Paintings and drawings of realistic, anatomically correct body parts – a fitting subject for an artist aspiring to become a physician – will be among the artworks featured during the Moab Art Walk, Saturday, June 12 from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Moab Arts and Recreation Center is hosting two graduating Grand County High School seniors during the June event. The MARC (111 E. 100 North, Moab) is one of four participating venues.
“A lot of my pieces in the show are recent works around anatomy, including paintings of the heart, brain, hands and head,” said 18-year-old Shaycee Renn.
Renn said she experiments with multiple media – including pastels, colored pencils, watercolors, ink, and mixed media, and will have approximately a dozen pieces in the show, including portraits – another of her favorite subjects.
Making anatomy-themed artwork requires being a good observer – which will help in her future career in medicine, said the 2021 valedictorian.
“Art has always been a way for me to express myself,” she said. “You can integrate it into academics as a supplemental learning form. I will always stick with art.”
She’s including a self-portrait in the show, as well as a portrait of Elly Bauer – the MARC’s other featured student artist. The portrait consists of three parts: a side profile of Bauer’s face painted in oil, a color pencil drawing that shows the muscles of her face, and a third piece depicting the facial skeleton drawn in white charcoal on black paper.
Bauer, 18, who is planning a career as a graphic artist, is showing 15-20 pieces of her artwork using a wide variety of media, including colored pencils, ink and pen, chalk pastel, watercolors, acrylics, and oils. There will also be a lot of digital art in the show, Bauer said. This will be Bauer’s second time showing her work in an Art Walk exhibit.
“Most of my stuff is inspired by the natural world,” Bauer said. “I also like to create my own creatures – animals, and monsters. I’m currently more of an illustrator.”
While Renn is a sixth-generation Moab resident, Bauer’s family moved to Moab five years ago from rural Alaska. Relocating to Moab was “quite the transformation,” Bauer said.
“Moab is not a big town, but compared to where I came from it is massive.”
She credits growing up in the woods to turning her toward art.
“Art was my hobby that kept me entertained, happy and interested,” she said.
“We’re super excited” about hosting these two “very talented artists,” said MARC assistant art director Sascha Steinberg.
“It’s going to be a really interesting show,” she said.
The MARC exhibit will be up through the month of June. Most of the pieces will be for sale.
The other three participating Art Walk venues include the Moab Museum (118 E. Center Street, Moab), Gallery Moab (59 S. Main Street Suite #1, Moab), and the Tom Till Gallery (61 N. Main Street, Moab).
The Moab Museum will showcase photos by Fran Barnes, a photographer known for highlighting lesser-known arches and landforms. Visitors during the Art Walk will also be able to view the museum’s permanent collection.
Gallery Moab will host two artists – the gallery’s June guest artist Shari Michaud will showcase her ceramic pieces that often include dinosaurs, cacti, and hoodoos. The gallery’s other featured artist is Peggy Harty, whose pastel landscape paintings – often of Moab scenery – are part of the gallery’s permanent collection.
Tom Till’s photographs are permanently on display at his eponymous gallery, where during Art Walk evenings, he offers a 10% discount on purchases if you mention the event.
The June Art Walk is the final event of the season. Moab Art Walks resume in September, October and November.
Event Info
What: Moab Art Walk
When: Saturday, June 12 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Where: Four participating venues
For more information, go to www.moabrecreation.org or call 435-259-6272
