Editing Olympia, Washington (section)

==Arts and culture==

===Music===
[[File:Nirvana around 1992 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] got its start in the Olympia and [[Tacoma, Washington|Tacoma]] punk-rock scenes of the late 1980s; lead singer [[Kurt Cobain]] grew up in nearby [[Aberdeen, Washington|Aberdeen]].]]
{{main|Music of Olympia, Washington}}

Despite its relatively small population, Olympia is internationally known for its local music scene, particularly in the [[alternative rock]] and [[punk (music)|punk]] genres. It is most notable for its role in incubating the [[riot grrrl]] and [[grunge]] movements of the 1990s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Yenigun |first1=Sami |title=Olympia, Wash.: Why Here? Why Now? |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2010/08/20/129326440/olympia-wash-why-here-why-now |publisher=NPR |access-date=April 7, 2025 |date=August 20, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=A look backstage during the height of Olympia's punk scene |url=https://www.knkx.org/news/2020-01-13/a-look-backstage-during-the-height-of-olympias-punk-scene |publisher=KNKX |date=January 13, 2020 |accessdate=April 7, 2025}}</ref> The Olympia Music History Project formed in 2023 to research and document the area's music scene during the late 20th century, the peak of its influence.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vinson |first=Ty |date=January 17, 2025 |title=Learn about Olympia's place in music history on new website |url=https://www.theolympian.com/entertainment/arts-culture/article297945793.html |work=The Olympian |accessdate=April 7, 2025}}</ref>

Olympia has been a starting point or home for numerous bands that have achieved international recognition. [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]], among the most popular bands of the 20th century and known for popularizing the Pacific Northwest-based [[grunge]] genre, has roots in Olympia: lead singer [[Kurt Cobain]] lived in Olympia for several years during the band's rise to fame, and penned most songs on their bestselling album [[Nevermind]] while living there.<ref>{{cite news |last=Seminara |first=March |date=March 25, 2014 |title=Chasing Kurt Cobain in Washington State |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/30/travel/chasing-kurt-cobain-in-washington-state.html |website=The New York Times |accessdate=April 8, 2025}}</ref> [[Bikini Kill]] started the influential [[feminism|feminist]] [[punk rock|punk]] movement [[riot grrrl]] in Olympia in 1990, as a counterpoint to grunge. Other prominent Olympia-based bands in the riot grrrl movement included [[Sleater-Kinney]], named after a street in neighboring [[Lacey, Washington]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Rietmulder |first=Michael |date=September 26, 2024 |title=Sleater-Kinney returns to Olympia after 19 years |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/music/sleater-kinney-returns-to-olympia-after-19-years/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=April 8, 2025}}</ref>

In addition, local alternative rock record labels [[K Records]] and [[Kill Rock Stars]] have played a significant role in shaping [[alternative rock]] and its subgenres. [[K Records]], founded by musician [[Calvin Johnson (musician)|Calvin Johnson]], supported the early careers of Pacific Northwest artists including [[Modest Mouse]] and [[Phil Elverum]]. Kurt Cobain is said to have had a tattoo of Johnson's logo on his forearm.<ref>{{cite news |last=Segal |first=Dave |date=February 24, 2016 |title=Is K Records a 'Broken, Sinking Ship'? |url=https://www.thestranger.com/music/2016/02/24/23611835/is-k-records-a-broken-sinking-ship |website=The Stranger |accessdate=April 8, 2025}}</ref> During its heyday, Johnson and his label earned the attention of [[Beck]], then a rising star, who traveled to Olympia to record the collaborative album [[One Foot In The Grave (album)|One Foot In The Grave]] with Johnson.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hochman |first=Steve |date=June 26, 1994 |title=Beck's Back |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-26-ca-8567-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |accessdate=April 8, 2025}}</ref>

Kill Rock Stars, founded in Olympia shortly after K Records, got their start releasing Bikini Kill's first EP, and eventually grew into an indie label hosting the likes of Sleater-Kinney, [[Elliott Smith]], and [[Xiu Xiu]], among others.<ref>{{cite news |last=Douglas |first=Martin |date=June 9, 2022 |title=The Almost Complete History of Kill Rock Stars |url=https://kexp.org/read/2022/6/9/almost-complete-history-kill-rock-stars/ |publisher=[[KEXP]] |accessdate=April 8, 2025}}</ref>

Today, Olympia continues to play host to a strong local music scene, including several annual music festivals across various genres, including South Sound Block Party, Oly Funk Fest, and Olympia Old Time Music Festival.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

[[The Fleetwoods]], a popular 1950s and 1960s doo-wop group, whose hits included "[[Come Softly to Me]]" and "[[Mr. Blue]]", originated in Olympia. Additionally, acclaimed [[black metal]] band [[Wolves in the Throne Room]] hails from the city, forming in 2002.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

===Fine and visual arts===
[[File:Oly WA Capitol Theater 06.jpg|thumb|The [[Capitol Theater (Olympia)|Capitol Theater]], home of the [[Olympia Film Society]]]]
Olympia is a regional center for fine arts. A number of [[theatre|theatrical]] experiences are available with companies such as Animal Fire Theater, Olympia Family Theater, Olympia Little Theater, Theater Artists Olympia, Broadway Olympia Productions, and Harlequin Productions at the historic State Theater, as well as Broadway Olympia's Black Box Theater at Capitol Mall. The Olympia Symphony Orchestra performs five regular-season concerts at the Washington Center and two pops concerts. The Masterworks Chorale Ensemble performs four regular-season concerts at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts.

Visual art venues include some of the local coffeehouses, Olympia Coffee Roasting Co., [[Batdorf & Bronson]], and Burial Grounds downtown, with the latter indefinitely closed. Art House Designs is an art gallery that also hosts a jazz performance space. [[Murals]] and public art installations of [[sculpture]] are prevalent in Olympia and are especially featured on the State Capitol Campus and along [[Percival Landing]] on the urban waterfront. The Washington Center for the Performing Arts also presents visual art exhibitions throughout the season in its lobby areas.

Notable art venues near Olympia include Art in Ecology, housed in Washington Department of Ecology's 322,000-square-foot, three-story building on the campus of Saint Martin's University. Art in Ecology is a long-established art-in-the-workplace venue that has works by numerous northwest artists. Permanent installations by Alfredo Arreguin, commissioned by the Washington State Arts Commission, are accompanied by changing solo and group exhibitions throughout the year. Appointments to view the works are needed; tours take about an hour.

South Puget Sound Community College has a gallery in its Minnaert Center with rotating exhibitions. Evergreen State College, northwest of Olympia, has a professionally curated gallery with rotating shows in the Dan Evans Library building. South of Olympia, [[Monarch Contemporary Art Center and Sculpture Park]] has an 80-acre [[sculpture garden]] and [[art gallery]].

Each year, the [[Olympia Film Society]] (OFS) produces a film festival and fosters film and video education in Olympia. It also shows independent, classic, and international films year-round at the art-deco [[Capitol Theater (Olympia)|Capitol Theater]]. A mostly volunteer-powered organization, OFS supports and presents a variety of cultural events, including ''All Freakin' Night'', an all-night horror film screening with a cult following.
[[File:Lakefair.JPG|thumb|[[Lakefair]], Olympia's annual summer festival, pictured in 2008]]
On the fourth Saturday in April, in honor of [[Earth Day]], Olympia is host to one of the region's largest community celebrations – the [[Procession of the Species]]. Held in conjunction with the city's biannual Arts Walk, the Procession is organized by the community-based nonprofit organization Earthbound Productions, and is the culmination of an annual Community Art Studio that is free and open to the public.<ref>[http://www.procession.org/AboutStudio.php About the Community Art Studio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525163111/http://www.procession.org/AboutStudio.php |date=May 25, 2011 }} — Official Website of the Procession of the Species. Retrieved October 16, 2009.</ref> In its July 2009 ''Best of America'' feature, ''[[Reader's Digest]]'' magazine honored the Procession of the Species with the top spot in its "can't resist" parades and processions list.<ref>[http://www.theolympian.com/living/story/888342.html "Procession of the Species tops Reader's<!-- "Readers" in original --> Digest list"]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} — June 22, 2009. ''The Olympian''. Retrieved October 16, 2009.</ref><ref>[http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/best-of-america-just-for-fun-awards/article141292-6.html 8 People, Places and Things We Love About America] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091226000437/http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/best-of-america-just-for-fun-awards/article141292-6.html |date=December 26, 2009 }} — ''Reader's Digest''. Retrieved October 16, 2009.</ref> Open to all, the Procession of the Species attracts up to 30,000 viewers, while its costumed participants of all ages frequently number nearly 3,000. On the Friday evening before the Procession of Species, a Luminary Procession is held.

In February 2025, the Olympia city council passed a resolution declaring the city a "sanctuary city" for [[LGBTQ|LGBTQ+]] people, guaranteeing municipal-level protections on top of existing [[LGBTQ rights in Washington (state)|state laws enshrining LGBT rights]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olympia becomes Washington's first LGBTQ+ sanctuary city |url=https://www.advocate.com/politics/olympia-lgbtq-sanctuary-city |access-date=February 7, 2025 |website=The Advocate |language=en}}</ref>