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Ava Wadleigh: Capturing "Pondering Time" for WWU Block Party

May 12, 2025

Caitlyn Daniels

WWU Marketing

As a graduating senior in the Fine Arts program at WWU, Ava Wadleigh is no stranger to big projects. Her year-long senior thesis-an interactive sculpture installation, alongside the work of her 11-person cohort-is set to debut at the Western Gallery on May 22, 2025.

But another special opportunity arrived just in time for graduation: Ava was selected to create a commemorative piece of art for WWU's Block Party, the annual celebration hosted by The Foundation for WWU & Alumni to welcome alumni back to campus and honor graduating seniors.

Ava spent a year at Whitman College, where she craved something more expansive and rooted in community. "I heard Western had a strong fine arts program and, just, this really driven, happy energy," she said. "There's a diversity of mediums here that wasn't available at my first school, and I found myself constantly inspired and challenged by the people around me."

Ava is a painter and illustrator who has grown into printing and sculptural work exploring color, light, and dreamlike landscapes. For this project, she was asked to create something that captured the spirit of Western, aiming to spark emotion and memories.

"There were a few things the piece had to include-like Old Main, Edens Hall, Fisher Fountain, and Bellingham Bay," she said. "But beyond that, I wanted to create a feeling."

That feeling, she calls "pondering time": a moment of quiet reflection, something she's experienced often on campus with friends watching the northern lights or standing at the bay as the sun sets.

"I made a nighttime version and then played with the color to bring in warmth," she explained. "Blues, greens, and purples, like the campus itself-calm, thoughtful, still; and yellows, pinks, and oranges for the vibrancy and energy that the people bring to the institution".

It took a few months of planning and just ten hours of painting, but the final result is a powerful reflection of Ava's time at Western.

"This project feels like such a professional step," she said. "To be recognized by the school-it brought out a real sense of pride."

After graduation, Ava plans to stay in Bellingham for a year, building her portfolio, applying to graduate programs and residencies, and continuing to create.

"It's a dream of mine to earn an MFA," she said. "This piece for the Block Party, it's not just about the art. It's about capturing what it means to be here at Western."