels like for them. As part of the project, students were asked to respond to the prompt "I feel like I belong when…" and then used fabric, paint markers, and glue to create flags that illustrated their responses. The 70 flags simply and beautifully speak to our deep longing for belonging in community and are guaranteed to lift your spirits and touch your heart. They were first unfurled at the PTA's Plant Sale on May 18 and will be on display at the front of the school until June 18. Everyone is welcome to stop by to view them. The school is located at 1417 San Francisco Street NE across the street from the SF Bakery. A story about the project that includes some wonderful photos of students creating their flags can be found on the Olympia School District's Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/OlympiaSchoolDistrict/posts/pfbid02Ls5mReUyLNXCtK7kR7F And photos of all 70 of the flags can be found here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xTlYI5Sn3TEtewd3nvXLXl_f3m3WYJVl?usp=drive_link Later in the year, the flags will be moved across the street to a new pocket park and future food court located on the site of an old, dilapidated service station that was demolished in 2023. The belonging story flags project is a partnership between Roosevelt School, local artist Carrie Ziegler, and the Olympia Northeast Neighborhoods Alliance or ONNA. ONNA is comprised of the Northeast, Bigelow, Bigelow Highlands, and East Bay Drive Neighborhood Associations. One of ONNA's long-term goals is to transform the corner of San Francisco and Bethel streets into a vibrant neighborhood center. The belonging story flag project, which was launched with initial support from a 2024 City of Olympia Neighborhood Matching Grant, is part of that effort. Stomp and Shout: The Untold Story of Northwest Rock & Roll Northwest Rock & Roll's historical highpoints are well documented-in the late 20th century, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and other grunge gods took the world by storm. Previously, Seattle's Queensrÿche and Heart had ruled the heavy metal realm. And prior to that, The Wailers, The Kingsmen, Paul Revere and The Raiders, and The Sonics had all fueled local teen dances with garage-rock versions of the region's signature song, "Louie Louie." Yet these iconic bands are only half the story. In this talk, join author Peter Blecha to discover the lesser-known but vitally important bands and scenes that laid the foundation for what was to come-finally connecting all the dots between the fabled Northwest era of Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, and Jimmy Hendrix, and the R&B-spiked roots of a distinct regional artform: the "Original Northwest Sound." Friday, June 20, 6:30pm Olympia Timberland Library - 313 8th Ave SE Free Learn more At the Washington Center June 28 at 7:30pm - I'm Not A Comedian…. I'm Lenny Bruce! This beautifully staged theatrical production follows the life and struggles of the most groundbreaking comedian of all time, Lenny Bruce. This counter-cultural hero held a mirror up to society, fighting his inner demons alongside his quest for freedom of speech and his right to tell the truth. Over 50 years after his death, Lenny's legacy lives on as he continues to inspire artists all over the world. Written and portrayed by critically acclaimed actor Ronnie Marmo (General Hospital), with the blessings of Kitty Bruce (daughter of the late Lenny Bruce), along with the Lenny Bruce Foundation, and directed by Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds), this theatrical event is not to be missed. Recommended for ages 18+. In the Gallery: Faces in Vases paintings by Jericho Moss, Showing: May 30 - August 24 Jericho Moss is an Olympia-based artist originally from Los Angeles. Her works explore breaking free from feelings of restraint into feelings of freedom (at last). The "Faces in Vases" collection represents the wildness of thoughts that bloom forth from the mind, even when the body is constricted or forced to conform. "Faces in Vases" explores moving from blockage to blossoming by just opening the mind. Our three-floor gallery is open to the public for viewing by appointment (Monday through Friday from 12PM to 4PM), or to ticketed patrons 1 hour prior to an event. To schedule an appointment, or to fill out a gallery application please contact us here. Newsletter Roundup News of the week in Downtown Olympia ASHHO Save the Dates - June is Full of Joy, Flavor & Connection! Artist Trust Newsletter | June 2025 Artists' Gallery June Guest Artist: Debbie Tracey ASHHO Celebrate Black Excellence with Us this Juneteenth Hot Makes!Time for Another Lacey MakerSpace Innovation Update! Artists' Gallery Summer Party: June 13 Washington Trust for Historic Preservation Snapshot - June 2025 Artists' Gallery Guest Artist: Linda West Gallery News: Congratulations 2025 SW WA Juried Art Exhibition Artists!
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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 ARCHDigest@ci.olympia.wa.us. 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
sjohnson@ci.olympia.wa.us
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