IT'S HAPPENING >>>

Painter Tom Anderson is practically an institution in Olympia, and he may be the only contemporary abstract artist I know who has been able to support himself entirely from his art. He has major works in private and public collections such as the big pieces that grace the walls in the emergency room at Providence St. Peter Hospital. For more years than I can remember he shared a studio with Mansion Glass above Childhood's End Gallery on Fourth Avenue, and a few years back he moved to a larger and more accessible ground-floor space on Washington Street between Fourth and State.

But like everybody else, Tom has been hit hard by the economic recession. This is where Olyphant Art Supply comes to the rescue. He heard that Olyphant, housed in inadequate quarters downtown, was looking for a better space. No longer able to afford his studio, he invited the art supply store to share, and it seems like a match made in heaven.

So now the art supply store is in the front of the building along with Tom's old partner Mansion Glass, and Tom's studio - somewhat smaller but still workable  - is upstairs. And there is an art gallery in the back half of the store.

When I visit recently I was quite impressed with the group show in the art gallery. I didn't take notes at the time and can't tell you who the artists were. Nobody I recognized. But it was an impressive show of what I gathered to be young artists. The feel for the gallery and the type of art I saw reminded me a lot of the Black Front Gallery, which was great during its brief lifetime.

The next show will be a showing of local tattoo artists. There will be an opening March 3 from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Olyphant also offers a variety of art classes for adults and kids including mask making, acrylic painting and figure drawing. According to their website at http://www.theolyphant.com they are seeking artists to show in the gallery, artists to teach classes, and models for the figure drawing sessions.

They also have other events such as a live music event on March 4 from 10 p.m. to midnight with Dead Head, The Shrine, Nudity and GAG.

Olyphant Art Supply is a new happening place with exciting potential. They're located at 117 Washington St. NE in downtown Oly between Fourth and State.