Nany Evans oral history.indd - Washington Secretary of State

scheduled events, and they would lead tours.
Hughes: That was just invaluable, wasn’t it?
Evans: It was. But it’s no longer in existence. There’s no ASCM any more, but it carried
on for a number of years. And in fact a few months ago I found down in the basement
the book of minutes, the organizing of this group. But at any rate, I felt good about that
program because it got people involved with the museum itself. And it brought more
people there to learn about our state’s history. And I thought it was a good thing.
Hughes: When you moved into the Governor’s Mansion and really got into your job, you
already had an interest in history, but being involved with the museum really made your
pulse quicken, didn’t it?
Evans: Yes, I enjoyed that experience. One of the other things I was involved in was the
Governor’s Festival of the Arts. That was Lud Kramer’s baby. He started it (in 1966), but
I was very active with that. We put together a series of events – three or four concerts a
year in Olympia theaters. And we brought musicians and other artists from elsewhere.
That was hard because you had to get somebody who was coming from (a performance in)
Seattle or Portland, who was willing to come by Olympia, too. We had Pearl Bailey and we
had the Danish pianist.
Hughes: Victor Borge.
Evans: Victor Borge! Oh, he was wonderful. And then afterwards we would have a little
reception for them at the Mansion. And Borge came out to the Mansion. Pearl Bailey came
out, too. This event went on for several years.
Hughes: Olympia was kind of a backwater then.
Evans: It was very much so. There was no Performing Arts Center.
Hughes: Where would you have those performances?
Evans: At a movie theater. So, we had the Governor’s Festival for the Arts for a number of
years, and POSSCA was also formed then – Patrons of the South Sound Cultural Activities.
They still have POSSCA events every two years, I think. It’s like PONCHO in Seattle. Over the
years that auction has raised millions and millions of dollars for the arts.
Hughes: I thought it was originally for Children’s Hospital.
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