Spokane Falls Community College welcomes Makah Tribe artist as part of 3-month residency program
“The Two Beings Who Changed Things,” by Inanna McCarty.
Spokane Falls Community College is soon opening their doors and new art studio space to Indigenous artist Inanna McCarty.
The waɁač and Tsawout First Nations descendant practices multiple artistic mediums, including painting, beading and metalworking.
Beginning April 1, SFCC’s three-month sƛ̓x̣etkʷ Artist-in-Residence program will provide studio space within the newly constructed sƛ̓x̣etkʷ Fine and Applied Arts building, where McCarty will explore creative expression and professional development opportunities.
While working with the yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective in Western Washington, she came across the advertisement for the residency program.
“I really appreciated the whole mission statement and outline for the residency being advertised,” McCarty said. “The community engagement was something I was really drawn to.”
McCarty is also a descendant of both Nuu-chah-nulth and Coast Salish families. She was raised on the homelands of the Makah Tribe on the West Side.
Growing up she was given the nickname, kʷaɁowišč tyee, meaning “little one” in Makah. She hopes to use this as her artist’s name or alias for her work in the future.
The sƛ̓x̣etkʷ residency will provide her with engagement within the college and other affiliates and allow for more networking opportunities which is vital for all artists.
“The program is stacked in what it has to offer,” McCarty said.
It is funded by Spokane Arts’ SAGA Grant, the Community Colleges of Spokane and private donors.
McCarty is mostly self-taught and is hoping to expand her knowledge, skills and techniques. Part of her residency will be focused on expanding her work into different mediums including jewelry, etching, engraving and metal work.
“I am eager to hone my skills in metal and jewelry, particularly through creating a copper repousse sculpture of the Whale Saddle,” McCarty said.
With her three-month residency, McCarty hopes to engage with the local community and tribes through her art and work at SFCC.
“Creativity as a whole is not only a solo pursuit but is a creative and collaborative experience,” McCarty said.
The welcome reception is on April 9, where patrons will be able to preview McCarty’s art and meet her. She will remain a resident artist at the college through mid-June.