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Art is a conversation starter, and the art on display at Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters in downtown Olympia is no exception. Customers regularly comment on the latest exhibits, asking about contact information for the artist or expressing surprise at the avant garde nature of certain pieces.  “Some folks express how much they enjoy it and some aren’t sure why it’s there,” says Olympia Retail Manager Krista Bentow. “We get a lot of really good raw feedback.”

The conversation is about to go into overdrive when Olympia Spring Arts Walk gets underway. At Batdorf & Bronson, the event is like old home week.  “I’ve worked here for almost seven years and I can’t believe how many old employees and former co-workers I see during Arts Walk,” says Bentow “They all come back in to be a part of it. It’s such a special thing to see hundreds of people crowd in here and so many of them are people that you know.”

batdorf coffee
At the Batdorf and Bronson coffee shop in downtown Olympia, student art is mixed in with professionals on a rotating basis, with displays changing every month.

In many ways the company is ground zero for the festival. Accounting Director Jeanne Allan is one of the event’s original founders who persuaded a handful of businesses to take a chance on a new idea back in 1986. “Jeanne can’t say enough about the business and arts community for believing in this at the very beginning,” says Bentow. “If they weren’t willing to print the first map or to open their doors to people, it would never have reached the point that it has.”

“The business community has been very supportive since the very beginning, and many agreed to participate before the Olympia Arts Commission was involved,” says Allan. At the time of the first Arts Walk, the brand new Olympia Arts Commission heard about it through a member who had been approached about her business participating, then the Olympia Arts Commission stepped forward to print the maps, and have helped nurture and organize the event since.”

batdorf coffee
During Arts Walk hundreds of people visit Batdorf & Bronson, including many former employees.

From the beginning, the team at Batdorf & Bronson committed itself to including art as part of the experience at their cafe. Ever since, they have had a rotating display from local artists that changes every month. The process is facilitated by well-known local artist and curator Signe Feeney, who has worked with the company for over a decade.

“She has her rules. She wants to make sure it’s a full showcase, and it’s got to be a good concept, something that people can grasp,” Bentow explains. Feeney plans for months in advance, highlighting the diversity of the region’s artists and including children’s art along the way.

“The diversity is incredible,” says Bentow. “Last month we had a local artist who does animals with coffee on canvas. That really got people’s attention. Before that it was beautiful pictures of trees. One month it will be children’s art. It’s never the same.”

Arts Walk is often an opportunity for local students to show their art, sometimes selling crafts in front of the cafe. “We have a lot of proud parents and family visit, and the kids come in and see their own art,” says Bentow.

Once an artist has been chosen, Feeney makes sure that the staff are able to speak knowledgeably about the exhibit. They keep artist bios and business cards on hand for anyone who wants to know more, and facilitate the process for customers interested in buying one of the pieces.

batdorf coffee
Aside from being one of Olympia Arts Walk’s founding member businesses, Batdorf & Bronson also displays works from local artists throughout the year.

Employee interest and support comes naturally, says Bentow. “We have a lot of artists in house, and for them it’s really motivating and inspirational. We’ve got a couple individuals in the company that have shown their art here, so it’s nice for our younger artists to see that.” In preparation for Arts Walk, Batdorf and Bronson have many employees that donate their time and they provide coffee for all participants in the Olympia Downtown Association’s clean-up that happens on the Saturday before the event.

The event has grown in both size and scope since its inception. “Jeanne Allan says it only gets richer,” says Bentow. “The talent pool keeps growing and it gets more diverse. People keep coming up with really innovative art forms.”

What started with just a few businesses now stretches across downtown toward the water, almost as far as you can go before heading into West Olympia. “I can’t believe how many businesses are involved now,” she shakes her head. “When I go to Arts Walk, I always think of the little guy on the end. It’s so cool that this business all the way down here has art.”

As the festival continues to expand, Allan and Bentow want the focus to remain where it has always been – with the artist front and center. “We hope that the artists are still at the forefront of everyone’s minds,” says Bentow. “There’s so much time, effort, and energy that these artists put into hoping they sell maybe one piece. As Arts Walk grows, you see all these new concepts and ideas, but we hope the artists don’t get lost.”

In the meantime, the event continues to bring in locals and visitors alike in increasing numbers. “It’s become something that even people outside of Olympia are drawn to,” says Bentow. “We get such good exposure through the colleges. A lot of people come to visit their kids and tell us, ‘I had no idea Olympia was so cool.’ It’s really neat to hear it from people who don’t live here. I don’t know a lot of other places this size that have such deep-seated collaborative cultural events.”

Visit www.batdorfcoffee.com to learn more about Batdorf & Bronson. To learn more about Spring Arts Walk, click here.

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