Out and About: Celebrate ‘Black Love,’ dance to the Dead, remember climbing legend
Art in community
“Black Love: Community Building Through Mentorship,” on view at South Puget Sound Community College’s Leonor R. Fuller Gallery, serves as a sort of sequel to the gallery’s 2021 “Futures Rising.” Artists featured in that show mentored emerging artists for “Black Love,” which explores the commonalities between the artist pairs, who worked both individually and collaboratively. The show includes work by Sandra Bocas, Kyle Cebron Bradford, Kari “Najja” Davis, Cholee Gladney, Aisha Harrison, Travis Johnson, Ruya Lamont, De’Ja Marshall, Rene Westbrook and Thresea Yost. It’s on view through March 18 at the gallery at 2011 Mottman Road SW, Olympia. The gallery is open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, except on holidays. There’s an online opening reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, and an artists’ talk from 6 to 7:30 p.m. March 11. For more information, call 360-596-5527.
Live-live music returns
The Lumen, a self-described “band of jammers, dreamers, song-smiths and rhythm-makers,” are taking the stage on Friday, Feb. 18, at the Eagles Clubroom, 805 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia. The show — the Aquarian Grateful Dead Dance Party — is the group’s first indoor gig since — you guessed it — February 2020. In recent months, the social club’s monthly dance parties were happening via live stream, and before that, the Lumen were rocking outdoors. “We are so excited and can’t wait to be live-live again,” the band’s Maria Toye told The Olympian. There’s no cover charge for the show, but if you’re not an Eagles member, you need to be on the guest list. To get on the list, go to the Facebook event page and click “Going.” Also playing Friday are the Olson Brothers Band, who’ll be bringing original country tunes to Dick’s Brewing Co. in Centralia. Brothers Luke and Isaac Olson, who’ve won two national songwriting contests, released their fourth album, “I Bleed Evergreen,” in summer 2021. The show, open to ages 21 and older, is from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $10.
After the avalanche
Alex Lowe died during an avalanche while climbing Tibet’s Mount Shishapangma. The “brutally intimate” documentary “Torn” — directed by Lowe’s son Max — explores the aftermath of the death and what’s happened since for the Lowe family and for Alex’s climbing partner, Conrad Anker, who survived the avalanche. Kevin Maher of The Times of London summed up the film as “part family therapy, part weapons-grade tearjerker.” The Olympia Film Society is screening “Torn” at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18; Saturday, Feb. 19, and Thursday, Feb. 24, at the Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $11, $8 for film society members and $5 for children 12 and younger. Proof of vaccination is required. “Torn” also opens Friday, Feb. 18, at the Grand Cinema in Tacoma (which also requires proof of vaccination) and is streaming on Disney Plus.
Freelance writer Molly Gilmore talks about what’s happening in Olympia and beyond with 95.3 KGY-FM’s Michael Stein from 3 to 4 p.m. Fridays.