Registration
Skip Navigation LinksEvents > Visual Arts > Painting|Drawing > COVER ARTIST MIKAELA SHAFER + COAST SALISH MUSEUM OF FINE ART: THE LAND REMEMBERSS

COVER ARTIST MIKAELA SHAFER + COAST SALISH MUSEUM OF FINE ART: THE LAND REMEMBERSS

Our Pick
Date: Oct 03 - Oct 04, 2025
Location(s): 
120 OLYMPIA AVE NE

FEATURING:
Coast Salish Museum of Fine Artst: The Land Remembers multiple medium
Group arts exhibition, featuring works by Indigenous Artists. Curated by the yəhaw̓ Collective in collaboration with TCMoFA

Mikaela Shafer "These Waters Heal" mixed media
This and other works from "Matrilineal Memory" an ever-evolving series of abstract landscapes – each work an embodiment of memory.
1 of 1

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT

The Land Remembers
"The Land Remembers" tells the story of the relationship between Indigenous communities and the land and the ongoing work of rematriation and the Land Back movement. It celebrates how the land holds memory—both of our ancestors and of ourselves—and how these stories are very much still alive within the landscape we walk on and within ourselves. This exhibition is a love story of the land, of our community, of the deep respect we hold for everyone reconnecting with the land in whatever way they can.

The exhibition is curated by Mikaela Shafer (Hopi), a mother, artist, and community builder based in Olympia, Washington. Her work explores memory, healing, and cultural reconnection. Recognized for her evocative mixed media paintings that highlight generational healing, which have garnered awards from Santa Fe Indian Market, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, and Artist Trust. Mikaela leads initiatives to support Indigenous storytelling and artistic expression and is currently the Lead Storyteller for yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective.

"The Land Remembers" aims to evoke reverence, remembrance, and collective responsibility. The narratives shared through this exhibition serve as a powerful reminder of the ongoing work of indigenous people to preserve, care for, and tell stories of the land.

  • Opening on October 3rd from 5-10 pm at TCMoFA, 120 Olympia Ave NE. The exhibit will be on view during Olympia Arts Walk on October 3-4 and on selected dates through November 22nd.
  • Learn more

Cover Artist In-studio Interview: Mikaela Shafer



A poem written to accompany the cover piece These Waters Heal, by Mikaela Shafer

WADE IN THE WATER
Wade in the water with me
Feel the burn of the cold, cold water
Slowly inching in
Feet clenching sand
Wade in the water with me
Gasp for air when the cold sucks it away
Waves splashing skin
Salt in the air
Wade in the water with me
Almost there now; just a little bit further
Get our hair wet
Sink right in
Wade in the water with me
Tears stream down and mix with ocean
Wash it all away
Do it all again
Back to
Top
Registration