Arts
If your idea of basketry is mired in the 19th century, you need to visit "All Things Considered: Basketry in the 21st Century" at American Art Company for an eye-opening. This is not your grandma's basket weaving; this is contemporary sculptural art, free of all traditional restrictions as to what a
Arts
I hesitate to say this is the best juried exhibition yet at South Puget Sound Community College because I can't trust my memory of previous ones. But I can say this: all juried exhibitions have some great work, some mediocre work and a few pieces that make you wonder how
Stage
Leaving Animal Fire Theatre's outdoor production of Much Ado About Nothing, my wife said she thought it might be the best Animal Fire show yet. In the moment, I tended to agree; but then I remembered their Hamlet from five years past and realized the obvious: you can't compare these
Arts
There is a small but interesting show of Northwest Native American art now on display at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. The 12th annual "In the Spirit: Contemporary Native Art" juried exhibition includes 22 works by artists from Alaska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Washington and Canada, displayed in two
Stage
A hallmark of New Muses Theatre is adapting old plays for modern stages. The company's founder, Niclas Olson, writes the adaptations and usually both directs and stars in the shows - a heavy load for anyone to carry, but one he shoulders well. Written in 1753 by the Italian playwright Carlo
Arts
I must confess that I've never been a huge fan of sumi art. But I'm getting there. The more of it I see, the more I like it. There are 21 works of art in the show "Bamboo: The Summer Gentleman," and 19 of them are pictures of bamboo. One exception is
Stage
Harlequin Productions' First Date is a romantic comedy in the tradition of Tracy and Hepburn, Rock Hudson and Doris Day, Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, updated for the digital age. Updated how? For starters the search engine Google appears in the guise of a woman, and there's a decidedly 21st
Arts
Discovering the work of Serrah Russell, first through Feast Art Center and then through the Internet, was a pleasure for which I am grateful. Russell is a Seattle photographer, video artist and sculptor. As a way of not allowing shock, sadness, anger, fear, or confusion from trapping her in a standstill
Stage
Theater Artists Olympia's 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche might be one of the most difficult reviews I've ever written, because I don't want to give anything away, and this insanely funny romp is so full of surprises that I can hardly say anything without divulging something you should not know
Arts
Jeff Pasek is relatively new to Olympia. He moved here from Ohio in 2014. The first I heard of him was when I saw a post about this show on Facebook. I was excited by the vibrant color and exuberance of his paint application. So I Googled him and found
Stage
Love Letters by A. R. Gurney presents 50 years in the life of a loving couple, Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, as seen through letters they wrote to each other beginning in the second grade and continuing until maturity. Traditionally, the play has been presented with different actors
Arts
Tacoma's own Bruce Bickford, the legendary animator famous for his work on the Frank Zappa movie Baby Snakes, has his first Tacoma art exhibit at Spaceworks Gallery, and it's a doozie. The show includes two animated videos, still frames from many of his animated films, sculptures of clay and of
Stage
Longtime and much celebrated Tacoma theatrical director David Domkoski directs his last show in Tacoma before moving to the East Coast. The play is The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. This modern classic set in the Wild West in 1890 is based on a short story by Dorothy M. Johnson.
Arts
As a former college art teacher, meaning as someone who has at least a little knowledge of what might reasonably be expected of college art students, I think the overall quality of the "12th Annual Student Art Exhibition at South Puget Sound Community College" should be better than it is.
Arts
The first thing that strikes the eye upon walking into Larry Calkins' show "Something Happened Again Tomorrow" at the Feast Art Center, is a pair of rust-colored figures hanging in the windows. Hanging as in lynched. The overall impression, not just of these figures but of the entire show, is
Stage
What a wonderful play! Fishnapped at Olympia Family Theater is a wild and rocking, sweet and touching musical ostensibly for kids but a treat for all ages. And it is a world premiere locally written and produced. It was written by Amy Shephard and Andrew Gordon with music and lyrics
Arts
Artist, curator and gallery owner Lisa Kinoshita recently announced that local artist Nicholas Nyland has joined Matter co-owners Kinoshita and furniture maker Steve Lawler of rePly Furniture as a third partner. "And wait ‘til you see the changes he's wrought at the gallery," Kinoshita exclaimed in an email brimming with
Stage
Shakespeare in Hollywood by legendary playwright Ken Ludwig, author of such popular plays as Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo, and Twentieth Century, brings a bit of magic and a lot of mayhem to Olympia Little Theatre. The concept is brilliant, even as it asks audiences to forsake logic
Arts
"Cultural imPRINT: Northwest Coast Prints" is an exhibition of some 45 prints by artists from the many Northwest coastal tribes over a period of six decades. From the earliest works to the most recent, these prints demonstrate a melding of ancient traditions with the latest aesthetic practices from the times
News Front
Beginning May 20, Capital Mall in Olympia's West Side will display its annual Military Appreciation Exhibit honoring community members who have served in the U.S. military, or are currently serving. This will be the first annual such exhibit according to Capital Mall marketing director Christina Eudy. "Capital Mall is requesting photos
