Raven Discovers Spaceship

Raven Discovers Spaceship

A whimsical tribute to UFO lore and Northwest imagination

Raven Discovers Spaceship is a playful and eye-catching public art sculpture that nods to Des Moines's local lore. Created by celebrated Pacific Northwest artist Pat McVay, this carved and painted wood piece brings together extraterrestrials, ocean creatures, and a curious crow in a vibrant and otherworldly scene. Carved from a piece of old-growth Cedar salvaged from the Olympic Peninsula and then painted in bright, shimmering colors, the sculpture is hard to miss.

At the sculpture's unveiling, McVay shined a light on a few of the hidden meanings:

• Aliens: A flying saucer with tiny green aliens peeking out is a nod to the famed 1947 Maury Island Incident, one of the first UFO sightings in the U.S. As the story goes, the man who spotted the saucers was pressured to keep quiet by some shadowy men in suits and sunglasses, spawning the "Men in Black" legend. These figures are further referenced in the sunglasses a large crab holds above the saucer. Stylistically, this is also a tribute to science fiction animator Ray Harryhausen.
  

• Raven: With the raven gazing curiously at the spaceship, McVay was in part inspired by the Haida, Indigenous peoples of the PNW Coast. According to the Haida creation myth, the Raven, a trickster, found the first people inside a clamshell and coaxed them to come out. The image also invites us to think about how "what's weird" is all a matter of perspective. "Everyone thinks that aliens look so strange, but if you look around at the life on our planet, it's pretty strange, too," said McVay.
  
  About the Artist:
  
  Pat McVay’s artistic journey began in Paris, where he repaired and crafted furniture in a modest shop armed with just a few tools—and a lot of paint to cover up mistakes. After relocating to the Olympic Peninsula, his fascination with the shapes and textures of the forest drew him into the world of woodcarving. Today, McVay is best known for his large-scale sculptures carved from already-downed trees, often infused with whimsy, humor, and an unmistakable sense of personality. His creative resume spans a wide range of mediums, including wood, stone, cast metal, concrete, clay, snow, ice, and welded steel. A founding member of both the Northwest Stone Sculptors Association and the Cascade Wood Sculptors Guild, McVay continues to leave his mark across the Pacific Northwest with imaginative pieces that delight, surprise, and invite people to look just a little closer.