Studio Art major, Spanish minor
Recipient of the 2015 AHSS Summer Research Award
Faculty advisor: Elise Richman

 

Project Title: “Landscape Painting and Ideas of Wilderness” (2015)

Project Abstract: In this series, I explore how we relate to landscape, using the specific image of Mt. Rainier as a motif to explore our attitudes about wilderness. Mt. Rainier is instantly recognizable for anyone who lives in this region - it is even used in our school logo. My series includes a classical view of the mountain and the mountain as seen through the lens of other media or framed by evidence of human impact on the environment. These non-traditional views of the mountain may seem jarring at first, but these are how we most typically see it. By framing the mountain with different perspectives and representing it in different contexts, I hope to prompt the viewer to consider their relationship to the mountain and the expectations and visual ideals that he or she may have.
 

What has Maia done after completing the summer research project?

  • After earning a B.A. in Studio Art with a minor in Spanish in May 2016, Maia held a summer internship at the Sitka Center in Oregon after graduating.
  • Currently, Maia is pursuing a degree at Western Washington University’s Secondary Education Master’s Program.