Don Olea is the featured artist at the MACC’s Seventh Annual Veterans Art Exhibition. His show, Battle Born, is on display in the MACC’s galleries through August 31st, 2025. A U.S. Army veteran, Don creates photorealistic watercolors that convey the heroism and sacrifice of America’s service members from the Revolutionary War to the present day. In this episode of MACC Talk, Don joins host John Pitcher to reflect on his deep commitment to honoring the U.S. military and its veterans. The episode is sponsored by the Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project.
“Winter Patriots.” Don Olea’s depiction of George Washington with his personal assistant Billy Lee (left) and Prussian military officer Baron von Steuben. Lee was the only enslaved person freed in Washington’s will.
Buffalo Soldiers fighting for the Union during the Civil War.
“Teddy’s Great Day.” Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War.
“Angle of Attack.” A British SE5a zeroes in on a Fokker Triplane during WWI.
“Nuts!” During the Battle of the Bulge in WWII, US General Anthony McAuliffe had just one word for the Germans who ordered him to surrender – “Nuts!”
Navy F4U Corsairs from the Jolly Rogers squadron support the Pacific island hopping campaign in WWII.
“Limping Home.” A damaged B-25 struggles to make it to base during the Battle of Tarawa in the Pacific during WWII.
Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) Mission.
M1A2 Abrams Tank during the War on Terror.
F-18 Super Hornet launches from an aircraft carrier.
Robin Willis is the MACC’s Healing Arts Coordinator. She also works as the Exhibition and Events Manager and Director of Outreach. Robin has a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Clemson University with a minor in Entrepreneurship. She is a multi-discipline artist with emphasis in writing, mixed media abstract painting, alternative process photography, collage, and book arts and binding. In addition to her art practices, she holds several healing modalities certificates, such as extensive kundalini yoga teacher training and education, Reiki master, systemic family constellation facilitator, and depth psychology-based therapy trainings. As an avid learner, she explores and encourages others in their exploration in art, psyche, and our relationship to the micro and macro worlds within and around us. Influenced by John Muir’s quote, When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe, she fuses art, healing, and organization throughout her work and personal life as a creative-scientist minded person.
Kaylin Warden
Creative Design and Operations Manager
Kaylin Warden serves as the MACC’s Creative Design and Operations Manager. In this post, she oversees the organization’s graphic design work for exhibitions, events and special projects. She also coordinates the MACC’s arts outreach activities and assists with bookkeeping, among other duties. Kaylin, above all, is passionate about the arts. It comes as no surprise, then, that she is now pursuing a master’s degree in art history. When she’s not at the MACC, you can find her reading her favorite books (especially ones dealing with maritime mysteries), cooking, gardening, playing with her cat and two dogs, and cheering for the Nashville Predators.
Ruth Chase
Regional Arts Director
Ruth Chase is the Regional Arts Director of Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center, joining the team in 2023. For Ruth, the job is all about community, bringing people together to uplift and educate artists and art lovers alike. Her role at Monthaven is to strengthen the local artist community and build connections that will enrich Hendersonville and our surrounding communities through art exhibitions, art education, and opportunities for regional artists.
Prior to joining Monthaven, Ruth worked in the arts for over 30 years and is a multimedia artist and graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute. Her artistic practice is inquiry-based and engages in community bridge-building. She was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the City of Los Angeles, curated and juried exhibitions, and has taught at the Crocker Art Museum.
Ruth was awarded an Artist-in-Residence for Artist Activating Communities through a grant from the California Arts Council for three consecutive years. Her film Belonging screened at both the 18th Annual Nevada City Film Festival and Wild & Scenic Film Festival. She has received the Legendary Female Artist of Venice award, and she has exhibited in The Crocker Kingsley, the Museum of Northern California Art, and the Diego Rivera Gallery at the San Francisco Art Institute. Ruth also continues her work as a Curatorial Consultant and Art director for the Californian Indigenous Research Project, where she has worked with the local tribe since 2018.
