Looking Out the Window of My Life

Featuring the work of Marc Ellen Hamel, Looking Out the Window of My Life is on display through early January 2026 at CIIS' Desai | Matta Gallery.

This thoughtfully curated exhibit features a selection of artwork chosen by CIIS Art Curator Padma Maitland from Marc Ellen Hamel’s four-decade artistic journey. Marc Ellen Hamel brings a special connection to our CIIS community, having served as Psychology Doctoral Program Coordinator from 1988 to 1993.

I reflect on the visions and issues that are imprinted on my mind, and bring them into the physical world. The viewer has an open-ended invitation to have their own personal experience with the work.
Marc Ellen Hamel, San Francisco Bay Area Painter and Printmaker

About the Artist

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Marc Ellen Hamel

Originally from Seattle, I moved to San Francisco in my early twenties. I studied art at the University of Washington, and at numerous schools and workshops since then, yet I have found that the greatest teacher is uncharted time working alone in the studio, reflecting on what I make, going back to work again to clarify, question, change.

My studio is located at the decommissioned Hunters Point Shipyard – a plain, rough, quiet industrial area – where I have worked for the past 30 years. My painting studio gives me a place to focus and sink into that level of consciousness just below the daily surface, where my work takes me to the past, the now, the future, and allows me to find my story.

Visit the Exhibition

The exhibit will be on display September 15, 2025 through early January 2026. The gallery is located on:

• Desai | Matta Gallery on the First Floor
• Third Floor Hallway 

About The Arts at CIIS

We in The Arts at CIIS believe that art is essential, that we make change through cultural shifts, and that we cannot build what we haven't yet imagined.

Mission

The Arts at CIIS is a contemporary arts exhibition program that cultivates community engagement and creative and integrative approaches to the urgent challenges facing society today. Through exhibitions, publications, and events featuring emerging and established artists, The Arts at CIIS strives to promote pluralism in the arts, to support artists in the creation of new work, and to foster dynamic and critical dialogues within and across communities.

Desai | Matta Gallery

Our exhibition space at Mission Street was created with the generous support of Helen and Raj Desai and Robert Matta.