No Procession of the Species in April, but Luminary Procession will keep the light burning

It’s been four long years since the Procession of the Species — Olympia’s celebration of the natural world and human creativity — has rolled, walked and danced its way through the streets of downtown in late April.

And it’s going to be at least another year before the rhino, lion, giant sun and their ever-changing lineup of colorful companions return.

Although some have speculated that Olympia has seen its last Procession, organizers say they’ll return when the time and the resources are right.

What will go on this spring is the Luminary Procession, happening Friday, April 28, the first night of Arts Walk. Meant to honor the element of spirit, the event glows with handmade paper luminaries — some simple, some large and elaborate — and other lights, all set to a soundtrack by the musicians of Artesian Rumble Arkestra and the drummers and dancers of Samba Olywa.

“The Luminary Procession is an excellent way to ease out of the three years of dormancy,” said Eli Sterling, the coordinator of the Procession of the Species. “We’re keeping the light burning, literally.”

Earthbound Productions, the nonprofit behind the processions, just doesn’t have the resources this year to mount the Procession of the Species, a spectacle that demands not only planning and organization but also the creative work of making and repairing puppets, wind socks, shakers and more, he said.

“We don’t have a major art studio right now,” Sterling told The Olympian. “We don’t have a funding base, and we don’t have a really strong robust volunteer base because we just haven’t been in action.”

In the future, Sterling and others involved with Earthbound are hoping to find studio space at the Olympia Armory, where the city is developing a creative campus.

That’s possible, said Angel Nava of the city’s Parks, Arts & Recreation Department, but it will take time — and no one knows yet how much. Right now, the Armory building is available only for use for short-term events such as arts markets and workshops, but that situation will evolve.

In the next six months, the city aims to begin taking applications from organizations that want space in the building. Beyond that will be a design phase that takes those groups’ needs into account, and even that is just the beginning.

“Once the anchor organizations are identified, there is a possibility that we could be flexible in meeting their needs for space while we raise funds,” Nava told The Olympian. “But at a certain point, we’ll have to empty the building for construction. It’s a transitional time.”

Sterling also plans to apply for funds from the sales-tax increase for arts and culture that Olympia voters approved last year.

In December, Earthbound received one of the city’s Grants to Arts and Culture Organizations to help fund the Luminary Procession, said Joyce Mercuri, one of the volunteers producing the event.

Luminary-making workshops being offered in March are already full, Mercuri said, but more might be offered in April. (They’ll be announced on the Procession of the Species Facebook page.)

Meanwhile, she welcomes everyone to participate in the event, whether or not they make a luminary.

“We’re encouraging people to do it yourself,” she said. “Wear illuminated attire; wrap yourself in lights; buy a lantern. … There’s a lot of ways you can get lighted up.”

Luminary Procession

• What: Handmade illuminated lanterns, including large and elaborate ones, are the centerpiece of this procession, which also features music by Artesian Rumble Arkestra and Samba Olywa.
• When: 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 28, the first night of Spring Arts Walk
• Where: Begins at Fourth Avenue and Washington Street in downtown Olympia.
• Weather: The event is weather-dependent, because the luminary art can’t withstand heavy rain.
• Get involved: All are invited to participate in the procession. If you’d like to carry a paper luminary, meet at 8 p.m. at Lamplighters, 211 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia. More volunteers are needed, too.
• More information: olympialuminary@gmail.com