Title
2021 Olympia Heritage Awards Recommendations
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Move to approve the Heritage Commission recommendation of recipients of 2021 Heritage Awards, and forward to City Council for consideration.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the Heritage Commission recommendation of recipients of 2021 Heritage Awards, and forward to City Council for consideration.
Report
Issue:
Whether to recommend the Heritage Commission’s proposed Heritage Award recipients for City Council consideration
Staff Contact:
Marygrace Goddu, Senior Planner, Community, Planning & Development, 360.480.0923
Presenter(s):
Holly Davies, Heritage Commission Chair
Background and Analysis:
The members of the Heritage Commission recommend four nominees for Heritage Awards in 2021. Following this unprecedented Pandemic year of 2020, in which the norms of human interaction had to be re-imagined, the Commission’s nominations for 2021 recognize heritage, history, and culture bearers who have worked in a variety of mediums to creatively connect, educate, tell our stories and share our past.
• Shane Anderson, Documentary Film maker and Storyteller is recognized for his historical and current documentation of the land, water, and wildlife in our region. Shane's films have educated the public, created protective policies, and communicated calls to action to protect, honor, and preserve these places that backdrop our city, from the Olympic Mountains to the waterways that shape our community. Historical background is a strong component of each of Shane’s productions.
• Playwright Bryan Willis is nominated for his play, The Hotel Olympian 100th Anniversary Grand Gala Extravaganza, which successfully uses historic narratives to both entertain and educate audiences. With the 100th Anniversary of the Hotel Olympian in 2020 as his take-off point, Willis’ play is set in the Hotel’s Grand Opening event. With the clever use of a fortune-teller, he playfully takes observers on a 100-year, forward journey of Olympia’s history and current landmarks, invoking a renewed sense of community and longevity, and a few good laughs. Originally planned as a live on-location play, Willis reproduced this work as a radio play in response to the social gathering restrictions of the Pandemic and maintained a 2020 release coinciding with the 100-year anniversary of the Olympian Hotel’s opening.
• The Thurston County Historic Commission is nominated for their coordination and publication of Thurston County Water, Woods & Prairies, Essays on the History of Washington’s Capital County, the most inclusive book ever written on Washington’s Capital County, and the first published in 100 years. The entire project was conducted with unpaid volunteers starting in 2012. Featuring the work of nine local and regional historians and five essayists, this publication adds new information to the historical record of our region. The extensively researched and indexed information provide valuable sources, including a wealth of historic images, drawings and maps for historic preservationists and community historians. It was published in 2019 with support from the Thurston County Commissioners.
• Alicia Elliott for MacIntyre House Restoration and Placemaking - Alicia Elliott’s innovative actions blend placemaking with historic preservation in a prominent block on Olympia’s Westside. Alicia’s 2012 vision to create a neighborhood center and gathering place on the site of the former Rowland Lumber building at the corner of Harrison and Division led to creation of West Central Park. Building on this success, she acquired and restored nearby historic homes including the 1892 era McIntyre House, which has been carefully restored and is now Marie’s Bed and Breakfast. In less than a decade Alicia has created new public green space, preserved historic sites, sparked local economic development and promoted sustainable development, in a testament to what one person can accomplish and an example for others to follow.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
N/A
Options:
1. Recommend the proposed awardees to City Council for consideration.
2. Modify the list of proposed awardees and recommend to City Council for consideration.
3. Do not make a recommendation to City Council, resulting in deferral or delay of 2021 Heritage Awards.
Financial Impact:
Minimal cost to create award certificates and awards is funded by the Community Planning and Development administrative budget.
Attachments:
Anderson Nomination
Willis Nomination
Thurston County Historic Commission Nomination
Elliott Nomination