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Sheehan Gallery
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Sheehan Gallery

Get Creative. Be Inspired.

Step Into a World of Wonder

The Donald H. Sheehan Gallery beckons art lovers and curious minds alike. Explore diverse exhibitions featuring contemporary works, delve into art history's rich tapestry, and discover the beauty of Asian art treasures. Free to the public, the Sheehan Gallery offers a vibrant hub for artistic exploration, intellectual engagement and community connection. Step through its doors and embark on a journey of creativity and wonder.

Art Collection at Sheehan Gallery
A Treasure Trove

Exploring the Whitman College Art Collection

The Whitman College Art Collection offers a vibrant tapestry of artistic expression, from ancient Buddha statues to contemporary paintings and prints. Managed by the Sheehan Gallery, this collection comprises various treasures, including the Davis Collection, featuring Japanese art, the diverse Sculpture Collection and the fascinating Print USA Collection. New acquisitions are constantly enriching the diverse holdings and the gallery welcomes both contributions and collaboration with students and the community.

“HYPERSPATIAL: Comics & Character in the Fourth Dimension”
Current Exhibition

“HYPERSPATIAL: Comics & Character in the Fourth Dimension”

This exhibition features works by Sebastian Jones, founder of Stranger Comics, which features all black writers and visual artists in all of its productions, and some of his collaborators: Sheeba Maya, Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefengki.

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Past Sheehan Gallery Exhibitions

The Sheehan Gallery at Whitman College has showcased a diverse range of artistic talents, with exhibitions from various genres and periods reflecting the rich creative spirit of the campus community.

Panorama: Cantos Unfolding
Aug. 29–Dec. 9, 2023

Panorama: Cantos Unfolding

Featured artist: Xiaoze Xie

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PAPER WORKS: 2008-2020 by Maria Chavez
Feb. 1–Apr. 8, 2022

Paper Works: 2008-2020

Featuring artist Maria Chavez

Mind Maps: The Art of Vicki Bennett
Feb. 1–Apr. 8, 2022

Mind Maps: The Art of Vicki Bennett

Featuring artist Vicki Bennett

You Are Here, Gendron
Aug. 31–Dec. 10, 2021

You Are Here

Featured artists Roger and Marcus Amerman

Recollection: Works on Paper by Melani Yazzie
Aug. 31–Dec. 10, 2021

Recollection: Works on Paper

Featuring artist Melani Yazzie

VOYAGES: A Rick Martinez Retrospective
Sept. 1, 2020–Feb. 26, 2021

Voyages: A Rick Martinez Retrospective

Featuring artist Rick Martinez

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First responders de-stressing at the Sheehan Gallery

First Responders Destress at Sheehan Gallery Exhibit

Xiaoze Xie’s exhibition, “PANORAMA: Cantos Unfolding,” at Whitman's Sheehan Gallery provided the backdrop for employees from Walla Walla's Providence St. Mary Medical Center to process some of the emotional and physical stress created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Alexa Pilgrim pointing to a map on the wall.

Mapping India

In 1947, India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. An exhibition curated by Associate Professor of Art History Krista Gulbransen in the spring of 2023 at Whitman College’s Maxey Museum maps out the historical, political, social and geographical factors and forces at play: “Mapping India: Colonialism, Nationalism, and the Partition of South Asia.”

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Students walking

Re-Imagining Maxville

Associate Art History Professor Lisa Uddin led a student-experience initiative, the intention is “to visualize the shape of and programming for an outdoor education center on 240 acres of newly acquired traditional Nez Perce homelands that includes the 94-acre historic site of the racially-segregated logging town of Maxville, Oregon.”

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sheehan gallery with people viewing artwork

Art Brings Us Together

Art creates a beautiful opportunity for us to express and share our ideas and better connect with the world around us.

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2022 Faculty Promotions collage.

9 Whitman Faculty Promoted in 2022

Whitman recognizes the outstanding work of each member of the faculty–dedicated teacher-scholars who are experts in their fields. This academic year, a handful of Whitman faculty members received promotions that reflect their contributions to their departments and the Whitman College community.

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A student works on a project inside the Fouts studio.

Spaces: Fouts Senior Studios

Take a peek inside the studios where Whitman College art majors create their senior thesis projects.

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entrance to sheehan gallery exhibit

2022 Senior Thesis Art Show is “A Piece of Cake”

The 11 graduating Whitman College Class of 2022 studio art majors concluded their studies with a final thesis exhibition at the Sheehan Gallery.

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Photos of faculty who were promoted in 2021

Celebrating 2021 Faculty Promotions

Congratulations to the faculty members who received promotions this year.

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“Creation and Her Children” (2017) by Merritt Johnson and Nicholas Galanin exhibited at Whitman College's Sheehan Gallery.

Sheehan Gallery’s “You Are Here” Investigates Place and Identity

The Whitman College exhibition showcases works by almost a dozen Indigenous artists.

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Grand Finales: Senior Thesis Art Show Explores ‘Still Life’

The graduating Whitman College studio art majors concluded their studies with a final thesis exhibition, “STILL LIFE: Senior Thesis 2021.”

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Graphic

Creating on the Edge

Professor of New Media Justin Lincoln uses technology to explore the boundaries of art.

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Artist Favianna Rodriguez demonstrates her printmaking techniques for a group of Whitman students

Exploring ‘Race, Violence, and Health’ With the Artwork of Favianna Rodriguez

Associate Professor of Art History and Visual Culture Studies and Garrett Fellow Lisa Uddin reflects on the artwork by Favianna Rodriguez that was chosen to represent Whitman College’s 2020-2021 Academic Theme. Rodriguez is a social justice worker, a cultural organizer and a visual artist.

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Mellon Foundation logo

Learning Together: Grant Funds Summer Research Projects in Walla Walla

Whitman College students are known for their passion for serving the Walla Walla community. But this summer, more than a dozen students were able to explore community engagement in a new, more holistic model thanks to a community-engaged learning grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

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Peter Leyden at work

Art Seniors Draw Inspiration from COVID-19 for Thesis Projects

Whitman College art major Peter Leyden didn't have a studio to return to after spring break so he found a new space, and optimistic outlook to these unexpected changes, while he worked to complete his senior thesis.

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A portrait of Eliza Wyckoff

Senior Class Banner Designer Wants to Bring Benefits of Art Therapy to Others

Graduating senior Eliza Wyckoff was able to explore her passion for art by creating the Class of 2020 banner for Commencement.

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Wangechi Mutu piece

Mutu Bronze Sculpture Joins College’s Collection

A new work of art is finding a home at Whitman College this spring. The community has the opportunity to learn about the new piece in a video created by the Sheehan Gallery. The piece, “Underground Hornship” by Wangechi Mutu is a bronze sculpture reminiscent of an antler shed. Th majority of the work has a black patina, with the tips a vibrant polished bronze.

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A mailbox painted with images of Washington mountains.

President's Scholarship Allows Math Major Sylvie Corwin ’22 to Pursue Art Passion

Whitman offers President’s Scholarships and talent-based scholarships in theatre arts, fine arts, debate and music. For the fine arts award, recipients have to at least minor in the Art Department. Now a sophomore mathematics and English double major, with an art minor, Sylvie Corwin included images of painted mailboxes in her art portfolio, and received a talent-based President’s Scholarship to study at Whitman.

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A photo of flowers blooming among burnt snags.

Sheehan Gallery Opens 2020 with Trio of Nature Photography Shows

The new decade is being ushered in at Sheehan Gallery with a trio of nature photography shows, which open at Whitman College’s art gallery on Jan. 31. The larger gallery space will feature “Fire Stories,” an exhibit displaying the photography of John Marshall and the Osborne Panorama Project

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Beaded bracelets depict Native American portraits.

Marcus Amerman ’81 Pushes Boundaries of Native American Beadwork

Native American beadwork artists Marcus Amerman ’81 pushes the envelope on traditional beadwork by creating realistic pieces based on historic photographs. A member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Amerman earned a degree in art from Whitman College and often infuses his work with sociopolitical messages.

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Mellema Drawing of a Frontal Portrait

Meet Our Whitties: Maddy Mellema ’21

Meet Our Whitties is an occasional feature produced by the Office of Communications. It features a Q&A with students from across Whitman College.

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Hello I'm eddy slide

Visiting Artist Eddy Vazquez ’15 Shares Insights on Designing a Career

With humor and humility, Eddy Vazquez ’15, a visual designer at Amazon, shared his journey with Whitman students. Vasquez’s talk at Fouts Center for Visual Arts was the second installment in the Visiting Alumni Artist Series. He encouraged his fellow Whitties to take advantage of the opportunities they have on campus and in the wider world, to gain experience and to develop a dynamic portfolio.

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A student sketches a tree in a notebook.

Scientific Illustration Course Pushes Students to Examine the World in New Ways

On a clear October day, students sit scattered across Ankeny Field, cross-legged with sketching notebooks balanced in their laps, using pencils, pens and colored pencils to capture the countless trees surrounding the grassy center of campus. It's a scene typical of any college campus art class. Except these students aren't just artists - they're budding scientists.

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Photos from the Maria Lux exhibit "Famous Monsters."

Maria Lux's Research-Driven Art Explores Emerging Field of Animal Studies

Maria Lux teaches courses in beginning, intermediate and advanced drawing in the Art Department at Whitman College. This spring, Lux will be teaching “Animals and Art,” a course that explores relevant issues regarding animals from an interdisciplinary perspective that includes historical and contemporary depictions of animals in art.

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A student manipulates an artists' book made out of blocks.

Donation Expands College's Collection of Handcrafted Artists' Books

Peter Newland ’67 and Robyn Johnson have shared their love of artists’ books for nearly 25 years. Now, they are sharing that love — as well as their collection of dozens of the handcrafted works of art — with the Whitman College community.

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A portrait of Becca Gotz

VIDEO: Rebecca Gotz '14 Pursues Passion for Creativity at Zulily

When alumna Becca Gotz '14 graduated from Whitman she wanted to do something creative. This creative drive landed her in Seattle, Washington as an editorial stylist for Zulily, a global online retailer.

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Visit the Sheehan Gallery

Admission to Sheehan Gallery is free and open to the public. Standard hours are Tuesday–Friday, noon–5 p.m., and Saturday–Sunday, noon–4 p.m., or by appointment. 

The Sheehan Gallery is in Olin Hall at Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington.

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