Art, Memory, Home — Museum at Warm Springs Celebrates Lillian Pitt with Major Exhibition

A celebrated figure in Pacific Northwest art is coming home to Warm Springs this month for a career-spanning retrospective. “Lillian Pitt: Art, Memory, Home” opens Thursday, May 21st, at The Museum at Warm Springs.

The exhibition celebrates Pitt’s decades-long career, blending contemporary fine art with the ancient legends of her Wasco, Yakama, and Warm Springs ancestors. The show isn’t just about Pitt’s solo work; it features pieces from her personal collection by close friends and fellow Indigenous artists.

Elizabeth Woody, the Museum’s Executive Director and Pitt’s niece, says her aunt “broke ground” in institutions that had never before showcased contemporary Indigenous voices.

The public is invited to an opening reception on May 21st from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. The event honors Pitt’s recent “1905 Legacy Award” and will feature speakers including Phillip Cash Cash and Siletz Vice Chairman Bud Lane the Third. The exhibition runs through October 10th. For those looking to take a piece of history home, a commemorative catalog and select artworks will be available for purchase, with some of the proceeds supporting the Museum.