An artists’ reception honoring Sharon Gray, Matt Conlon, and Johnson Yazzie will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16, and the community is encouraged to attend. Featuring photography, ceramics, and paintings, these artists’ exhibits will be on display through Nov. 20. The Dixie State University Sears Art Museum Gallery, located in the Dolores Doré Eccles Fine Arts Center on the DSU campus, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed during school holidays. Admission is free.
The main gallery exhibit, “Shadowing Sharon: Shades of Gray,” features Gray’s photography set to music on large monitors. The installation is comprised of images of Gray’s shadow captured in landscapes, scenes, and events.
Gray is an Arizona transplant who now claims Lindon as her home. In 2012, she retired from Brigham Young University, where she taught for 33 years in the visual art department. She also served as the curator of education and associate director of the Springville Museum of Art for 12 years.
For the 3D element on display in the gallery, art enthusiasts can view Conlon’s ceramics, showing his evolving exploration of form, surface, and technique. Conlon, whose work has been featured across the nation from Seattle to New York, creates wheel-thrown porcelain. From formulating clays and glazes to creating vessels and firing kilns, the many facets of the clay process satisfy his innate urge to explore the art form.
“The concepts of my work revolve around the idea of functionality and daily use,” the DSU alumnus said. “The designs and imagery are integrated into the forms and have become a hallmark for my pottery.”
Yazzie’s paintings are featured in the Grand Foyer. One of Yazzie’s oil paintings was chosen by the Sears Family to be a part of DSU’s permanent art collection. His art often includes American Indians, Indian faces, ceremonial gatherings, and scenes of the everyday life on a reservation in his paintings. He is a member of the nonprofit group Art of the People, which promotes Native American art and develop artistic talent among area students.
“To me, every piece of art has a story to tell,” Yazzie said. “Substance, drama and power—not just the setting and color—determine the lasting impression that will be there for generations to experience and appreciate.”
To learn more about the Sears Art Museum Gallery and all of DSU’s cultural arts offerings, visit dixieculturalarts.com.
