Utah Tech University’s Sears Art Museum to present ‘Erin Hanson: Landscapes of the West’

For its summer exhibit, Utah Tech University’s Sears Art Museum is showcasing a selection of contemporary impressionism paintings by artist Erin Hanson.

The exhibit, “Erin Hanson: Landscapes of the West,” will open with a reception and Q&A with Hanson from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on June 14 in the Sears Art Museum, located in the Eccles Fine Arts Center on the Utah Tech campus. The show, which is open to the public and free to attend, will run June 14 through Aug. 23. Sears Art Museum is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Erin Hanson is one of the top artists today painting the American West,” James Peck, director and curator of the Sears Art Museum, said. “Her vibrant canvases range from contemplative to absolutely epic. We’re lucky to have this exclusive, one-of-a-kind exhibition in our gallery this summer.”

The collection of 39 works will focus on landscapes ranging from Southern Utah to the Colorado Plateau, including Hanson’s first five works in what has become her signature open impressionistic style.

Originally inspired by rock climbing at Red Rock Canyon, Hanson has been painting desert landscapes for 15 years. Hanson is best known for her use of bold color, thickly applied paint and expressive brushwork, all aimed at capturing the drama and beauty of nature. She uses a limited palette of only five colors, and after pre-mixing her entire palette, she paints without overlapping her brush strokes, keeping her pieces fresh and alive with movement. Hanson’s goal when painting is to re-capture the feeling of being outdoors, surrounded by the wild beauty of nature.

The Sears Art Museum exhibition is made possible by special cooperation from The Erin Hanson Gallery and Erin Hanson private collectors. View Landscapes of the West or learn more about Utah Tech University’s Sears Art Museum.