Punch Projects Presents

Mel’s Hole

January 05 - 28, 2023
Opening Reception / Thursday, January 05, 5–8pm

Winter/Covid-19 Gallery Hours:
Friday–Sunday, 11am–4pm

For all you paranormal pundits, conspiracy theorists, believers in all things alien, occult, metaphysical or supernatural, Punch Projects brings you their latest installation straight from the vaults of Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell. Mel’s Hole ranks 8th out of the 20 Most Mysterious Places in the USA, according to the travel.com website, and lucky for you, it exists a stone’s throw from the small university and rodeo town of Ellensburg in central Washington State... Or temporarily in the back 40 of Soil Gallery in Seattle for the month of January.

Described as a "modern, rural myth," the mystery first came to light February 21, 1997 when Mel Waters called in to the offbeat American late-night radio talk show sharing details of this seemingly bottomless hole. He claimed it could swallow an endless supply of old appliances, bring small animals back to life and emit powerful beams of light, and after dropping a weighted fishing line into it, he spooled out 80,000 feet before giving up on determining its final depth.

For years, news of this mysterious wonder spread far and wide bringing people to the region to verify the presence of such a phenomenon. A local self-described intertribal-medicine-man, named Red Elk, later confirmed its existence in 2008 and sealed the mystery into the annuals of strange sites and unexplained phenomena. Rumor has it the US Government purchased the land to protect its secrets and has gone so far as to block out the area on Google maps.

Alien activity and government cover-ups aside, we invite you to take a journey deep into the Manastash hills and experience the now famous hole that has attracted so many to the region looking for answers, while finding only more questions.

ARTIST BIOS /

From its 10-year history as a gallery in Seattle, to its current iteration as a rural arts collective, PUNCH has worked to promote visual dialogue between urban and rural art communities.

In an ongoing effort to promote artwork that is thoughtful, fresh, and contemporary coupled with a desire to further bridge urban rural connections, PUNCH Projects supports the cultural vibrancy of rural art scenes by spurring creative awareness, cross-cultural engagement, and economic vitality. 

Our Team:

Justin Beckman – Co-Founder, Creative Director

Howard Barlow – Co-Founder, Operations and Facilities 

Justin Gibbons – Co-Founder, Content and Marketing

Renee Adams – Co-Founder, Finance and Exhibitions 

Will Bow – Merchandise and Manufacturing

Monica Miller – Emeritus 

Joanna Thomas – Emeritus