Sears Art Museum displays “Julie Rogers: Essence of Hope” exhibit

Sears Art Museum displays “Julie Rogers: Essence of Hope” exhibit

By Jyl Hall

Featuring the work of a nationally known artist and her son, “Julie Rogers: Essence of Hope” will be on exhibit this summer at the Dixie State University Sears Art Museum. The exhibit will feature paintings by Rogers displayed alongside ceramic pieces of her son, Matt Rogers, who is an accomplished potter who discovered his talents at DSU. “Essence of Hope” will open with a reception from 7 to 8:30 p.m. June 15 and remain open through Aug. 17.

“Julie Rogers has the unique ability to capture the light of the soul,” said Kathy C. Cieslewicz, Sears Art Museum director and curator. “Her own heartbreaks and joys added great depth to her work. Never dwelling on sorrows, her figures are filled with light, emotion, and hope. She has been especially drawn to paint the stories of pioneers. Viewers will identify with her paintings that record the simple things people do each day and be profoundly touched by the scenes she has captured of people around the world.”

Growing up on a ranch, Rogers learned the value of hard work. This experience gave her a love for the rustic and simple things in life that connect all of humankind. Her ability to interpret emotion and the ennobling power of ordinary toil gives viewers an appreciation of the true value of life.

“Art is a passion to create what I see and feel in front of me, to create the inner strength that presents itself within every subject I choose to paint,” Rogers said. “That emotion and ‘life’ is and always will be one of my main challenges to capture in a painting.”

In another exhibit celebrating familial ties, the Sears Art Museum will simultaneously display “Mother and Daughter Creatives” in the Eccles Grand Foyer. Featuring Shirley Riley’s poetry and her daughter Deena Milecam’s watercolors, the exhibit highlights the inspiration each artist gleaned from the other.

Riley retired with her husband to St. George in 2001 after raising a family in Bountiful and Payson. Her poetry is uplifting and heartwarming. Milecam, an art teacher and educational administrator for many years, is now enjoying an artful life between St. George and the Vernal area.

“Julie Rogers: Essence of Hope” is just one of six exhibits Sears Art Museum features each year. Offering a variety of art styles from traditional to contemporary, the gallery exists for the enjoyment and education of DSU students and the community. The museum, located on the DSU campus in the Dolores Doré Eccles Fine Arts Center, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and admission is free. For more information, visit searsart.com.

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