The Utah Watercolor Society has chosen the Attic at Academy Square to host its Spring Open Exhibition from May 9 until June 20 and showcases paintings by some of the best artists in the area.
The Spring Open Exhibition is a juried exhibition, with 69 paintings being evaluated. The paintings use a variety of styles, but every painting incorporates the use of watercolor in some way. The best paintings receive prizes, but for some artists, even having their painting selected by the Utah Watercolor Society is enough of an award.
“Most of the people in the Watercolor Society are accomplished artists,” said Blaine Clayton, one of the artists whose painting was selected to go on display. “It would have been cool to get an award, but just to get in is an honor.”
Clayton, a BYU grad of 1980, feels watercolor is under-appreciated. He thinks this event will help people see the beauty of it, as well as the effort and talent that go into painting with watercolor.
People enjoying the paintings may be surprised to know that while some of the paintings were done by well-established artists, some were done by students at BYU.
“There’s some people here who are making their living as artists, as well as students from BYU and UVU,” said Erika Hill, community relations coordinator for the Attic at Academy Square. “They’re all hanging on the walls together, and they look fantastic.”
The art offers guests a look at the varied talent from around the state. For Amber Arnolds, English major and artist, it was a helpful experience for her own artistic talents and endeavors.
“I do a lot of watercolor painting,” Arnolds said. “I find the paintings here inspirational. There’s a lot of good variety.”
Regardless of the reason for visiting, guests won’t leave without an appreciation for the hard work artists from Utah put into their paintings.
“It’s a great opportunity to see and appreciate the artistic talent we have here in the state,” Hill said.
The Attic at Academy Square has been open since February of this year and puts on a new exhibit every month and a half. The venue is more of a museum than an art gallery, according to Hill. People interested in what the Attic at Academy Square has to offer can come back for future exhibits, including a photography exhibit of Highway 89, an exhibit focused on the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci and a quilt exhibit.
“That’s our goal here,” Hill said. “We have exhibits about art, science and history, and we hope to have something for everyone.”
The Attic at Academy Square is open daily Monday–Friday, but check the website for times, as they change every day. All exhibits are free to the public.
Monday 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.; 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
