Extraordinary Gift Supports the Visual Arts at Whitman

Artist Erik ReeL ’75 and his wife, fashion curator Rhonda P. Hill, have committed to supporting the visual arts at Whitman College through a remarkable testamentary gift. ReeL, known for his abstract paintings that explore human cognition, and Hill, a fashion curator whose website E D G E fashion intelligence highlights the work of emerging designers, have designated Whitman as the future home of ReeL’s creative assets. 

“We feel so good to have Whitman as the stewards of our art and archives,” Hill says.

A Home for a Creative Legacy

Although ReeL attended Whitman for only two years, the liberal arts education he received had a strong impact on his career and worldview. 

“The thing about Whitman, and the humanities, is that you truly educate yourself and then are more versatile,” says ReeL, whose diverse accomplishments include writing for major art publications and helping develop groundbreaking visual effects software.

The couple reconnected with the college during the COVID-19 pandemic, when ReeL was invited to speak to art students via Zoom. That virtual talk led to an eye-opening campus visit. 

“We had a tour of the entire school, and there was art everywhere—in the library, on the walls, on the grounds, in the classrooms and the hallways,” Hill says. “Whitman understands and appreciates art. It’s in their DNA, and I love that.”

The couple had been searching for a place to care for ReeL’s work, and as their involvement with the college increased, they became convinced that Whitman had the exhibition and archival capabilities they sought. After mounting the collaborative exhibition “FACT: fashion + art construct tomorrow” at Sheehan Gallery in 2025, ReeL and Hill formalized plans to bequeath their art collection to the college.

“There’s a trust and a familiarity with Whitman [such] that I feel like they will be the right stewards of our legacy,” Hill says.

Securing the Future of Art at Whitman

The gift will feature works from across ReeL’s career, including expressive figurative pieces and improvisational abstract compositions, with the total value of the donated creative assets estimated at $10 million. It also establishes the Rhonda P. Hill and Erik ReeL Visual Arts Endowment, which will support the care of ReeL’s artwork as well as Whitman’s overall art collection.

The couple hopes their gift will foster not only scholarships and exhibitions, but also the overall growth of the visual arts at Whitman—which will in turn benefit the wider community. 

“When I was a student, the business and education centers of Walla Walla were very separate,” says ReeL. “Now they’re very locked up together, and I see that only continuing. I see a much more arts-oriented future for the whole region.”