Gallery Boom is a bustling hub for the arts in the South Sound Region of Western Washington State. Gallery Boom has now been in 4 locations in the Olympia area over it’s 7 years.
Gallery Boom started life as the first all local art gallery in Tumwater, WA. It began in 2014 as part of the Tumwater Chamber of Commerce Business Incubator Program. It was located in the former Tumwater Chamber of Commerce Building in the Fred Meyer parking lot for two years. The BOOM in Gallery Boom came from the Island of Harmony Boom, an art project from former owner and artist P. Calavara and Christine Malek. The gallery started as a way to promote the books, stuffed creatures and other products of Hamony Boom. Over time, Gallery Boom developed into a dynamic and innovative way to promote and support local artists. The Tumwater gallery hosted art classes, events and a Sunday Art Market every Sunday during the summer.
In the summer of 2016 Gallery Boom moved to downtown Olympia into a 5,200 sqft building. It featured 140 local artists including, Art Parts- a used art supply shop, the Psychic Rent a Tent and a rentable gallery space for classes, events and art shows. Music, comedy and events for the LGBTQ+ and Indigenous Communities were often hosted. A portion of the space was shared with Hummingbird Studios, a local non-profit that offered free/low cost art classes for all with a focus on people with disabilities.
In July of 2020, Gallery Boom had to adapt like all other small businesses to the pandemic. Gallery Boom was lucky enough to relocate to a small new store on the NE side of town and move the majority of it’s sales online at galleryboomshop.com. 80 artists moved up the hill with them and weathered the bulk of the storm.
Spring 2021 showed the clouds parting and Gallery Boom moved down the road 1.5 miles to the bustling Martin Way E. A corner of a busy mini mall that is now the home of the Boom Bunny and it's many artists. This newest location houses a beautiful show room of art, Art Parts, back stock, packaging and shipping room for online sales and a small rentable room for classes, shows and events.
Gallery Boom was voted by the people of Thurston County to be the Best Art Gallery in the South Sound in 2017, 2018 and 2019. It was also featured in the Washington Post travel article about Olympia published in September 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/lifestyle/vacation-ideas/things-to-do-in-olympia/
