There’s a new picture developing of Pullman’s visual arts scene, one that adds an additional focal point besides Washington State University and its venerable Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.
Over the past few years, several new arts-related entities have emerged in town: the new nonprofit Pullman Arts Foundation, the arts-forward Hotel McCoy, Terracotta clay arts studio, and a new art gallery. Added to Pullman’s existing venues, these newcomers are helping highlight the college town’s evolving arts community.
“Part of the genesis of [Pullman Arts Foundation] was, honestly, the difficulty of creating some kind of public art project here in Pullman that connected with the Black Lives Matter movement,” says WSU art professor Joe Hedges, who co-founded the nonprofit with his wife and fellow artist, Jiemei “May” Lin.
In addition to murals at Kamiak and Jefferson elementary schools and the Palouse Discovery Science Center, the foundation also realized it could fulfill other needs for artists, arts supporters and the community-at-large, Hedges says.
“We had started to meet people that were really engaged locally and really cared about the arts,” he adds.