Ellen Picken is a painter and muralist based in Spokane, but has created art all over the country. What she loves most about being an artist is the power of community and bringing people together. Art, to Ellen, is all about creating something beautiful for people, integrating the community and connecting with strangers. Ellen chose Spokane River Keepers as her cause for many reasons. She grew up near the banks of the Spokane River and believes keeping it sacred, beautiful and clean, is her way to reciprocate the love it has shown her.
Photo by Rajah Bose.
Instagram - @ellenpicken
Spokane Riverkeeper is part of a nationwide organization: River Keepers, which seeks to bring education, outreach and awareness to the sanctity of rivers all over the country. Spokane Riverkeeper has been established since 2009, and has been working to fight pollution, contaminants, drought and ecosystem damage in and along the Spokane River. This group organizes river clean ups, community education, water quality sampling, native-species restoration along with much more!
The mission of the Spokane Riverkeeper is to protect the river’s ecological health, vibrancy, and aesthetic integrity, as well as the healthy connections that communities have to the river now and into the future.
