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Salt Lake Art Center and the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) Announce Final Light: V. Douglas Snow in Retrospect

The Art Center and UMFA Team Up to Celebrate Artist’s Life and Work

Salt Lake Art Center and the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA) are pleased to present Final Light: V. Douglas Snow in Retrospect, a joint exhibition celebrating the work of eminent Utah artist Doug Snow (1927-2009). Opening on August 31, 2011, the exhibition will showcase a large body of work presented in two locations, and will debut with a free public celebration at both venues on opening night.

A painter, printmaker, and professor, Doug Snow lived and worked in Utah’s red rock country for over half a century. Snow began his formal art training in 1946 at the American Art School and Columbia University in New York City, and finished his degrees at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomsfield Hills, Michigan. After concluding his studies, Snow moved back to his home state of Utah to paint Capitol Reef’s mesas and mountains.

In 1957 Snow was featured in Life magazine, establishing him as a nationally recognized artist at the age of 30. He became a devoted educator, working as a professor in the University of Utah Department of Art for 35 years, and serving as department chair from 1966-1971. Today, Snow’s artwork is part of numerous local and national collections, including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, the Springville Museum of Art, and the Museum of Art at Brigham Young University.

Organized by guest curator Frank McEntire, Final Light: V. Douglas Snow in Retrospect presents defining works from Snow’s career, featuring 35 paintings from private and public collections across the West. The retrospective exhibition examines Snow’s early Abstract Expressionist-inspired period from the 1950s, as well as later works from the last three decades of his life, which combine abstraction with realism to express his passion for Utah’s southern desert.

“The invitation to curate this exhibition offered a rare opportunity to pay tribute to my friend and colleague,” says Frank McEntire. “Even opening the exhibition simultaneously in two of the state’s most venerable art institutions, it was a challenge to represent the depth and range of his work from the 1950’s forward, and I hope we were able to do it justice.”

By visiting both venues, art lovers will be offered a comprehensive view look at the life and art of Doug Snow. Salt Lake Art Center will present 21 intimate works by Snow, on view through October 22, 2011, and the UMFA will display 14 large-scale paintings by the artist through January 8, 2012. The UMFA thanks exhibition presenting sponsors The Sam & Diane Stewart Family Foundation and the John and Marcia Price Family Foundation. The Art Center wishes to thank JEPS Foundation, Bonnie Phillips, and Stremmel Gallery.

The public is invited to celebrate the opening of Final Light: V. Douglas Snow in Retrospect for free at the Art Center and UMFA on August 31 from 5-8 pm. Visitors are encouraged to travel on the UTA TRAX Line, conveniently located near both venues. For information on TRAX schedules, please visit www.rideuta.com.

“The Utah Museum of Fine Arts is proud to be working collaboratively with the Salt Lake Art Center to present the work of this important Utah artist,” says Gretchen Dietrich, executive director of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. “Doug Snow’s legacy as a teacher and artist will live long into the future, and these joint exhibitions are a wonderful way to remember an artist loved by so many. We are also thrilled to introduce the work of such an important figure to a new generation of art lovers in our community.”

“Doug Snow will always remain one of the giants of the Utah art world,” says Adam Price, executive director of Salt Lake Art Center. “The Art Center is proud to collaborate with Frank McEntire and the Utah Museum of Fine Art to present this comprehensive examination of Snow’s artistic life.”

Visit www. slartcenter.org or www.umfa.utah.edu for details.

Image: V. Douglas Snow, Desert Landscape, oil, courtesy National Endowment for the Arts. UMFA1980.123. Featured in Final Light: V. Douglas Snow in Retrospect

Salt Lake Art Center
Salt Lake Art Center is Utah’s premiere venue for contemporary art, and was recognized as Best Museum in the state of Utah for 2011. Founded in 1931 and now located in the heart of Salt Lake City, the Art Center exhibits groundbreaking work by leading local and international artists. Recent exhibitions include Robert Fontenot’s The Place This Is, a conceptual exploration of the stories and histories of Utah and America through materials commonly associated with the domestic realm; Contemporary Masters: Artist-Designed Miniature Golf and Lawn Gnomes Eat Your Hearts Out, a community public sculpture initiative designed to move the very best in contemporary art outside the four walls of the gallery and into places where people work, live, and play. Current exhibitions include: Fallen Fruit of Utah, a state-wide collaboration with museums and individuals about the role of fruit in Utah’s history, led by artist collective Fallen Fruit; and upcoming, the annual installment of Sundance Film Festival New Frontier and Play Me I’m Yours, inviting the people of Salt Lake to show off their piano skills on street corners all over Salt Lake. The inaugural round of the new Locals Only Gallery opens August 31, 2011. The Art Center rounds out its offerings with a lively mix of award-winning educational programs, film screenings, panel discussions, and events celebrating Salt Lake’s vibrant local art scene. Salt Lake Art Center is located at 20 S. West Temple, just off the intersection with South Temple. Admission is free year-round. Business hours are Tuesday-Thursday: 11 am-6 pm; Friday: 11 am-9 pm; Saturday: 11 am-6 pm; closed Sunday and Monday. For more information call (801) 328-4201 or visit www.slartcenter.org.

Utah Museum of Fine Arts
As Utah’s official state art museum, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts is the primary cultural resource for global visual arts in the region. The UMFA has long served as a bridge from the University of Utah campus to the broader community, working to engage visitors in making meaningful connections with the world of art. In 2011 the UMFA was granted the high national recognition of reaccreditation from the American Association of Museums, establishing the UMFA as one of only two accredited museums in Salt Lake City. The UMFA’s permanent collection spans more than 5,000 years of human creativity and features over 18,000 works. Special exhibitions make each visit a new experience, and a variety of public programs are scheduled year-round to encourage dialogue and discovery. Visitors have the opportunity to enjoy a light lunch of sandwiches, salads, coffee, and pastries in The Museum Café and are welcome to browse eclectic and artistic keepsakes in The Museum Store. Recent exhibitions include The Smithson Effect, an ambitious contemporary art exhibition showcasing the work of 23 international artists inspired by Robert Smithson; Helen Levitt Photographs, an exhibition of works from the 1930s and 40s by one of the most important photographers of the twentieth century; and LeConte Stewart: Depression Era Art, a collaborative exhibition with the Church History Museum featuring more than 200 paintings and works on paper by the renowned Utah artist. The UMFA is located in the Marcia and John Price Museum Building at 410 Campus Center Drive. General admission is $7 for adults, $5 for youth and seniors, FREE for U of U students/staff/faculty, UMFA members, college students in Utah, active duty military families, and children under six years old. Free admission offered the first Wednesday and third Saturday of each month thanks to the Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts, and Parks Fund. Museum hours are Tuesday–Friday: 10 am–5 pm; Wednesdays: 10 am–8 pm; Weekends: 11 am–5 pm; closed Mondays and holidays. For more information call (801) 581-7332 or visit www.umfa.utah.edu

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