MAC Gallery
Ellen Picken,She Allows (Willow: Sorrow and Comfort) 2025, 70” x 79.5”, with Detail.
Willow ash, sandstone, iron ore, eggshell, red and green clays, on panel
Accompanied by, Willow branches, river water. Water, Winter
Ellen Picken: 13 Senses
November 7-- December 12, 2025
First Friday Opening Receptions November 7 and December 5,
5:00 - 7:00pm
Spokane artist Ellen Picken engages multiple senses through her paintings and interactive
sculptures, exploring complex themes of existence, ritual, and nature. Meaning emerges
not only from the symbolic colors and shapes in her paintings but also from the carefully
chosen materials she uses to create her handmade paints. Personally meaningful substances
collected from significant places—such as willow ash, sandstone, eggshell, copper,
salt, brick, pinesap, beeswax, rust, alluvial sand, deer bone, and iron oxide—are
ground up and used to make her colors, deepening the experience of the works.
Nick McMahan, Dawn on Haleakalā – Wanaʻao ma Haleakalā, (Soundscape) in the Grove.
First Friday, December 5, 5:00—7:00
In addition to the December First Friday reception for Ellen Picken's 13 Senses exhibition, nature and wildlife sound recordist Nick McMahan brings another immersive sonic experience to the Grove Recital Hall with Dawn on Haleakalā – Wanaʻao ma Haleakalā. The hour-long natural soundscape captures a rare dawn chorus recorded high on the
volcanic slopes of Maui, offering a vivid portrait of a pristine Hawaiian ecosystem.
The work invites listeners to experience sunrise entirely through sound. As the hour
unfolds, the darkened Grove slowly fills with the calls of endangered and native Hawaiian
birds, creating an intimate, transportive encounter with a landscape few ever hear
so clearly.
The soundscape will start at 5:00 and repeat again at 6:00, and listeners are free
to come and go at any time during the piece.
The MAC Gallery
The MAC Gallery hosts high-quality and thought-provoking exhibitions of contemporary art by faculty,
exceptional students, and invited professional guest artists from around the region.
The carefully curated exhibitions and associated events enhance the instruction of
the art department and work toward WVC’s mission to provide important cultural opportunities
for the community.
The MAC Gallery is able to put on these exhibitions thanks to generous support from grants and community members. With your donation,
the gallery can continue bringing exhibits and cultural events to WVC and our community.
Donate Now
Hours of Operation
8 AM to 5 PM, Monday-Friday, except for holidays and campus closures
Additional hours include First Friday on the first Friday of each month, 5-7 PM.
