USU Moab and Blanding to Host “Sentinels” Art Exhibit

Utah State University Moab and Blanding will host the art exhibit Sentinels, presented by the Last Glacial Collective. The exhibit is a collaboration of artists that worked to present their concern for the global future through artistic imagery.

The exhibit will be hosted on both campuses from late February through May 2023.

An open house, which is open to the public, will be held on both campuses. The Blanding open house will be on March 1 from 6-8 p.m. at the Blanding Arts & Events Center. The Maob open house will be on March 3 from 6-8 p.m. at the USU Moab Campus. The Sentinels artists will make a brief presentation during the open house. This exhibition and events are made possible by the cooperative efforts of USU administrators and Moab and Blanding campus faculty members.

"It is a true honor to share Sentinels: The Piñon Pine and Juniper Trees of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments at Utah State University," said Todd Anderson, associate professor of Art at Clemson University and Sentinels artist. "Sentinels has been four years in the making and I am excited that the project will first be seen, in its entirety, at its "home" in southeastern Utah. I am truly thankful that USU and the community has granted us the opportunity to come visit and present Sentinels."

Sentinels includes 12 large woodcuts by artists Todd Anderson and Bruce Crownover and three “word paintings” by scientist Gary Machlis. The artists are excited to display Sentinels in the region that inspired its creation, reinforcing that the arts and sciences can further engage the public with the natural and cultural heritage of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments.

"I am truly excited and enthused to be part of Sentinels, and to come to Southern Utah and through this exhibition share the project with the people and communities that live in the region," said Machlis, professor of Environmental Sustainability at Clemson. "Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments are revered by many, and they deeply inspired us as artists and scientists. We want to share what the juniper and pinon pine have taught us, to give thanks to the landscape and the people who have made it possible, not just for us but for future generations, to learn from these magnificent trees, these watchful sentinels."

Previous works by the Last Glacier Collective are in the collections of the Getty Museum, Yale and Stanford Universities, the U.S. Library of Congress, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among many others.

For a preview of the art exhibit and to view the Sentinels art book, visit www.toddandersonartist.com/#/maritime.

About the Artists:

Todd Anderson is an artist and Associate Professor of Art at Clemson University in South Carolina. Bruce Crownover is an artist living in Madison, Wisconsin, and an alumnus of USU-Logan. Crownover has worked with over 100 nationally-recognized artists as a collaborative master printer. Both Anderson’s and Crownover’s work can be seen in galleries and museums across the country. Gary Machlis is Professor of Environmental Sustainability at Clemson University. His research focuses on conservation, disaster preparedness, and sustainability, and he is a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine’s Board on Environmental Change and Society.

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About USU Blanding
Offering residential campus housing and dining, Utah State University Blanding gives students the personalized attention and small class sizes of a small-town college with the resources of a large university, all while providing an award-winning education. With degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees, plus technical education offerings in Business, Technical Trades and Health Professions, USU Blanding offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at blanding.usu.edu.

About USU Moab
Located in the outdoor recreation paradise of Moab and boasting one of the greenest buildings on any USU campus, Utah State University Moab offers students the personalized attention and small class sizes of a small-town college with the resources of a large university. With programs such as Nursing, Elementary Education, Recreation Resource Management and Social Work, technical education in Health Professions, Automotive and Business, and degree options ranging from associate to doctorate degrees, USU Moab offers programs that help fuel local economies and empower individuals and their communities. Learn more at moab.usu.edu.

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Writer:
Marcus Jensen
News Coordinator
University Marketing and Communications
marcus.jensen@usu.edu