UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | December 13, 2024

Local artists show off work at open reception

The St. George Art Museum hosted several local artist pieces along with a reception performed by a violinist on Nov. 15. For students interested in their art or for more information about upcoming events, follow the St. George Art Museum on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @stgeorgeartmuseum. Photo by Jessica Johsnon.

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The St. George Art Museum held an open reception Nov. 15 for the public, giving them a taste of the local art scene.

The reception was a showcase for the variety of weaving techniques that artists in the regional area produced. A range of different techniques was displayed from glassworks to crotchet. The museum provided a myriad of different weaving expressions.

Sandra Sandberg, a previous faculty member at Dixie State University, showed off her piece called “Missionary Moods.” The weave of art is an assortment of ties that are intertwined displaying an array of colors. Sandberg said her inspiration for the piece came from her nephew who gave her his ties after serving his Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission in Australia.

“People should expect a lot of color, patterns and a lot of beauty,” Sandberg said.

The upstairs portion of the museum is dedicated to the weaver art while the downstairs displays the legacy gallery. Jennifer Spong, the curator of the event, called the downstairs the heart of the museum. Spong said there isn’t much of a night scene in St. George so she hopes that the museum can help with this predicament.

“This is really a big deal,” Spong said. “If you only come to one event you should definitely come to this one. We only host about four of these events a year changing the exhibits seasonally.”

“We’re always looking for new people to get interested in [our] art. It’s a labor-intensive thing but it’s a craft that is not as popular as it used to be and were looking forward to more people.”

LINDA MURIE, LOCAL ARTIST

Along with the art in the museum, the event also held a food booth and live violin music during the reception. The St. George Art Museum was formerly a sugar beet seed storage facility that has been turned into a showcase for local art, Spong said.

Linda Murie, an artist who had her work on display, said she was quite happy with the turnout of the event. She said that the reception was well orchestrated and is looking forward to hopefully more people joining the local art scene.

“We’re always looking for new people to get interested in [our] art,” Murie said. “It’s a labor-intensive thing but it’s a craft that is not as popular as it used to be and were looking forward to more people.”

For those interested in the St. George Art Museum, follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @stgeorgeartmuseum to see photos of their art and upcoming events.