City Hall

Meeting Minutes

Arts Commission

601 4th Avenue E

Olympia, WA 98501

Contact: Stephanie

Johnson

360.709.2678

Thursday, March 12, 2026

6:00 PM

Online or via phone

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_H0GeF245RUeLHuoI3BBkvA

CALL TO ORDER

Chair Dorgan called the meeting to order at 6:03pm.

1.A

ROLL CALL

Lorilyn Lirio was also in attendance.

5 - Chair Kathryn Dorgan, Commissioner Jim Burlingame, Commissioner

Coral Garey, Commissioner Katherine Ransom and Commissioner

Andrew Repcik

Present:

2 - Commissioner Sergio Garcia and Commissioner Jay Spivak

Absent:

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Chair Dorgan asked if there were changes to the agenda. Hearing none, the

agenda was approved.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

26-0190

Approval of February 12, 2026 Arts Commission Meeting Minutes

2.12.26 OAC Minutes

Attachments:

Chair Dorgan asked if there were changes to the minutes. Hearing none, the

minutes were approved.

PUBLIC COMMENT

None.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Commissioners thanked Commissioner Burlingame for his years of service.

Commissioners also spoke to past and upcoming art events in the community.

BUSINESS ITEMS

26-0191

Arts Walk Update

Arts Walk website

Attachments:

Ms. Johnson shared updates on the upcoming Arts Walk event: 125 participating

businesses, plus 89 vendors in the Arts Market, that has been moved to Percival

Landing. She shared the cover art by Fern Tallos, and explained that reductions in the

City Communications staff will mean less cross referenced information on the paper

map, with more direction toward the website. She noted that the Procession of the

Species had found workshop space in the former Orca Books and Johanson's Ballet

storefronts, and they were still looking for space to store the larger sculptures.

She noted there was a need for volunteers for a number of tasks: Commissioners

Burlingame and Repcik, plus Chair Dorgan and Vice-Chair Ransom volunteered to

deliver maps.

Information only. No action requested.

26-0195

Artist in Residence Update

Ms. Johnson shared a brief history of the Artist in Residence Program drumming

workshops, which had a successful pilot project at Drexel House in 2023. Efforts to bring

back an expanded program in 2026 encompassing Unity Commons and Lotus Court in

addition to Drexel House have had very little participation in the first of 3, three month

proposed sessions. Efforts to increase involvement have included changing the venue

location, providing reminder calls and texts, and providing refreshment. Ms. Johnson

noted that the intent of the program was to increase a sense of community among the

residents, and provide more opportunity for engagement.

Commissioners discussed the concern, and asked Ms. Johnson to reach out to other

residences to gauge their interest in hosting drumming workshops, including Pear

Blossom Place, Plum Street Village, Community Youth Services, and Billy Frank Jr.

Place.

Information only. No action requested.

26-0193

2026 Arts Commission Calendar Planning

Commissioners reviewed the schedule for 2026. Given expected action items for each

meeting, they determined not to meet in June and October. They also asked staff to set

up meet and greets with the Armory Partners, to learn more about their organizations and

plans for the Armory space.

Information only. No action requested.

REPORTS

Ms. Johnson shared that the Community Livability and Public Safety Committee (CLiPS)

is reviewing advisory bodies with plans to either re-vamp or re-imagine the system.

Commissioners will receive a survey in April and a meeting of the Chairs for all boards

and commissions will be help May 7 for additional feedback and recommendation.

Regarding public art - Triumph of the Vegetables repairs have just taken place, final

painting will happen weather permitting. The Art Crossing #3 repair is in motion, and

NEA response on a grant for Art Crossing #4 will happen in the next few months. The

third sculpture to be hit by a car, Tidepool of Time, only suffered damage to bollards and

the surrounding railing. Locations for pedestals at Kettle View Park and Mission Creek

Park have been identified and will soon be installed to host sculpture purchased through

the Percival Plinth Project. 15 sculptures were approved by City Council the week earlier

for the 2026 Percival Plinth Project exhibition. Construction on the Welcome Figure site

has begun, with completion expected the end of March. And although the project was

commissioned by the PBIA, maintenance of the Artesian Well mosaic will be handled by

the Arts program.

Ms. Johnson shared that construction costs will not count toward a grant match for public

art at the Daley Arts Center, but that a $40,000 match seems possible within the

Municipal Art Fund for an NEA grant in 2027. The grant deadline is in June 2026, and

she asked Commissioners if they would support an application, which they did.

She also noted that the Olympia Downtown Alliance has made the difficult decision not to

hold Summerfest this year and asked if the funds earmarked for that event could be used

to support local opening acts for the Music in the Park Concert Series. As both projects

support local musicians and street performers, Commissioners agreed to allow those

funds ($3,000) to be used for Music in the Park in 2026.