Arbutus Folk School

Arbutus Folk School is an art and craft center in downtown Olympia bringing our community hands-on experiences in ceramics, woodworking, fiber arts, and more. Our classes are not just about learning how to throw pots on the wheel or warp a loom, but also meeting and connecting with local artists and fellow community members through this shared experience. 

If you made a donation last year, you helped us increase classes and scholarships, introduce new art forms and fiber circles, add much-needed tools, machines, and safety equipment, and expand the number of youth and adults served by 25%. Thank you! 

It is like so many seeds planted, now growing and bearing fruit. I have passed through our classrooms many times this year, and our youngest students in particular always show me what they’re making: a colorful cat puppet to star in a story about the Chinese zodiac; a needle felted slug carrying a needle felted towel (“in case he needs it,” the student shared). Each time a student makes art at Arbutus Folk School, it is because we had community support to hire an artist, buy materials, source tools, and plan a program many months in advance.  

Your donation now will help us continue this work: improve and expand our classes, studio hours, and events, sustain costs like our rent and utilities, and give us the stability we need to offer free, sliding scale, and reduced-cost programs for the community. So far this year, the fees we’ve collected are covering about 60% of our expenses. This is why we need your support: to provide all of the vibrant and uplifting programs that we cannot accomplish alone!

Thank you for being a champion for creativity in our community by donating to Arbutus Folk School today!