It’s the Water

 

It’s the Water is an installation highlighting the arts, history and cultures of the South Sound as they illustrate the theme of water. Sited in the windows of the historic, 1912 City Hall/ Fire Station at State Street and Capitol Way, It's the Water uses historic photographs, contemporary art and artifacts to tell the rich story of everything from shipbuilding, oyster harvesting, maritime fleets, the fire department, beer brewing, artesian wells, festivals, Capital Lake, rain fall, sea level rise, tribal fishing and trade routes, little Hollywood, and the Port. Funding for It's the Water came form our generous donors, a City of Olympia Grant to Arts & Culture Organizations and a grant from the Squaxin Island Tribe.

Nisqually Island Tribe logo
City of Olympia logo



Click on images to learn more

Firehouse Bay 1 (left); Windows #1 - 16, starting top left and ending bottom right

 

Firehouse Bay 2 (middle); Windows #1 - 16, starting top left and ending bottom right

 

Firehouse Bay 3 (right); Windows #1 - 16, starting top left and ending bottom right

 

In 2020 AHA hung a preview installation for It’s the Water. Watch our talk on the project, featuring Project Manager and Curator, Kristen Ramirez, local printmaker Mimi Williams and historian Shanna Stevenson.

It's the Water was curated and designed by Kristen Ramirez, a Seattle-based public artist and art consultant. This project has been made possible by the generous contributions of individuals, as well as a grants from the Squaxin Tribe and from the City of Olympia: Grants to Arts & Culture Organizations.