Armory Update 2/22/2022:
The Olympia City Manager has signed the closing document for City ownership of the Armory. After the paperwork is finalized and the deed recorded, the Armory should be City property around February 28. The facility is envisioned as the site of a creative campus for arts and culture. The city has worked with the community to create a vision for this space and will continue to work with the community to guide the project into the future.
A housewarming event is planned at the Armory on March 19 at 1 p.m. During the event, the community can celebrate the transfer of the building and hear about project themes that have emerged from community conversations and input.

For More Information: https://engage.olympiawa.gov/olympia-armory-building-creative-campus

Inspire Olympia! is an initiative to the voters to increase access to arts, culture, heritage, and science experiences throughout Olympia by reducing barriers to access and expanding offerings for all people in our region - especially youth. Eligible non-profit arts, culture, heritage, and science organizations are able to apply for funding that helps them expand equitable access to public programs, increase opportunities in neighborhoods throughout Olympia, expand educational options for youth, and build sustainability for ongoing cultural programs that provide value for people throughout the City of Olympia.

The initiative intends that this funding will serve as a catalyst for a wide array of experiences designed with, by, and for people of color, people with disabilities, low-income families, the LGBTQIA community and anyone else who has historically lacked access to resources and/or opportunities. This is a critically needed focus as we work to make Olympia a more tolerant, inclusive, and resilient community for everyone.

Inspire Olympia! funding will provide critically needed resources for a wide variety of public programs in arts, culture, heritage, and/or science that engage community members in Olympia.

Goals for this program - and what this funding could look like in action - include:

• The development of in-school and after-school programs that bring arts, culture, heritage and science programs to students at all grade levels.

• Teacher training with local subject matter experts from local science, arts and heritage organizations.

• Strengthening the capacity of non-profit organizations by creating paid internships, hiring additional staff, or working on board development, diversity, and training

• Free or reduced admission to non-profit museums, performance and art events, exhibits, etc.

• New programs and exhibits about BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) history and culture

• More programming that is accessible to people with disabilities (ASL interpretation, sensory exhibits, ADA access improvements etc..)

• Providing support for individual artists and community organizers in our region as they develop unique projects alongside non-profit organizations.

• Using the arts, culture, heritage, and/or science as tools to reignite economic growth and resilience in Olympia post-COVID

• Supporting career-connected learning and job training programs in the arts, culture, heritage, and/or science

• Creating new job opportunities for community members in the arts, culture, heritage, and/or science sectors

April 26, 2022: Olympia voters approve Inspire Olympia! (Proposition 1).

July 1, 2022: If approved by the voters, sales tax collection will begin within the City of Olympia to fund Inspire Olympia!

At the Inspire Olympia! website, you can sign up to volunteer, get a yard sign or make a donation! Please help spread the word!  

https://www.inspireolympia.com/