By Ruby Love
It’s that time of year again, and Spring Arts Walk is right around the corner! We’ve combed through the one hundred and seventeen venues (aaahh!) and have a few suggestions for tackling Olympia’s twice-yearly artstravaganza.
Spring 2017 Arts Walk kicks off on Friday, April 28, with most venues opening in the early evening. Be sure not to miss the magical “Element of Spirit Luminary Procession,” which starts on Washington St. between 4th and 5th avenues at 9:30 p.m. The art and events continue through Saturday evening, starting with “Chalk in the Streets,” where 7,000 pieces of “colorful chalk” will be passed out, and people are encouraged to “draw the art of nature in the streets” before the Procession of the Species begins. If you’ve never seen either Procession, we highly recommend checking them out if you like enormous papier-mâché animals and glowing trees.
We don’t want to pick favorites among the many talented artists, but we’ve put together a selection of some of our favorite gallerys to go to. Our top-pick venues to check out (conveniently spaced apart by coffee shops and restaurants for pit-stops) are Salon Refu, Splash Gallery, Olyphant, and the newly remodeled/relocated Little General (plus they sell really good snacks!)
The most important thing you can do when you start out your Arts Walk evening is to pick up a brochure (they’re handed out at every venue) which lists every artist, venue, address, and often a short description of the work. It’s also helpful to map out where you want to go beforehand, as streets will be crowded. Meet up with one or two people, and stop often for refreshments, bonus points if those refreshments are free wine and cheese. Best of luck!
