I attended the opening of "Out of The Silence," an art exhibit in Olympia's Urban Onion lobby. It was a phenomenal event and a phenomenal exhibition. As they say in high society, everyone who is anyone was there: Mayor Stephen Buxbaum, Congressman Denny Heck, a handful of City Council members, school teachers and administrators, and leaders of the gay rights movement. The exhibition is being held as a fundraiser for Pizza Klatch, a support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and their allies in Olympia area high schools.

Credit calligrapher Sally Penley for coming up with the idea and pulling the whole thing together with a lot of help from other community members - most notably Lynn Grotsky and the board and facilitators of Pizza Klatch. Penley's idea was to invite calligraphic artists from all over the country to make art based on inspirational quotes related to bullying and youth suicide or quotes of hope such as Harvey Milk's famous and simple quote, "You gotta give 'em hope."

Read Alec Clayton's full review of "Out of Silence" in the Weekly Volcano's Arts section.

Urban Onion Lobby, "Out of The Silence," through March 30, 116 Legion Way, Olympia