Thurston County Museum of Fine Arts

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Thurston County Museum of Fine Arts TCMoFA is a volunteer-run experimental public art project based in Olympia, Washington.

We need a volunteer to help at the museum Friday.
10/08/2026

We need a volunteer to help at the museum Friday.

The artists of Temporal represent over 19 tribes and many generations of stories. From weaving to video art, beadwork to...
10/01/2026

The artists of Temporal represent over 19 tribes and many generations of stories. From weaving to video art, beadwork to installations, this show brings out an incredibly diverse array of art forms that all answer the questions:

What does a future look like if we are given back all that has been taken from us? “What does NOW and a FUTURE look when only WE define us??

Swipe through to learn more about these artists, all curated from the Indigenous Creatives Roster.

Interested Indigenous creatives can apply to the Indigenous Creatives Roster to be considered for future CSMoFA shows. Artists accepted into the roster will be considered for paid art opportunities through Indigenous Creatives Collective, Friends of Waterfront Park, and other partner organizations, and will receive a one-time $100 stipend once accepted.

Learn more at www.indigenouscreatives.org/engage

Participating artists:

💫Tammie Dupuis (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation)

💫Justin Olmstead (Santa Ynez and Barbareno Chumash)

💫💫Liz Chikayaasix̂ Morrow (Unangax̂ – Enrolled with Naknek Native Village)

💫Epiphany Couch (spuyaləpabš (Puyallup)/Yakama)

💫Carissa Eich (Navajo)

💫Cynthia Masterson (Comanche)

💫Taylor White (Skokomish/Squaxin)

💫Inanna kʷaɁowišč tyee McCarty (Makah Tribe (enrolled), Tsawout First Nation (descendant))

💫Mikiʻala Souza (Kanaka ʻŌiwi/Native Hawaiian)

💫Megita Denton (Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan)

💫Daniel R. Smith (Swinomish)

💫Woodrow Hunt (Klamath/Modoc, Cherokee)

💫Ash Frantz (Makah)

💫Stefan Gonzales (Prio/Manso/Tiwa)

"Temporal: Stories of Indigenous Present, Re-imagining Indigenous Futures." Indigenous futurism is taking over the Thurs...
09/29/2026

"Temporal: Stories of Indigenous Present, Re-imagining Indigenous Futures." Indigenous futurism is taking over the Thurston County Museum of Fine Arts this fall for the 4th annual CSMoFa (Coast Salish Museum of Fine Arts) takeover in collaboration with Indigenous Creatives Collective and curated by Mikaela Shafer (Hopi).

This show highlights real people and real stories of Indigenous presence in the now: who we are, the ones we love, the stories we tell, the homes we live in, and the marks we leave behind that shape the future. Our own voices, our own space. It envisions a future where we exist on our own terms, where our wildest dreams come true.

Featuring work from an incredible lineup of artists:
• Tammie Dupuis (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes) .dupuis
• Justin Olmstead (Santa Ynez and Barbareno Chumash)
• Liz Chikayaasix̂ Morrow (Unangax̂ – Naknek Native Village) .morrow
• Epiphany Couch (spuyaləpabš/Yakama)
• Carissa Eich (Navajo)
• Cynthia Matherson (Comanche)
• Taylor White (Skokomish/Squaxin) .taylor
• Inanna kʷaɁowišč tyee McCarty (Makah/Tsawout)
• Mikiʻala Souza (Kanaka ʻŌiwi/Native Hawaiian)
• Megita Denton (Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan)
• Daniel R. Smith (Swinomish)
• Woodrow Hunt (Klamath/Modoc, Cherokee)
• Ash Frantz (Makah) .frantz
• Stefan Gonzales (Prio/Manso/Tiwa)

We are here, we have been here, and we will always be here.

Exhibition runs: Oct. 2nd – Dec. 11th, 2026, at TCMoFA, 120 Olympia Ave NE, Olympia, WA. Learn more at Tcmofa.org/upcoming

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Meet Mikaela, our Marketing Lead/CSMoFA Curator!Mikaela Shafer (Hopi) is a mother, artist, and community builder residin...
09/28/2026

Meet Mikaela, our Marketing Lead/CSMoFA Curator!

Mikaela Shafer (Hopi) is a mother, artist, and community builder residing in Olympia, Washington.

Mikaela brings nearly 20 years of marketing and storytelling experience to the team through her work with small businesses, BIPOC arts organizations, and nonprofits. Mikaela also serves as co-chair of the Downtown Olympia Creative District and Lead Storyteller for Indigenous Creatives Collective.

Her artwork has been featured in galleries across the U.S. and in London. She was recently honored with the LIFT Award for Indigenous artists through the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation and the Artist Innovator Award through Artist Trust, as well as a blue ribbon from the Santa Fe Indian Market.

Through her artistic endeavors, community engagement, and storytelling, Mikaela strives to make a meaningful impact on the cultural landscape, advocating for inclusivity and empowerment in her community and beyond.

Every October through December, TCMoFA hands over its space to Indigenous artists and curators. We do this to uplift and...
09/25/2026

Every October through December, TCMoFA hands over its space to Indigenous artists and curators. We do this to uplift and center the original inhabitants of these lands and waters, and acknowledge the history of colonization and diaspora that have impacted traditional ways of living, including forms of art.

Last year, TCMoFA began a partnership with the Indigenous Creatives Collective, an urban, Native, women-led arts nonprofit rematriating 2 acres of land and amplifying Indigenous creativity across Coast Salish territories in the Pacific Northwest. This partnership ensures that CSMoFA is always curated by and for Indigenous creatives.

Indigenous Creatives Collective provides honorariums to participating artists as well as mini grants and financial support to assist with artwork production, transportation, lodging, and support for writing artist statements and meeting any other needs. >> Swipe to see a quote from a CSMoFA artist!

Beyond CSMoFA, ICC offers radically inclusive and equitable arts opportunities, including an online artist roster, exhibitions, grants, cultural workshops, land restoration activities, and other community-led projects.

Learn more about Indigenous Creatives Collective and their work by visitng their website at indigenouscreatives.org.

*Photos by Jack George from Indigenous Creatives' recent Rematriation Celebration event

Closing time....We are sad to see MOTHER coming to a close, but so excited to have heard so many stories from all of you...
09/16/2026

Closing time....

We are sad to see MOTHER coming to a close, but so excited to have heard so many stories from all of you during your visits.

What a beautiful exhibition! Thank you to everyone who came to see it, all the artists, and all the mothers out there.

Please join us for refreshments and snacks, one last hurray and the last chance to see Mother on September 18th from 6-9pm.

Meet our Facilities Carpenter and Board Member (and a co-founder of TCMoFA!), Jasper!Love our front desk? That's all Jas...
09/14/2026

Meet our Facilities Carpenter and Board Member (and a co-founder of TCMoFA!), Jasper!

Love our front desk? That's all Jasper! When we need something built, fixed, or upgraded, Jasper has it covered.

Jasper Pease (he/him) was born and raised in the cornfields of Iowa. In 2016 he sought a change of scenery and moved to Olympia, Washington. He studied at The Evergreen State College with a focus in visual arts and painting. When not in the studio he works as a carpenter and raises sheep. As well as organizing community arts events as a co-founder of TCMoFA, Jasper is a visual artist working with oil paint, ceramics and wood.

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO SEE MOTHER!Join us for the Closing Reception of MOTHER on September 18th from 6- 9 p.m., whe...
09/11/2026

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO SEE MOTHER!

Join us for the Closing Reception of MOTHER on September 18th from 6- 9 p.m., where you can see the art one last time and chat with the artists before this incredible show closes.

🌷🌷🌷🌷

“MOTHER” explores the complex identity of mothers, challenging societal expectations while highlighting the artistic expression found in the nuances of caregiving.

As mothers, we live under the pressure and expectation that our identities will cease to exist outside of the parameters of what society dictates of us: that we will morph into the shape of what our families need at any cost; that we will contort our bodies until they concede the necessary and sometimes devastating personal sacrifices asked of us to maintain normalcy.

As artists, our work persists; the poetry of biological reproduction opens portals into new dimensions of expression. In the constant unearthing of ourselves amid our responsibilities as caregivers, and in embracing motherhood as a generative source of transformation, we are granted a window into the world mothers hold inside of their lived experiences.

Shout-out to our sponsor, Oldschool Pizzeria, for providing our volunteers with a slice after their shift! Literally fue...
09/09/2026

Shout-out to our sponsor, Oldschool Pizzeria, for providing our volunteers with a slice after their shift! Literally fueling the museum's open hours!

Did you know an 18 inch pizza from Oldschool has an approximate area of 254.47 inches? That means it would only take 5,863,661,666 pizzas to cover the surface of the moon!

Our community's generous support keeps TCMoFA going, whether it's a monetary donation or an in-kind donation like this.

Want to support us and be cool like Old School? Check out www.tcmofa.org/support and email us at [email protected]

Want to volunteer and get free pizza? Visit www.tcmofa.org/volunteer!

Huge thanks to Kenny and Connie for supporting the arts!

TCMoFA is a volunteer run museum bringing innovative, exciting new art to Olympia. Often our artists are new to the art ...
09/07/2026

TCMoFA is a volunteer run museum bringing innovative, exciting new art to Olympia.

Often our artists are new to the art industry or experimenting with new mediums, many times they are showing their art for the very first time.

Every dollar donated to TCMoFA goes directly to promoting the work of these local artists and creating free public art experiences for the local community.

You can help support our efforts by donating at tcmofa.org/support or our donation box at the museum.

Address

120 Olympia Avenue NE
Olympia, WA
98501

Opening Hours

Friday 12pm - 7pm
Saturday 11am - 7pm
Sunday 12pm - 4pm

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