FIRST FRIDAY in JUNE is on the 6th from 5pm - LATE.

Highlights For June 6th:
• LEMON DAYS Summer Sidewalk Sale

• The Artists Gallery presents, Marilyn Turley, watercolorist and esteemed gallery member, demostrating watercolor painting techniques. Marilyn will provide instruction to guests wishing to paint a greeting card. Come paint with the artist and take home an original work of art.

• Listen to our First Friday Radio spot on MIXX 96. (Or listen to it here!)

Thank you MIXX 96.

Participating Locations:
Abstractions Gallery, Archibald Sisters, Artist's Gallery, Bella Boutique,
Blue Heron Candle Co., Blue Lotus Cafe, Bonaventure, Caffe Vita, Childhood's End Gallery, Darby's Cafe, einmaleins, 510 Interiors, Home Body Eco-Luxe Living, Hot Toddy, Reflections Gallery, Room 30, Studio Four18, Sweet Life, The Black Front Gallery, Wind up Here.

Contact us, if you'd like to participate, or have questions about events and locations. 

For more info, go to:

Everyday Olympia

See you downtown,

mathias

einmaleins

It's time again for First Friday in Downtown.

Just a week after Arts Walk, we barely cured the post-arts-walk-hang-over, and we're already preparing the next party in town.

Everyday Olympia has the details on participating locations.

Featured at einmaleins will be Hatched Egg'rs
This one is for the families. (Read: Please bring your Kids!!)
You gotta come and see Scott Anderson’s “Stuff for Kid’s Rooms”.
It’s fantastic and now available at einmaleins.

Of course, the usual refreshments and fun will be provided.

See ya in Downtown.

mathias

einmaleins

A friendly gnome by the name of Olim just “walked in” to visit us at einmaleins.

He’s from Gnomediaries.com and comes with a special message about climate change and how you can do your part in making sure this planet stays as beautiful as it was intended to be!

Come and stop by tomorrow during First Friday and say Hi to him!

And visit www.everydayolympia.com for more info. 

mathias & Olim - the Gnome.

einmaleins

The Black Front Gallery presents Adie Janci, Diane Kurzyna, Joe Penrod, Skie Road, Laura Sharp, Rodrigo Valenzuela, and a crew of grafitti artists from around the Pacific Northwest. Opening reception is Friday, April 4, 2008, 5pm - 9pm. The show runs through April 30, with a closing reception on Friday, April 25, 5pm - 10pm. What'll be there? "wheatpaste, stencils, spray paint, acrylics, tape, plastic bags, paintings, sculpture, installations, ill shit."

For more information about the Black Front Gallery, please contact: Bonney Rowley: bonney05(at)hotmail(dot)com. See you there.

What a great night we had.

After we closed shop at einmaleins, we walked around a bit, to take in the atmosphere downtown.

It was really awesome!

Considering everything that we should be thinking about the event, downtown and safety, the economy, Bush and Riots and Karma and everything in between. It was cool to meet new people, friendly people. People being excited about being out in downtown on a Friday night.

The Black Front Gallery had a great show and their place was humming.

Many stores that I hadn't connected with in regards of First Friday were open, their stores lit up new shop owners were gracious hosts and showed us their space and welcomed us in.

Ahhh,

it's a good time to be in Downtown Olympia! 

Friendly Reminder:

Tonight is First Friday night!!

Lots of places downtown are participating in this great event.

Have nothing to do tonight - come out and join the fun.

Participating locations include:

... more to come...!

Check http://www.everydayolympia.com for more information.

see you there.

einmaleins presents,

LOUNGE JAZZ & PIE

Jeanne Anderson from Boston Harbor Pie Co. will be here with some of her amazing pies for you to sample while enjoying the the tunes of Larry Hill, who will play LIVE JAZZ from 6:30pm - 8:30pm.

Come and bring your family - this one is going to be sweet!

More info at the brand-new site:

EverydayOlympia

mathias

einmaleins

:: explaination ::

I posted this earliers as a comment and response to a previous blog entry of mine.

it seems worth of it's own entry, so I modified it slighlty and reposted:

I have had serveral conversation regarding this idea, but so far hadn't written anything down.

Now I feel it's the right time to open things up and get some more feetback on it:

Downtown Olympia - what it is and what it might become (investing money into infrastructure or events?):

Infrastructre improvements are necessary to beautify Olympia downtown.

But aren't they very expensive?

I think we need more people in downtown walking, shopping, enjoying the infrastructure to make it worth the expense?

I, for one, need more people to walk by my store and stop and shop. Now, that's where my bias comes in - I chose that location and it's my responsibility to make it work.

Now, not all events are helpful, for example the Downtown for the Holiday event was a joke, the decorations ridiculous and if hear of one more parade I might throw up.

So, what it comes down to for me is this: We need to BRAND downtown in a new fashion.

A good branding can overlook lots of little shortcomings but gives people a new way to look at something that is already great. If we always talk about that we need a cleaner and more secure downtown than we give people the impression that it's unclean and a scary place.

So, this is what First Friday is supposed to be:

A lowcost, family-friendly, regular, community event that celebrates the beauty of downtown in the way it already exists and gives downtown business owners a chance to promote their businesses in the way they see fit.

Now, I see the First Friday as a first step of a much larger picture of what is going to happen with the city:

I want First Friday's main focus to be GREEN.

Alright,

as a downtown business owner and ODA member and someone in love with the city I started First Friday in Downtown this December with a few other businesses.

Every month we've grown. More stores have been participating and more people have been out and about, enjoying this regular event and the possibilities to meet people, walk around a city "alive", and shop and dine till late into the evening.

Now, so far I've been managing the event from my computer in the store and keeping everything electronic and simple, but now we're at the brink of growing this into a "funded" event as the PBIA and the ODA both have been approaching me, asking me to present the idea and let them help support it.

I've got some ideas of what this event could turn into, and am presenting those next week to both committees to see what they think, where they stand and if it makes sense for them and me to work together.

Here is my challenge for all of you:

Creative visionaries of Olympia - here is your chance!

Tell me what you would like to turn this event into!!

Give me ideas, dreams - help me color the rough draft and be a part of something that can and will be a huge hit for Olympia.

Even some testamonies or letters of recommodation if you will would be great, so I don't sound like a lonley voice, but "represent the people"!!!

Now, obvioulsy I sound way to excited for this blog and will receive alot of comments and responses about why this event will suck, fizzle and die. Why Olympia is a lost cause and why the ODA and PBIA are the devil. Save your breath, I know where you stand and don't care - because I still believe in this city and in the power of people to make a change for the better.

'Nuff said - now it's your turn!

mathias

einmaleins