Space Grants Recipients, Spring 2025
OAA Space Grants Support Local Artists
In Spring 2025, Olympia Artspace Alliance (OAA) proudly announced a new round of Space Grants for local artists in Thurston County. As a dedicated advocate for our creative community, OAA understands how critical it is to support artists’ space-related needs.
About the Space Grants
To help artists cover essential costs, OAA awarded eleven Space Grants, each valued at $500. These grants are designed to ease the financial strain of expenses such as:
Studio or living rent
Rehearsal space
Storage
Utilities and repairs
ADA accommodations
Other space-related costs
In addition to the $500 grant, each recipient also receives a free one-month membership to Lacey MakerSpace, fostering further opportunities for creativity and collaboration.
Why This Matters
OAA believes in the transformative power of art. By providing artists with the resources they need to maintain and improve their creative spaces, we’re investing in their growth, success, and continued contributions to our vibrant arts scene.
Program Growth & Gratitude
Originally launched in 2020 to help artists cover studio expenses during the pandemic, the Space Grants program has continued to expand. Thanks to a generous gift from the Freas Foundation, a former arts-focused organization, we’re able to continue awarding these grants for at least the next five years. We’re deeply grateful to the Freas Foundation and to all our funding partners who help strengthen our arts community.
Meet the 2025 Space Grant Recipients
We’re thrilled to spotlight this year’s grant recipients:
Devin River, Maria Bressler, Sara Gettys, Mo Golden, Max Nordile, Tiger Hurd, Hathor Vergotis, Madison Judkins, Kelsey Magnuson, Calliope Kemner, and Rebecca Hanson.
These talented artists represent the rich diversity and creativity of Thurston County. We can’t wait to see what they create next!
Devin River
Artist Bio
Devin River is a textile artist living and working in Olympia, WA. Born in Eugene, Oregon, in 1985, River is a self-taught, multidisciplinary creator with a background as an experimental musician (Entrail) prior to their current visual arts practice.
Artist Statement
As a disabled artist working with a variety of discarded fabrics within the historically undervalued art form of quilting, my work examines the concept of value as it applies to objects, labor, and human beings. I love patterns and enjoy fragmenting and stretching the traditional “starburst” quilt motif to its breaking point.
My studio is full of piles of fabric—items that seem special on their own, like vintage curtains, alongside things that appear mundane, like scraps of t-shirts. The interplay between the chaos of these materials and the structure of cutting and sewing is at times both soothing and thrilling to me.
As someone who once struggled with the idea of proving that art is a worthwhile pursuit, I am now motivated by the notion that anything can be worthwhile, including discarded clothing and my own time.
Visit Devin’s website at devin-river.com
Maria Bressler
Artist Bio
Maria Bressler is an artist living and working in Olympia, WA. Her work is inspired by pantomime, geometry, and the Vienna Secession, which sought to integrate art into all aspects of life. Maria explores sensuality, obfuscation, and what lies beneath through various media, including sculpture, drafting, and painting.
She is also the founder of Pilot Magazine, a local arts and culture publication that highlights creatives living in and around Olympia. To date, two issues of the magazine have been published.
Maria began drawing at an early age, and her practice has evolved in many ways over the years. She received her BFA from the University of Arizona.
Artist Statement
The human form is best captured when it’s in motion. I’ll take a snapshot. I like to study moments in time—it's a kind of intimate exercise. I sit with a moment for a long while, admiring the different shapes, tones, and values that emerge.
These moments carry a narrative. They’re part of a continuum of feelings, expressions, and actions. I’m interested in finding just the right instant to capture the depth and breadth of one facet—or sometimes more.
Follow Maria on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mmbressler/
Sara Gettys
Artist Bio
Sara Gettys is a visual artist based in the Pacific Northwest. Originally from Oklahoma, she has lived in Washington for over 20 years, where she has been nurtured and supported by the creative communities in Yakima and Olympia. Sara regularly exhibits her work in both eastern and western Washington and serves on the board of the South Sound Studio Tour.
Currently employed as a photographer and media producer, Sara holds a B.A. in creative writing and an M.A. in photojournalism. She considers herself a storyteller, no matter the medium.
Artist Statement
I am an artist who works across multiple mediums—relief carving, ceramics, acrylic painting, and mixed media. Throughout my work, I explore the layering of texture and form, most often focusing on natural shapes to convey a message or mood.
I’m drawn to art that invites touch, whether it’s a ceramic plate I’ve shaped and carved or a mixed-media piece that combines textures and layers to catch the eye. My practice leans into the physical process of creation—shaping my work with my hands is central to how I explore ideas, whether through clay or wood.
Visit Sara’s website at saragettysdesign.com
Mo Golden
Artist Bio
Mo Golden is an artist and creativity researcher based in Olympia, WA. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Expressive Arts at The European Graduate School and holds an MA in Education & Human Development from George Washington University—where she was a Jim Joseph Foundation Fellow—and a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from The Evergreen State College.
Mo’s artistic practice has been shaped by mentorships with artists including Yanka Mikhailova at Azul Cobalto Studio in Zaragoza, Spain; Marilyn Frasca in Olympia, WA; Mariana Gabor in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Deborah Koff-Chapin at the Touch Drawing Institute on Whidbey Island, Washington.
She has participated in several solo and group shows in the Olympia area, such as the Spring 2025 group exhibition Tides at Childhood’s End Gallery. She also exhibited in three shows at Tomato Spirit Cultural Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her solo shows in the DC area both sold out: one at The Cork Gallery in Baltimore, MD, and one at The Train Station in Shepherdstown, WV.
As Co-Founder and Creative Director of Gold Herring (2018–2023), Mo illustrated 18 published products used by over 4,000 customers and organizational partners. In her role as Co-Owner of Heart of the Deernicorn (2015–present), she illustrated and co-designed Night Forest, a live-action game ritual, and consulted on the design of four storytelling games. Her work has received multiple honors, including five Ennie Award nominations for co-design, and has been featured in publications such as Polygon, Lilith Magazine, and Hey Alma.
Mo has facilitated Expressive Arts workshops in Peru, Argentina, and across the U.S., and led creativity and intercultural competence trainings for institutions including Interfaith Works, HIAS, and the Lakeside School.
Artist Statement
Mo Golden is an artist and creativity researcher based in Olympia, WA. Her work explores themes of interconnection and expansion/contraction. Her process is rooted in a love of nature and studies of somatic movement and Expressive Arts.
Mo has always been fascinated by what can be felt but not seen, and by how images help us perceive, articulate, and transform our inner worlds. She works primarily with acrylic paint on canvas, but also creates painted ceramic and glass panel installations.
Bridging art and design, Mo uses imagery and materiality to enhance people’s experiences of a space. Through multiple layers of translucent paint, she creates depth and dynamics that invite viewers to be more present with their own senses.
Visit Mo’s website at MoGolden.com
Max Nordile
Artist Bio
Max Nordile (b. 1982, San Diego, CA) is a multidisciplinary artist living in Olympia, WA. He may yet complete a degree at The Evergreen State College, studying arts and communication, and previously attended Cornish College of the Arts.
Max has exhibited his visual work at many venues, including TCMoFA (Olympia, WA), Store Front Gallery (Oakland, CA), 24/7 Gallery (Seattle, WA), AK Gallery (Seaside, OR), Silent Barn (Brooklyn, NY), and The Space (Long Island City, NY). A selection of works from a decade of his sketchbooks was published as Funny Pages by 24/7 Press. He also self-published Droppings: An Art and Humor Magazine for 40 issues from 2013 to 2023.
As a musician, Max has performed with bands (Eating, Time Addict, Debt Rag, Shelter) and as a solo artist, curating concerts and touring consistently since 2004. He has released albums on Gilgongo Records, Post Present Medium, Radical Documents, Ever/Never Records, and his own label, Music For People.
Nordile works in multimedia assemblage, incorporating found objects into three-dimensional sculptures for walls and floors. His musical practice mirrors this approach, using found sounds and field recordings to recontextualize and obscure their origins through freely improvised studio play.
Artist Statement
In the 14th century, “gleaning” described the act of gathering leftover grain or produce after harvest. In modern urban settings, gleaners collect the cast-off detritus of city life to reuse or repurpose. My process could well fall under this tradition.
Moving through streets as a pedestrian, I gather materials—found and expropriated—for recontextualization in assemblage. A sense of play and exploration guides how I reframe these objects. As textured sculptural constructs, the works offer new contexts for considering the inevitable intersection of civilization’s excesses and the non-human world. Mistinted paint from a hardware store, a branch with a suggestive shape, a clogged sewer grate, an artifact from a dream—these are all grist for the mill.
Each assemblage tells a story of materials, a playful process of mutation and overhaul, and invites interpretation from the viewer. I aim to create without intention, indeterminately and intuitively, letting the work beget itself by embracing chance and accident. Ultimately, the art is fully activated by the viewer, who brings their own gleaning of connotation to the piece.
As a child, I sincerely confessed to my priest, “I want to be a comedian.” Now, neither practicing Catholic nor comic, my confused emanations find an outlet through the gleeful experimentations documented by my work.
Visit Max’s website at https://mnordile.com/
Tiger Hurd
Artist Bio
Tiger Hurd (they/them) was born in Anaheim, California, in 1999. Growing up in poverty, they experienced a childhood marked by violence and grief. Tiger has lived in seven states across the U.S.—from Hawai’i to Arizona to Florida, and now Washington.
They are a freelance artist who also works as a cashier at an art supply store. Tiger’s first introduction to art came at age four, through their older sister’s sketchbook. They studied printmaking in college but are self-taught in drawing and painting.
Tiger is most proud of their first solo show, held in July 2024, which featured over 50 watercolor paintings. Their work aims to comfort those struggling with anxiety, depression, and PTSD by offering gentle images that are calming and inspiring. Currently, they are pursuing a Visual Arts education at The Evergreen State College.
Artist Statement
My artwork is inspired by the cartoons and video games my family enjoyed during my childhood. I create cute characters using soft shapes and bright colors, drawing influence from Ghibli movies, Sailor Moon manga, and early 2000s games.
I work in two modes: structured academic studies and free-flowing, stream-of-consciousness creation. Painting without a set goal helps me bypass self-censorship, allowing spontaneity to guide my process. While I explore different mediums, watercolor, Procreate, and sketchbooks let me develop ideas quickly.
My goal is to create imagery that is soft, sweet, and comforting—soothing, playful, even frivolous. I want my art to feel like a lighthearted daydream, a space free from pain or weariness. Through serene, open landscapes, I weave a sense of peace, inviting viewers into a world of quiet joy.
Follow Tiber on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tigerrific.art/
Hathor Vergotis
Artist Bio
Hathor Vergotis is a trans interdisciplinary artist living on the shores of the Salish Sea in Olympia, WA. They are the child of a Greek sailor and a small-town Oregon woman with a brilliant creative streak, and grew up in Portland, Oregon before it became so outwardly hip and expensive.
After a brief stint working as a camera assistant on low-budget feature-length films, Hathor studied music and composition. After earning a BA from The Evergreen State College, they performed and toured with various bands as a saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, and collaborated with dancers on short and evening-length performances.
Building on this collaborative foundation, Hathor recently created an ambitious film and sound project, The Lincoln All-School Movie, as a teaching artist with direct animator Devon Demonte and audio engineer Paul Krogh. They founded the Color Drones ensemble, a community-based public sound group, and created a large-scale oral narrative sound installation at the Wright Conservatory in Tacoma as a teaching artist with students at Arts Connect.
In 2022, Hathor earned their MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College, concentrating on Decolonial Arts Practice and focusing their thesis on zines as living community narrative. They are currently working on ink paintings on paper and leading community zine-making workshops.
Artist Statement
I have spent my life and art exploring ideas of sentience and Spirit, starting from the observation that everything seems to possess some form of sentience. Recognizing this binds us into responsible relationships with the beings and materials around us.
As a sound artist shaped by Pauline Oliveros’ Deep Listening practices, I’ve learned to center myself by attending to the living sounds around us, drawing also from Buddhist traditions of present-moment awareness. While Spirit is hard to comprehend within the dominant Western paradigm, it finds a clear, material footing in artistic expression. Where does Spirit end and material begin?
My painting practice has become a form of divination. Through ink and brush, I began to see aspects of my true self before I had language to name them as “trans,” before I fully understood what my body was telling me about gender. The paintings held knowledge my conscious mind hadn’t yet accessed or crystallized into language.
In my work with ink on paper, I open myself to the material qualities: the viscosity of the ink, the texture of the brush on the fibers of the paper, simple lines laid down slowly and repetitively. This grounding in the tangible creates a structure through which the spiritual aspects can flow and find expression.
As I navigate changes to my corporeal reality and others’ perceptions of my body through gender-affirming medical care, I notice the flexibility in my web of relationships and the malleability of my physical form. This practice serves as both ritual and archive—a way of witnessing and recording this moment of becoming.
Visit Hator’s website at https://hammerofhathor.wixsite.com/hathorvergotis
Madison Judkins
Artist Bio
Madison Judkins is a multidisciplinary Indigenous artist based in Olympia, Washington. At 26, she brings a rich cultural heritage and deep personal passion to every piece she creates, using her art to tell stories and work through her emotions, thoughts, and experiences.
An enrolled member of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe, Madison also descends from the Chinook Indian Nation, the Lower Chehalis Band of Indians, and the Nisqually Indian Nation. Her work is grounded in this lineage and inspired by the stories, teachings, and traditional knowledge of art forms passed down by her ancestors and community leaders.
Madison recently became a first-time mother to a baby boy born on April 5, 2025. Raising her son has motivated her to pursue entrepreneurship and expand her small business, with the hope of becoming a stay-at-home mother and full-time artist.
Artist Statement
Madison runs a small business named Beading Hearts, creating beaded jewelry and accessories for like-minded people. She also designs digital logos for individuals starting their own businesses or for people and organizations in need of digital graphics. Beading Hearts began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Madison, facing depression and financial challenges, sought a way to become more self-sustainable.
As a child, Madison was mentored by the late Randy Capoeman, an artist from the Quinault Indian Nation, who taught her traditional Native American formline techniques. She was also mentored by Earl Davis (Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe) and Roger Fernandez (Lower Elwha S’Klallam Tribe) in traditional Coast Salish techniques.
Madison is always finding new sources of inspiration, and recently has enjoyed collaborating with others to create custom designs. She believes she has been given a gift and loves helping people bring their ideas to life.
Visit Madison’s website at www.shopbeadinghearts.com or Follow on TikTok: @__beadinghearts
Kelsey Magnuson
Artist Bio
Kelsey Magnuson is a multidisciplinary artist based in Olympia, WA, whose practice has branched in many directions since their beginnings as an undergraduate in Asheville, NC. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Textiles from Warren Wilson College, they developed a deep reverence for the slow, rhythmic craft of weaving cloth.
Since graduating, Kelsey has held a residency at STARworks Center for Craft and is now an artist-in-residence at Olympia’s own Arbutus Folk School, where they developed their most recent line of handwoven products. Over the past three years, they have been creating waxed canvas roll-top bags featuring handwoven accents and pockets that showcase their intricate woven fabric on utilitarian, everyday objects.
Artist Statement
I am a weaver of both tactile and imaginary things. I’ve always allowed my creative processes to fluctuate and breathe with the seasons, letting them overlap and spill naturally into one another. These points of crossover are where I find much of the impetus for my art practice.
For the past four years, I’ve collaborated as a studio assistant and performer with String and Shadow Puppet Theater, building cardboard masks and props that bring scraps of cloth and clay to life within large-scale performances of folk stories and song. This intersection of craft, art, and performance unites all aspects of my interests—both in the studio and in my work as a community builder and organizer.
Follow Kelsey on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kelseymagnuson/
Calliope Kemner
Artist Bio
I was born in Fort Lewis, Washington, and raised in Wisconsin. After high school, I was forced to join the Air Force. Later, I relocated to Washington (not through the Air Force) and have been attending The Evergreen State College, pursuing a B.F.A.
My primary focus is ceramics, but I am also working on building a studio space to broaden my artistic skills, particularly in printmaking and painting. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with lupus, which has completely changed how I see the world and my art. It has given me a deep appreciation for the work I am able to do.
Lupus affects my hands the most, so every piece I create is very special to me. I am currently working on a body of work that expresses what invisible illnesses feel like. Outside of art, I am a lover of animals. The only things I love as much as art are nature and my kids—we can usually be found taking weekly trips to the woods.
Artist Statement
I make pottery. I work with ceramics, water, clay, glaze, throwing, molding, and firing. For now, I mostly create functional, usable pieces—mugs and planters—but I am also finding the time and space to flex my creative muscles and explore forms that are less about function and more about personal challenge.
As I move from crafting everyday objects to creating unique art pieces, I find that what drives me is how art can challenge my expectations. I spent most of my life in service to others. Now that I am in the driver’s seat, I want to create for myself and push the boundaries of what’s possible with my art—and what I believe I’m capable of.
Follow Calliope on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/calliopelillystudio/
Rebecca Hanson
Artist Bio
Rebecca Hanson—artist name Ravenna Beck—is a multidisciplinary artist whose creative journey began in childhood, designing t-shirts, painting murals, and creating commissioned work for The Spokesman-Review. Despite early artistic promise, she spent years estranged from her practice while struggling with addiction and the pressures of conforming to roles that silenced her creative voice. For a long time, even approaching a canvas felt impossible.
Sobriety marked a radical return to art and self. Painting became both a reckoning and a rebirth. Ravenna Beck is the name she gives this resurgence: raw, intuitive, and irrepressible. Her work channels a fierce life force, shaped by grief, healing, and the triumph of reclaiming joy. She now creates boldly and unapologetically, driven by the very energy she once tried to suppress.
Artist Statement
My work explores the tension and harmony between nature and infrastructure. I believe it’s somewhere in the middle that we find our humanity. I’m inspired by miraculous natural phenomena and ordered stability—both of which are all too easy to take for granted. I’m moved by the understated shadow cast by a flower, vibrant yellow weeds against a gray PNW sky, human manipulation of elements—dams, bridges, the conjuring of light at will—the rules we accept and the bureaucracy we resent. I’m endlessly fascinated by our humanity.
While I occasionally explore other media, acrylic remains my favorite. Its fast-drying nature and versatility allow me to confidently experiment with bold textures and vibrant color. As time has proven that my angst was not just a teenage phase, this medium continues to suit me perfectly.
Follow Rebecca on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ravenna_beck/