The Museum of Culture and Environment approaches our diverse and changing world with an interdisciplinary perspective, examining human life, culture, and our interaction with the environment. The Museum is located in Dean Hall on the Central Washington University campus.

Current Exhibitions:

The Living Room

Window on Central: Our Changing Pacific Northwest

Stellar: The Formation of Stars (Dean Hall Lobby)

Panoramic shot of Jane Orleman's living room. Photo by Rob Fraser.

Keep up to date with the Museum newsletter! Subscribe for quarterly updates and occasional event reminders. Read the latest issue: March 23, 2018.  

UPCOMING LECTURES AND EVENTS

When: Thursday April 5 at 5:30 p.m.
What: Welcome to The Living Room: A New MCE Exhibit!
How much? FREE!

What can the living room—a supposedly mundane space—tell us about the human condition? On April 5, the MCE celebrates The Living Room, a new exhibition featuring photographs (by local artist, Rob Fraser) of living rooms within our community. Please join the MCE staff, students, and faculty as we open the exhibit with a celebration, including live music and refreshments!

When: Thursday April 19 at 5:30 p.m.
What: Humanities Washington Presents Rachel Cardone: H2OMG! Making Sense of Water Scarcity in an Insecure World
How much? FREE!

It feels like not a day goes by without a story in the news that relates to some water issue. Whether it’s lead in schools, drought in California, or dwindling snowpack in Washington, water scarcity is a challenge that needs our attention—now. In this talk, participants learn about water scarcity and its effects both globally and at local levels here in Washington State. Participants are challenged to consider how they value water in its different uses, and explore whether taking an ethical approach to water issues changes how we manage and govern water on our increasingly thirsty and crowded planet.

When: Saturday, April 21 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
What: Earth Day Family Festival
Where: Museum of Culture & Environment, CWU
How much? FREE!

Join us to celebrate Earth Day at this free family event with music, dance performances, fun environmental education activities, and the “Salmon Run” 5K/10K. 

April 21, 2018: Salmon Run 5k/10k and kids run

A fun run for the whole family! Celebrating Earth Day and our favorite anadromous fish - the salmon. Register before April 4th to guarantee a t-shirt!

When: Thursday, May 17 at 5:30 p.m.
What: Fire and Ice Part III: Collaborating to Address Climate Change in the Pacific Northwest
How much? FREE!

The MCE concludes its year-long series “Fire and Ice” by reflecting upon the collaborations that will help community members prepare for living in a climate-changed Pacific Northwest.  Emily Washines, Yakama Nation Fisheries, will discuss the role of cultural knowledge in developing creative answers to the problems posed by climate change.  Urban Eberhart, Kittitas Reclamation District, will help us understand the current work being done to address water scarcity as a result of climate change.