The Museum of Moab is opening the new year with a solo art show by Grand County High School student Justin Cresswell.
“Senior Art Show,” will be on display during the entire month of January.
Cresswell is representing Grand County High School at the Sterling Scholar competition in March.
Sterling Scholar is a statewide competition recognizing high school seniors from the state of Utah who excel in scholarship, leadership, and citizenship.
Sterling Scholars present a portfolio at the competition and are interviewed by a panel of judges. A winner for each of the fourteen different categories is selected by the panel. To become a Sterling Scholar, students at Grand County submitted an application to a committee. The committee selects representatives for each of the different categories based on grade point average, ACT score, and overall student involvement.
Sterling Scholar finalists are able to earn substantial scholarships at Utah colleges.
Cresswell said he applied after a suggestion from a friend.
“I figured I should just go for it,” he said.
Christa Jensen, Grand County High School’s art teacher, said Cresswell was selected as the Fine Arts representative because of his unique approach.
“Watching him, you see he really thinks and works through things before settling on a final piece,” Jensen said.
The show consists of over twenty pieces Cresswell has completed during the last two years. It displays his talents in colored pencil, charcoal, pastels, and pencil. The show includes finished pieces as well as pages from Cresswell’s sketch book.
One of his favorite pieces is titled “Scratches on a Bone.”
The piece, which Cresswell did in his advanced drawing, is done on mid-tone paper with two different pencils. It uses cross hatching technique, and Cresswell said the piece really stands out from both a distance and up close.
“I really like the effect,” Cresswell said. “It took quite awhile to make and I was happy with it.”
Cresswell’s show will run the entire month of January in the Museum’s art gallery, the Fran and Terby Barnes Gallery.
The Museum of Moab is open from noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
High school student’s work on display at Museum of Moab
“You see he really thinks and works through things before settling on a final piece.”
When: Now until Jan. 30
Where: Museum of Moab, 115 E. Center St.
