Like many artists, Cameron McPherson always had a pencil in his hand. When he lost a studio space, he turned to what was right in front of him and began taking apart his pencils. He whittled them down into what look like ancient tools. He placed them in rows in plaster boxes, like staged remains from archaeological digs. He created other pieces using the discarded shavings, and still others with bits of the metal pieces that hold the erasers in place. The resulting show, Reliquiae, is a demonstration of what the whole lowly pencil, not just its tip, can become. (Rare Medium, 1321 E Pine St, raremediumseattle.com, 11 am–6 pm, free)