Current Exhibits
Step inside the Olympia Arts & Heritage Alliance Museum and be inspired by the creativity and history that make our community unique. Our galleries are alive with art, stories, and perspectives that invite you to linger, look closer, and see Olympia in new ways.
The Evergreen Effect
September 2026 - January 2027
Developed in collaboration with two Evergreen State College student interns and in partnership with the Evergreen Archives, The Evergreen Effect explores the relationship between Olympia and our unique college. Drawing on documents, photographs, and artifacts never before on exhibit, it traces the arts, cultures, and history we experience only because Evergreen is here.
Explore the Olympia landscape before Evergreen, Evergreen’s connections to local maritime history and preservation of the Nisqually River Delta, creative movements both on and off campus, the groundbreaking Native Studies program, and unique traditions like Super Saturday and “Happy Land.”
And, of course, there’s that 1980s bedazzled Speedy costume!
It’s The Water
April 24 – December 31
In our largest space, the South Gallery, It’s The Water explores the ways Olympia is shaped by our waters, highlighting the story of Tribal Canoe Journey in partnership with 2026 hosts, the Nisqually Indian Tribe.
Through additional mini-exhibits, visitors will explore Olympia’s shellfishing industry, estuaries, dams, and inlets with interactive elements featuring art, history and local cultures.
Paint the town
April 10 – December 31
Come Paint the Town with us! In our North Gallery, explore Olympia’s mural culture through the colorful artwork decorating our streets and alleyways and turning everyday landscapes into sites of color, memory, and connection. This exhibit also investigates the work murals do in Olympia and beyond—from murals that double as solidarity networks to those that serve as memorials.
Paint the Town also features a cardboard city that visitors of all ages are invited to decorate!
you are here
January 23 – December 31
Against the backdrop of hand-painted maps by local muralist Fern Tallos, You Are Here explores Olympia at two scales: From the history at the intersection of State Avenue and Columbia Street to the broader stories of the South Puget Sound which have shaped Olympia over time.