Mid-Century Modern Olympia began as an idea for an art project - a letterpress poster celebrating the buildings, designs and ideals of the visionary period from the mid 1930s to the 1960s.
Events
Exhibit (April 23-May 31): Exhibit of drawings by Katie Egland Cox, photos by Larry Mishkar, limited-edition letterpress broadsides by Jami Heinricher and historic photographs from the City of Olympia Historical Commission.
Opening celebration (5-10 p.m. April 23 and noon-7 p.m. April 24): Includes art exhibit, exhibit of photos and ephemera from the mid-century era, an opportunity to view and add to an interactive map of Olympia’s mid-century modern architecture and an exhibit of mid-century modern furnishings. Friday only, there’ll be a no-host martini bar, music by the Greta Jane Quartet, and, weather permitting, a few mid-century cars parked outside.
Films by Charles and Ray Eames (5-9 p.m. April 23): Short films on the big screen. Free.
“Visual Acoustics” (7 p.m. April 30): A profile of the work of architectural photographer Julius Shulman. Free.
Lecture on Olympia architecture of the 1950s and 1960s (7 p.m. May 13): With state architectural historian Michael Houser and Olympia architect Irv Flotree. Free.
Lecture on preserving period buildings (7 p.m. May 20): With Dave King from Eco Woodworks and Daryl Morgan from The Evergreen State College. Free.
“Modern Views: A Conversation on Northwest Modern Architecture” (7 p.m. May 27): A documentary exploring the work and ideas of the region’s major mid-century modern architects. Includes a discussion with the filmmakers. Free.
Also: Maps for self-guided tours will be available in May, and a day of mid-century modern home tours is planned for May 8.
Mid-Century Modern Olympia
What: An exhibit of drawings, photographs and a letterpress poster highlighting the city’s mid-century modern architecture is the kickoff event for a new community group aimed at preserving and educating the community about this architecture.
When: April 23-May 31
Where: The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. S.E., Olympia
Tickets: $18 general admission, $15 for students and seniors
More information: 360-753-8586 or www.washingtoncenter.org or www.mce.org
The letterpress broadside poster: The $35 limited edition poster will be available at The Washington Center and the Sherwood Press and through www.buyolympia.com.
Now, the project has become an exhibit – opening April 23 at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts as part of Arts Walk – that includes furniture, cars, films and even a martini bar. Films, lectures and tours will continue through May, National Historic Preservation Month.
“As we talked with people about our project and how enthusiastic we felt about mid-century architecture, it became infectious,” said Jami Heinricher, the designer and printer who started the project, collaborating with Katie Egland Cox, who did the elevation drawings. “People started popping out of the woodwork and joining our project, and it’s turned into something far larger than what we originally anticipated.
“And greater,” Egland Cox added. “Much greater.”
In fact, Mid-Century Modern Olympia is not just the name of the exhibit – it’s also the name of the group, a loose committee that plans to continue working to raise awareness about the era’s buildings.
The group was inspired in part by the fact that some mid-century buildings are being lost, and in part by a disillusionment with some modern architecture.
“People don’t often view ’50s buildings as historic buildings,” Egland Cox said, “but because now it has been 50 years ago, they are historic buildings.”
“We’re trying to raise awareness of how much modern architecture is in town – not only commercially but also private homes,” said Kevin Boyer, the Washington Center’s curator and marketing director and a part of Mid-Century Modern Olympia. “We want people to realize where this architecture came from and what it was influenced by and how it has influenced the city.”
Weather permitting, mid-century cars will be parked outside the Washington Center April 23 to highlight the treasures within.
