CURRENT EXHIBITS
SANDY BRUNVAND Ecotone On view in Halleck Bar Gallery until December 1, 2024 My art practice begins on the trail – typically on my favorite portion of Bonneville Shoreline Trail in the foothills of Salt Lake City, Utah. My repetition begins on foot. I often find myself marking steps like a measure of music. Often, this is in groups of four beats: One, two, three, four, two, two, three, four. This rhythm made by my feet is the backbone to the experience. It not only moves me through the space, but it is also the drum beat that keeps me moving steadily. Since relocating to the SLC Avenues and starting graduate school 25 years ago, I have hiked this loop habitually. Hiking in the same area almost every weekday is inspiring for me. In fact, I thrive on it. I’m greeting old friends as I walk through the space: the rocks on the trail, the tiny little soft leaves and Lazuli Buntings in the spring, the humans and canines, and the ever-changing clouds are all familiar. Lush and soft deep green grasses turn to dry, gorgeous yellow late/mid-summer. Winter brings chill, bright white snow and gnarly black branches that now come to the visual foreground. This is where my subtle color palette resides, in the black and white of winter. Perhaps this palette is an unusual choice, however I find beauty in the stark value shift and intricate detail. I recently began visiting other trails, as part of a new habit, in Teasdale, Utah. Slowly I am getting to know a secondary home base, walking the dog in an entirely different setting, with different plants, and different skylines. Trading the northern flora and fauna for a red toned world of the high desert filled with hares, tumbleweeds, and so much more has been fascinating. I’m finding new ways to expand my explorations of my personal Ecotone. A new layer of conceptual exploration has evolved in my work in the form of Ecotone. The term Ecotone was popularized by Florence Krall, an educator and nature lover. Ecotone is a transitional zone between two adjacent communities, containing species characteristics of either, as well as other species occurring within the zone. An Ecotone is defined by the edges, where differences meet, where diversity makes a stronger… space, ecology, community, or human. Krall also believes the term extends the metaphor to social spaces: "Cultural ecotones are the pluralistic contexts out of which conflict and change emerge." Within my own interpretation of Ecotone, I create transitional zones between different artistic approaches and media - between previous work layered with new ideas on paper. This creates a subtle tension with conflict and adjoining rhythms contributing to a different cadence and resulting in unique Ecotones within the work. -Sandy Brunvand

LIZZIE WENGER

To Be Changed By the Land

On view in Barrick Gallery until December 8, 2024 Through flowing lines, shape, and color, my work studies western landscapes in acrylic on canvas. Guided by exploration, my own experiences in the outdoors influence my work with my creative process beginning in the moments I spend in the spaces I paint—rock climbing, mountaineering, and white-water rafting drive my own connection with the outdoors. From snowcapped summits to red rock canyons, I hope to create a sense of connectivity between people and places, encourage a sense of stewardship, understanding of human relationships with the outdoors, and the importance of responsible recreation ethics. -Lizzie Wenger
SANDY BRUNVAND

CURRENT EXHIBITS

SANDY BRUNVAND Ecotone On view in Halleck Bar Gallery until December 1, 2024 My art practice begins on the trail – typically on my favorite portion of Bonneville Shoreline Trail in the foothills of Salt Lake City, Utah. My repetition begins on foot. I often find myself marking steps like a measure of music. Often, this is in groups of four beats: One, two, three, four, two, two, three, four. This rhythm made by my feet is the backbone to the experience. It not only moves me through the space, but it is also the drum beat that keeps me moving steadily. Since relocating to the SLC Avenues and starting graduate school 25 years ago, I have hiked this loop habitually. Hiking in the same area almost every weekday is inspiring for me. In fact, I thrive on it. I’m greeting old friends as I walk through the space: the rocks on the trail, the tiny little soft leaves and Lazuli Buntings in the spring, the humans and canines, and the ever-changing clouds are all familiar. Lush and soft deep green grasses turn to dry, gorgeous yellow late/mid-summer. Winter brings chill, bright white snow and gnarly black branches that now come to the visual foreground. This is where my subtle color palette resides, in the black and white of winter. Perhaps this palette is an unusual choice, however I find beauty in the stark value shift and intricate detail. I recently began visiting other trails, as part of a new habit, in Teasdale, Utah. Slowly I am getting to know a secondary home base, walking the dog in an entirely different setting, with different plants, and different skylines. Trading the northern flora and fauna for a red toned world of the high desert filled with hares, tumbleweeds, and so much more has been fascinating. I’m finding new ways to expand my explorations of my personal Ecotone. A new layer of conceptual exploration has evolved in my work in the form of Ecotone. The term Ecotone was popularized by Florence Krall, an educator and nature lover. Ecotone is a transitional zone between two adjacent communities, containing species characteristics of either, as well as other species occurring within the zone. An Ecotone is defined by the edges, where differences meet, where diversity makes a stronger… space, ecology, community, or human. Krall also believes the term extends the metaphor to social spaces: "Cultural ecotones are the pluralistic contexts out of which conflict and change emerge." Within my own interpretation of Ecotone, I create transitional zones between different artistic approaches and media - between previous work layered with new ideas on paper. This creates a subtle tension with conflict and adjoining rhythms contributing to a different cadence and resulting in unique Ecotones within the work. -Sandy Brunvand

LIZZIE WENGER

To Be Changed By the Land

On view in Barrick Gallery until December 8, 2024
Through flowing lines, shape, and color, my work studies western landscapes in acrylic on canvas. Guided by exploration, my own experiences in the outdoors influence my work with my creative process beginning in the moments I spend in the spaces I paint—rock climbing, mountaineering, and white-water rafting drive my own connection with the outdoors. From snowcapped summits to red rock canyons, I hope to create a sense of connectivity between people and places, encourage a sense of stewardship, understanding of human relationships with the outdoors, and the importance of responsible recreation ethics. -Lizzie Wenger
NORTHEASTERN NEVADA  MUSEUM
NORTHEASTERN NEVADA  MUSEUM