Port of Olympia candidate E.J. Zita Applies for Seat on Commission

Above: E.J. Zita has applied for appointment to Port of Olympia position #3, previously held by former commissioner Sue Gunn. Zita will also file this week for election to the position.

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

E.J. Zita, best known as Zita, has applied for appointment to Port of Olympia position 3 previously held by former commissioner Sue Gunn.

Zita submitted her application by the May 8 deadline and said she will also file for election for the permanent position. The filing deadline for that process is May 15.

As reported in The Olympian on May 9, local radio station sales manager Jerry Farmer has also applied for the appointment and will seek election to the position.

Zita, a 20 year faculty member at The Evergreen State College with a PhD in Physics, teaches and researches energy physics, solar magnetism, sustainability, and climate change.  She also serves as chair of the Thurston County Agricultural Board and is vice president of her Salmon Creek Basin neighborhood association.

Zita’s application to the port lists extensive recent grant-supported research collaborations, published papers, presentations, and leadership activities, all indicating a forward-thinking vision.

“Serving as a commissioner on the Port of Olympia is an opportunity to advance goals that are shared by Thurston County citizens and the port. Sustainable development and environmental responsibility can be profitable, provide jobs, and protect our future. Open processes and responsive public relations can facilitate useful exchanges of ideas, reduce legal challenges, and restore public trust. I have the vision and the skills to help the port reach these goals,” Zita states in her application.

Zita was directly recruited by some supporters of former commissioner Sue Gunn, who recently resigned from her position due to ongoing health issues and says she will carry forth Gunn’s issues of openness and transparency.

Zita also wants change at the port, and for the port to spend public money for the public good and move into the 21^st century.

“I have more to learn but I know what my values are. Observing port operations for the last ten years, I know what’s not working and I have a vision for what can work,” she said in an interview at her home this past weekend. Her partner, Nancy Armstrong, owns and operates a health clinic in Olympia and is a 23 year retired veteran of the Army Medical Corps.

Zita, who was first interviewed in 2010 by Little Hollywood about her neighborhood’s relationship with the port, says her concerns about port operations began in her neighborhood about 10 years ago.

Salmon Creek Basin neighbors, concerned about increased air traffic and environmental issues, went to the port in good faith.

“We assumed we could talk about it with them in a neighborly way, but we were soon disappointed. They weren’t concerned. So, neighbors got organized. We had never had an association before….We learned a lot about the public process, appeals, environmental reviews, port finances, and public hearings. We helped pass a sensible warehouse ordinance in Tumwater that helped protect our neighborhood, and here we are, ten years later, and they are trying to get around that law….”

Above: Aerial of the Port of Olympia Marine Terminal and Northpoint taken in December 2014.

Asked how that experience translates to her larger vision for the port, she said the port is not interested in working on smart development that is needed for Thurston County.

“We’re not the only ones who have tried to work with the port….When people go to them and try to talk about these things, their practice is to try and shut them down, hire more lawyers and fight the people who are concerned. I don’t think that’s a good way to use taxpayer money….The port should be using our money for the public good. The port should be listening and working with people for the future and the benefit of Thurston County,” she said.

Zita once applied to be on the port’s citizen advisory committee but her application was not accepted. She is currently serving as an advisory board member on the port’s New Market Industrial Campus and Tumwater Town Center Real Estate Development Master Plan, coordinated by the Thurston Regional Planning Commission.

The port owns about 1,540 acres of real estate in Tumwater. It owns 265 acres of property in Olympia.

“I’m glad they appointed me, but I’ve been on five months now, and while I’d still like to think the citizens on the board can make a difference and do some good, I’m seeing some familiar patterns…and it seems like they have their mind made up about what they want to do,” said Zita. The board is expected to study the issues until November. Their next meeting is scheduled for June 11.

Asked how she would work with the county and the City of Olympia in master planning and environmental efforts, Zita praised the city for its leadership on climate change issues and encouraged stronger relationship with the city.

“We have a lot of good people and great resources and a lot of expertise in the area that we should be tapping into to work together.”

Zita was asked about her position on several specific port issues, such as the possible creation of a Berth 4, the recent purchase of a crane, and the port’s acceptance of ceramic proppants used in the fracking industry.  She said she found out long ago that the port does its own environmental reviews.

“The ports are granted a lot of freedom to do what they want to do without much public oversight... Just because they have that freedom doesn’t mean they should use it without consulting the public, and without consulting the experts. The questions I’d ask (for any of these issues) are: Is it good for the environment, is it good for the economy, is it good for local people, and is it good for the community? The port has made mistakes for not consulting more broadly on its plans and I would encourage the port to consult more broadly before making decisions,” she said.

About the port’s financial accountability, she said, “The port is losing $2 million a year. It has stopped including depreciation in its reporting, but we need more financial accountability. The port resists that. We need to hold the port accountable….They have been very creative in its reporting.…If the port is losing funds on projects that are not benefitting the public, then we need to ask why.

“External environmental reviews are needed – the port is like the fox guarding its own hen house….We need good, careful studies done before the port says, ‘We’re going to do this project and nobody can tell us otherwise.’ If we take a closer look, we can prevent big, expensive mistakes that are going to damage the environment and pay a lot of money down the line to fix it.”

Asked about her vision for the port, Zita said she’d like it to be a food hub. Zita says she recently began a formal collaboration with the Conservation Biology Institute in Corvallis, Oregon to model impacts of climate change on agricultural lands in the Pacific Northwest.

“We can create a bigger Tumwater farmer’s market, and create a place where farmers could bring their food for distribution and processing and value-added products. Farming in the county and urban areas is one the fastest growing segments of Thurston County’s economy…. This can create jobs and support people locally, and contribute to our food security….Renewable energy projects is another idea…it’s an investment in the future,” she said.

The 15 acre Armstrong-Zita ranch is located near port property south of Tumwater. Besides their professional careers, the couple offers organic grass-fed beef each summer, taking orders in spring. They have six Angus-Hereford cattle, born and bred on the farm, and are sustainably rotated on lush pasture. Never fed hormones or antibiotics, the animals are slaughtered on-site. They slaughter about three or four cattle a year, serving about 12 families. They also have fresh eggs from free range hens, 38 meat birds, and three horses. They donate beef, eggs, and cash to the South of the Sound Farmland Trust.

Above: On the farm with E.J. Zita and her horses Rusty and Ada this past weekend.

For more information about the Port of Olympia and the subjects discussed in this article, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com, and use the search button to type in key words.

For more information from the Port of Olympia, go to www.portolympia.com.

Great Blue Heron Rookery Saved From Development

 

Above: Volunteers Meghan Hopkins and her four year old daughter, Clare, clear ivy from land at the end of Dickinson Avenue NW, recently purchased by Alicia Elliott.

By Janine Unsoeld
www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The Olympia Coalition for Ecosystems Preservation announced this weekend that a Great Blue Heron rookery on Olympia’s westside has been saved.

In an open letter to the community this weekend, Daniel Einstein, founder of the Coalition, said that Olympian Alicia Elliott bought the property, thus preventing it from being developed into townhomes.

The group formed after it was announced that the city had received an application for a short plat and townhome development. The developer, Glenn Wells, proposed the construction of three, two-unit townhomes,Wells Townhomes, and a six bay detached garage.

The letter from the Coalition states that Elliott was moved by the threat facing the rookery.

“…That began a journey which has led Alicia to purchase the 1.84-acre parcel that holds most, but not all, of the nesting trees. She is now under contract to purchase the adjacent 2.73-acre parcel to the north. This provides a critical buffer for the herons as they return for the winter breeding season. At the same time, we are in positive negotiations with the developer, who has been very receptive to the unique habitat profile of his property….”

Alicia Elliott is also known for purchasing vacant property on the corner of Division and Harrison, and creating the space into a vibrant community area now called West Central Park. Most recently, Elliott also bought the property of the former DeGarmo’s Pharmacy next to the park. That space is scheduled to be converted into a café in the Spring of 2015.

Rookery's First Seasonal Work Party

At the Coalition's first seasonal work party held this afternoon at the rookery site located at the end of Dickinson Avenue NW, many volunteers came to thank Elliott and work to clear the site of ivy and other debris.

Einstein took time to briefly describe the property’s purchase and history of the area.

“The developer was in a reciprocal easement agreement with another property owner through this driveway to access utilities, sewer, electric, gas. Any future subdivision could buy into his utility. Buying this parcel takes that out of the picture because these properties will never be subdivided,” said Einstein.

“In 2009, the developer logged the property, going right through the heron's nesting trees, and created a 450 foot driveway. After it was logged, the blue heron population plummeted.”

Asked if he has found any dead herons, Einstein said yes.

“We did find dead chicks and eggshells. We can’t prove it was directly linked to the logging because herons are preyed upon by eagles, but part of that is, the clearing of the trees left the nests wide open for the eagles to get in. They are also very sensitive to noise and this was a huge disruption,” said Einstein.

Einstein said there are 14 nests on the property. “That means 28 adults, and each nest usually contains four eggs, so there are about 50 to 60 herons here at the height of breeding season.”

Einstein says their breeding season is in August and September.

“The herons are gone now to other places, but they’ll be coming back in January or February, so this is our window of opportunity to do work. We want to create a viable ecosystem, so there’s going to be some restoration.”

Einstein says the remains of a former homeless camp there have been cleared.

“The idea is to close this area off and create a habitat preserve. We’re going to have to create that because there isn’t one in city code. The herons need to be left alone so we can enjoy them down on the shoreline. We are also working to daylight Schneider Creek and restore it for fish passage….Eventually, we want to protect 80 to 90 acres,” said Einstein.

Above: Looking like Truffula trees, this tree has several visible blue heron nests.

While Einstein says he’s been having positive conversations with city officials, a few policies regarding codes and lax permitting have to be changed in order to make progress.
 
He also stressed the need to make the city’s urban forester position fulltime. City of Olympia Urban Forester Michelle Bentley has a heavy workload and is only available part-time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon.

Volunteers Make It Happen

“It’s so exciting!” said Debbie Hathaway, a board member of the Olympia Coalition for Ecosystems Preservation.

“It’s been a very encouraging sign that neighbors care about wildlife corridors. It’s a sign of good things to come. It’s also a good example of how we can work together,” said Hathaway.

Northwest neighborhood resident Meghan Hopkins also came, and brought her hard-working four year old daughter, Clare.

“We can see the herons from our living room window. It’s inspiring to see community members come together for what they believe in for the creatures of the natural and human worlds, and balance out everyone’s needs,” said Meghan Hopkins.

For more information about the Olympia Coalition for Ecosystems Preservation, go to: http://www.olyecosystems.org.

Back-To-Back Work Parties

Above: Seth Chance, Robyn Montgomery, and Alicia Elliott take a brief break from working while Ruben Males rakes the open space at West Central Park today. The park features edible and medicinal plants, which are scheduled to be labeled with small brass plaques.Today, workers harvested the last of the tomatoes, delicata squash, and strawberries of the season.

For more information about West Central Park, Alicia Elliott, and DeGarmo’s Pharmacy, go to www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type key words into the search engine.

Olympia Mural Gets A Makeover

Above: Joslyn Rose Trivett paints over graffiti on the mural she created in 2012. The mural is located between the two roundabouts on Olympic Way near downtown Olympia. The mural was “tagged” in mid-September.

 

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

In a story first reported by Little Hollywood in 2012, Joslyn Rose Trivett transformed an ugly wall into a beautiful mural.

 

Today, Trivett continued her dedication to remove stubborn graffiti that appeared several weeks ago. Despite the anti-graffiti coating, the graffiti could not be removed with a chemical recommended by the manufacturer.

“It was really, really nasty stuff,” said Trivett, as she painted. “It melted our gloves. I think I’ll just skip the anti-graffiti coating. If it happens again, I'll just wash the wall and repaint it.”

Above: This graffiti is not art. It is vandalism.

As Trivett worked, drivers honked their horns in approval, and bicyclists and moped riders shouted their thanks. Using some paint leftover from the project two years ago, she spent about $50 in paint today and about six hours of time in labor.

For Trivett, helping make Olympia a beautiful place is everyone’s business.

Trivett and her family, who live in Olympia’s northwest neighborhood, has continued to maintain the mural, prune the nearby vegetation, and sweep the sidewalk. The project was originally spearheaded by Trivett and the Southwest Neighborhood Association.

Trivett says she has put out the offer for a couple of years to paint a mural on the lower section of the wall, which abuts another residence. Located in an area seen by thousands of drivers per day, it is another high-maintenance area with unsightly grime and is a frequent target for graffiti. In particular, she says she would need help maintaining the vegetation.

For now, passersby are grateful for the time and effort she’s putting into the mural to make a difference.

“Hey, it looks good!” shouted a bicyclist riding up Olympic Avenue.

 

For more information about the mural, go to www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and use the search button to type in key words. Little Hollywood posted a story, “Mural Transforms Ugly Wall into a Piece of Art,” on August 12, 2012.

25th Nisqually Watershed Festival

Above: Cate Bellanca staffed a community information table for the Olympia Coalition for Ecosystem Preservation at the Nisqually Watershed Festival today.

 

Bellanca said she joined the three month old organization to help save the Great Blue Heron rookery endangered by a proposed development in her northwest Olympia neighborhood, and said she recently spent five hours gathering signatures on a petition to help save the rookery. For more information, go to www.olyecosystems.org.

 

By Janine Unsoeld
www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Starting as a glacier on Mt. Rainier, the Nisqually River flows 78 miles down the Nisqually River valley to meet Puget Sound. The freshwater of the Nisqually River mixes with the saltwater of Puget Sound and creates one of Washington’s largest undisturbed estuaries. The word “Nisqually” means “river of grasses,” or “flowing grasses.”

 

Located eight miles east of Olympia, this area, a former dairy farm and traditional land of the Nisqually Indian tribe, is now a spectacular national wildlife refuge. Every visit is different and provides rich learning opportunities and experiences.

 

A place of tranquility, September and October is an exciting time at Nisqually. Migrating waterfowl and wintering songbirds arrive. The entire food chain can be witnessed as peregrine falcons and American kestrels will also arrive, and feed on wintering birds. Bald eagles will hunt waterfowl flocks. Identifying species, watching behaviors and camouflaged activities, hearing songs and calls, and witnessing territorial movements is truly a treat.

 

Now in its 25th year, the Nisqually Watershed Festival today featured plenty of educational, hands-on activities, music, and of course, the opportunity to appreciate the history and environmental beauty of the Nisqually watershed. Today is also National Estuaries Day, established in 1988 as part of Coast Weeks.

 

Several hundred people parked at nearby River Ridge High School to take school bus shuttles to the festival.

 

Above: At the festival, Finn the Fish never disappoints, welcoming children small enough to explore the wonders featured inside. 

 

Above: A mother and son created a beaded salmon life cycle keychain. Each bead represents a part of the cycle: the first bead, a red bead, represents a redd, a salmon nest where salmon lay their eggs.

 

Above: The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. One always comes home refreshed, flowing in mind and spirit. 

 

 For more information, go to www.fws.gov/nisqually

It's No Mystery...WhoDunIt? Is Closing

Above: Barbara and Oscar Soule make their final selections at WhoDunIt? bookstore in downtown Olympia. The store is closing, and will continue to stay open - but not for too much longer - to reduce its inventory.

 

By Janine Unsoeld  www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

After nearly 14 years, Linda Dewberry and her bookstore, WhoDunIt?, at 119 East 5^th is in the process of closing and reducing its inventory.  For just $10 for a bag of books, you still have a little more time to try a genre you never knew you’d like or find books by your favorite authors.
 
Walking downtown today, I found Rick Stilson, a longtime volunteer for the bookstore, surrounded by bare shelves, helping customers Oscar and Barbara Soule pack up their selections. They ended up with two bags of books that will no doubt keep them occupied for awhile.

All my life, I rarely read fiction. My husband has been a regular patron of WhoDunIt? for years, and it was only recently that I discovered Nevada Barr and her series of adventures with Anna Pigeon, a National Parks ranger.  I was hooked, and scooped up titles at WhoDunIt? like Track of the Cat, The Rope, Firestorm, Blind Descent, Blood Lure, and Borderline. There's a lot more I haven't read.

Who would have thought I’d appreciate quick reading involving a bit of history about our national park system and getting my mind off the latest city or county agendas and controversies?

“Linda is ready to retire – since the economic downturn, things got progressively slower,” said Stilson, who has volunteered for Dewberry and the store since 2006. “She’s got a really big group of faithful volunteers. I come in every Monday. I’ve had a lot of good weeks, and not so busy weeks….” said Stilson. The store featured Northwest mystery authors, used, and new books. 

The store was for sale, but Dewberry could not find a buyer. The space is now for lease. In a note on the door, Dewberry says, “…This is a bittersweet moment for me. I’ve loved being a bookseller downtown, getting to know all of you. I’m looking forward to having more time to spend with family and the friends I’ve made through the store.”

Downtown Olympia still has Orca Books on 4^th Avenue and Browser's Bookstore on Capitol Way, but has also recently seen the closing of Fireside Books on Legion Way and Last Word Books on 4^th Avenue.

“We have a lot of loyal customers who will miss us,” said Stilson. Stilson said Dewberry will continue her book club at Orca Books.

On this last trip to the store, we discovered a climbing related series by author Clinton McKinzie.

The back cover of Point of Law says, “…For thirty years a father and his sons have shared an addiction to dangerous, extreme climbing in the world’s most beautiful places. This just might be their last dance together…now, with a beautiful renegade environmentalist by his side, Antonio embarks on a perilious journey through the jagged peaks….”

Hmmm….sounds like an adventure!

Above: The familiar owl painted at WhoDunIt? store, located next to the former Wind Up Here toy store.

 

The Passing of Billy Frank Jr.

 

Above: Billy Frank Jr., fourth from the left, is the only one looking at me in this previously unpublished group photo at the conclusion of a Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council meeting on January 17, 2014 in the GA Building in Olympia. 

 

by Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

 

I usually attend Puget Sound Partnership leadership council meetings when they are held in Olympia just to hear Billy Frank, Jr. speak. And when he spoke, everyone listened.

 

Billy Frank, Jr., serving as Chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, has forged cooperative agreements which include the interests of tribal, commercial, and sports fishermen, while protecting and advocating for the fisheries resources of future generations.

 

In my January 16 Little Hollywood blog post at www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com, I briefly quoted Frank, who wanted to help incoming Partnership director Sheida Sahandy and Governor Jay Inslee better understand the dire situation and the need to better describe the Puget Sound story:

 

"We have a lot of problems...the salmon can't get to the Narrows Bridge before they die...same with Squaxin coho...there are no flounders anymore, the little critters are all gone...." Billy Frank Jr. told Inslee and Sahandy.

In a press release today, Washington State Jay Inslee said, "Washington lost a true legend with the passing of Billy Frank, Jr. today.

"He was a selfless leader who dedicated his life to the long fight for the rights of our state's native people. Billy was a champion of tribal rights, of the salmon, and the environment. He did that even when it meant putting himself in physical danger or facing jail.

"I'm thankful Billy was here to see the 2014 Legislature pass a bill helping to overturn convictions from treaty protests. Billy was right on this issue and the state owed this gesture of justice to him and others who jeopardized their liberty to fight for treaty rights.

"Billy never wavered in his conviction and passion. He stressed to me the spiritual and cultural relationship that indigenous people have with salmon.

"His work is the foundation of an enduring legacy that will never be forgotten in Washington state.

"He once said, 'The Creator put that salmon there for it to survive.' I thank the Creator for putting Billy here to make sure we never forget what he fought for.

"Trudi and I send our condolences to Billy's family, friends, tribal members and everyone across the state and the country who mourns the passing of this great man."

Above: Billy Frank Jr., left, speaking at a Puget Sound Partnership meeting on February 6, 2013 in Olympia. When Billy spoke, everyone listened. 

 

Mary Randlett: Living Life Fully Focused

 

Above: Mary Randlett, left, and friend Ruth Kirk, view Randlett's photography yesterday. Kirk lives in Lacey and is the author of 34 books covering the natural history of the West. She was recently featured in a September 13 article in High Country News.

Randlett Art Exhibit December 15, 2013 - January 5, 2014 in Olympia

 

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot

Prolific, renowned Northwest photographer Mary Randlett, 89, enjoyed a celebration of life and work with an intimate, public showing of her black and white nature prints at Salon Refu, a downtown Olympia gallery at 114 North Capitol Way.

Much has been written about Randlett’s life growing up on Bainbridge Island and her life spent capturing Northwest images in black and white of nature, architecture, artists, painters, and public art. She grew up meeting these artists who taught her how to look at landscapes.

Her 42 page resumé lists images of more than 500 writers and artists. She has enjoyed a long relationship with several national museums and the University of Washington Press, which published her 2007 book, "Mary Randlett Landscapes." 

The afternoon reception was a reunion of sorts for many, with several local artists, writers and photographers honoring Randlett with deeply personal thoughts of how she has influenced their work.

An Olympia resident, Randlett greeted admirers and friends for several hours non-stop with smiles, humor, and hugs.

It was all a touching tribute to Randlett, and an opportunity to hear, first-hand, the passion local artists feel not only about her work, but how her very friendship inspires them in their own artistic endeavors.
 

Above: Mary Randlett greets friends at Salon Refu. 

Personal Tributes

Jeffree Stewart, an Olympia painter and artist who works with different mediums on Gull Harbor, poetically embodied his 20 year friendship with Randlett in his description of her work and life, offered in written form yesterday:

“Mary Randlett’s photographs speak well for themselves. They’re quiet, like mist, revealing light that moves over waters dark as ink. What she looks for in the landscape resonates with shared expressions of poets and painters – dear friends, in the deepest of mysteries.

Mary’s spontaneous attentions all over Salish Sea country and the Inland Empire have been ceaseless across several decades. For her skilled and careful darkroom practice have emerged glimpses of the essential atmospheres of the Northwest. This work proceeded steadily, a labor of love.

One hesitates to call Mary Randlett a “hidden gem…” because her portraits and architecture photographs are widely published, and are included in many significant collections. Yet her work seeing and showing the northwest landscape remains to be more broadly appreciated.

Vicissitudes of recognition aside, the work is built to last, though distinctly different. I’ll compare Mary’s work to that of Ansel Adams – specifically because both photographers demonstrate a deeply affectionate vision of the American West. And each engaged consummate technical skill, both with camera and in darkroom.

Where Adams’ best-known works are vast, epic, and romantic apprehensions of landscape, Randlett’s are intense, intimate, alive with moisture, and exquisitely abstract. Their presence in a room is enduringly enlivening."

Llyn De Danaan, anthropologist, retired faculty member of The Evergreen State College and author of the newly released book, “Katie Gale – A Coast Salish Woman’s Life on Oyster Bay,” is also a friend of Randlett’s. In her remarks introducing Randlett, De Danaan shared a few examples of Randlett’s educated, keen mind.

“She sent me articles about the great “Bretz’s” flood, a phenomenon that interested her and one she thought would interest me. We talked about Ruth Kirk and Richard Daugherty….She sent and still sends me poetry: “The Imaginary Iceberg” by Elizabeth Bishop….[and] “Year of Meteors” by Walt Whitman….She sent notes of encouragement for my own work…I learned about other photographers like Cunningham and Gilpin….”

Describing how Randlett is still on the road several times a week and seldom without her camera, De Danaan says Randlett still informs her of poetry, pictures, and articles she thinks she should know about. In turn, Randlett addressed the standing-room-only group and told a few stories.
 

Randlett's Thoughts on Her Work, Life

“My work has worked together, and I started when there were so few people and I think that makes a difference. My mother knew the artists, and I lived near Morris Graves in Woodway Park and each artist gave me an eye to see beyond what I was seeing, and I think it works both ways….Ruth Kirk, who has written many books, has given me an eye to see mountains, La Push, and all those great places. All my friends have given me gifts for seeing or living, and it makes a big difference....

“Nature is what I love the most – that I was very fortunate to have grown up on Bainbridge Island and spend summers on Orcas Island….I’ve been very fortunate that my background has enriched my work. I’m always shocked how much work I have done because I raised four kids! So, I’ve had a very rich and wonderful life I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.”

About her pictures, Randlett said she has taken color, but never learned how to process it. “Black and white is so subtle. If you look at these pictures, some things are hidden, and misty….”

Describing her college years at Whitman College in eastern Washington, she described riding her bicycle. “...We only had bicycles during the war. I think there was only one car at Whitman – we used to ride out in the boonies, in the backroads and hills, and it was a whole, totally different experience, but I had a lot of fun in college. I was always interested in many things....”

Later, after the crowd calmed a bit, Randlett’s son, Peter, took his mother outside the gallery for a picture. Peter Randlette, an electronic media faculty member at The Evergreen State College, was asked about his mother.

“The whole idea that she has worked her own personal force and focus for so long - it’s outstanding. She did so much of her documentation on her own – and most of the output has been because she loves people.”

About five years ago, he said, the Randlett family gave the University of Washington’s Suzzallo Library 350,000 negatives of her work, but kept the artist’s nature and abstract collections for themselves.

Keith Geller and his partner Richard Irving of Seattle found out about the show and came down to Olympia. Geller and Irving bought an untitled photo from 1967 featuring a barn and a boat. They asked Randlett about the picture, and she said it was taken in the Georgia Straits. She said she took it as she watched the boat move into position and come to a rest, right next to the old barn.

Incredibly, Geller said he and Irving independently went around the room and each chose the same picture as the one they wished to buy.

“We do that a lot,” Geller said happily.

Susie Ann Engelstad, owner of ArtHouse Designs in downtown Olympia for 13 years, also stopped by to see Randlett.  Engelstad, a printmaker and metalsmith, says many of her customers have Randlett’s works in their collections, and that she was pleased to have recently repaired a couple of works for Randlett.

 

Above: Susan Christian prepares for the show earlier this week outside her studio on Capitol Way. 

Salon Refu

Christian, an artist, and the owner of Salon Refu, took time to discuss her space before the show. Many friends helped Christian put the show together, including De Danaan and Stewart.

Christian took over the 800 square foot space a couple years ago, after it was vacated by long-time tenant Nancy Sigafoos and Dice T-Shirts. She remodeled it, and envisions the space to serve as a small scale gallery with room to create her own art.

Asked about the name of her gallery, she laughed and said it was an accident. Originally, she named it after the Salon des Refuses, French for “exhibition of rejects.”

In the early to mid 1800s, when works were rejected by the jury of the official Paris Salon, small scale exhibits were created in order to be recognized by the public. Thinking of renaming her gallery, she used a razor blade to scrape off most of the name, but left it at Salon Refu and decided she liked the name.

“My real commitment will be to keep showing people’s work that I admire and keep on painting here,” she said.

No doubt, the community will appreciate the opportunity to see Mary Randlett’s work and learn more about her incredible life.

Mary Randlett’s nature photography will be on display until January 5, 2014 at Salon Refu, 114 North Capitol Way, Olympia. Gallery hours are Thursday – Sunday, 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and by appointment. Her works, some dating back to the 1960s, are also for sale.

Randlett’s biography is available at www.historylink.org

 

Above: Mary Randlett and Susan Christian pose for Randlett's son, Peter, not shown, outside Salon Refu.