
Joe Feddersen, "Drizzle," 2018
Indie Folk: New Art and Sounds from the Pacific Northwest
September 28 – December 21, 2024
Melvin Henderson-Rubio Gallery
The Pacific Northwest is home to a unique artistic ecosystem involving craft traditions, pre-industrial cultures, and Indigenous and settler histories. Like folk art, the exhibition features handmade works that are unpretentious, and often blur the line between functionality and aesthetics.

Peter Voulkos (American, 1924-2002), “Gourd Shaped Vase, Vase with Leaf, and Green Swirls Vase,” 1952, glazed stoneware, Museum of Contemporary Craft collection, Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Willamette University, Salem, OR, gifts from Dr. Francis J. Newton and Rose Fenz; and recipient of the Osmon B. Stubbs Memorial Award, 1952, photo by Dan Kvitka.
Becoming Peter Voulkos: Works from the 1950s
September 28 – December 21, 2024
The Maribeth Collins Lobby
Becoming Peter Voulkos: Works from the 1950s showcases twelve works by the legendary ceramicist Peter Voulkos, focusing on his early career in the 1950s when he became nationally recognized as a master of wheel-thrown functional stoneware. The exhibition culminates with a single piece exemplifying Voulkos’ revolutionary shift which pushed ceramics into the broader conversation taking place in contemporary art during the mid-20th century.

Nancy Floyd, "Field crew member Sydney Gastman measuring a Western Hemlock, H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest," 2023
Nancy Floyd: For the Love of Trees
December 7, 2024 – June 21, 2025
Study Gallery and Print Study Center
"Nancy Floyd: For the Love of Trees" features recent work by this award-winning Bend, Oregon photographer and author. In 2022, Floyd was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to embark on a multi-year project exploring the unique bond that Oregonians have with the forest and trees. The exhibition will feature a range of work from the past two years.
Brenda Mallory (Cherokee Nation), "Precession" (detail), courtesy of the Russo Lee Gallery.
Brenda Mallory: The North Star Changes
January 25 – March 22, 2025
Maribeth Collins Lobby and Melvin Henderson-Rubio Gallery
Venture into a landscape full of sculptures and large scale installations by this Portland, Oregon mixed media artist (Cherokee Nation, born 1955). “The North Star Changes,” is based on the idea that humans perceive the North Star as permanent when, in fact, different stars have assumed the position and name over thousands of years. Permanence becomes impermanence as Mallory utilizes reclaimed and recycled objects throughout her work.
ALL OVER THIS PLACE!
April 19 – May 17, 2025
Melvin Henderson-Rubio Gallery
Each spring, the Hallie Ford Museum of Art features the work of senior studio art majors at Willamette University. Characterized by a wide variety of styles and approaches, the exhibition includes work in a range of media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, and installation art. This year’s exhibition opens April 19 and continues through May 17, 2025, in the Melvin Henderson-Rubio Gallery.
Holden Head (American, born 1990), Swish, 2024, horse tail, mdf, Arduino, servo motor, 60 x 12 x 5 inches, courtesy of the artist. Photo credit: Holden Head.