At the upcoming SUU Art Insights, Earnest Ward will spotlight his work from Zion National Park. Describing himself as “an inveterate explorer and unrepentant adventurer,” Ward explores the planet’s natural wonders in his art. Selected as a Zion National Park Artist-in-Residence, the artist, naturalist, traveler, and calligrapher captured the beauty of the park’s landscape in his art. He will present in Gilbert Great Hall in Southern Utah University’s Hunter Conference Center on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m.
Ward holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from California College of Arts and Crafts and a Master of Fine Arts degree from The University of Texas at San Antonio. He has 20 years of experience as a teacher at the secondary university levels. More recently, he has spent two months “slow traveling” with his family across Europe, 10 weeks as a wilderness artist-in-residence with the National Park Service, and one year observing and recording the seasonal life cycles of flora and fauna on a stretch of the Trinity River.
Today, Ward splits his time between his family’s travel adventures, producing his art, and sharing his passion for place-based sketching and journaling with educators and the general public through exhibitions, workshops, and his personal website. Ward collaborated with author Danny Gregory in 2013 on the creation of the book “An Illustrated Journey,” and a video conversation entitled “Earnest Ward: An Illustrated Journey.” In 2014, Ward published four media-rich, interactive ebooks distributed by the Apple iBookstore: “The Clear Fork,” “Inspiritus,” “Drawn to Adventure (Ireland),” and “The North Cascades: A Tale of Two Seasons (Spring).” Ward also writes his own weekly series of blog articles on art, nature, and travel adventure.
Art Insights is a weekly program hosted during the fall and spring semesters by SUU’s Art and Design faculty. Students and community members meet to experience presentations and discussions by visiting artists and art educators from around the nation who share their work and insights and attend gallery openings. Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend.
