Like Water
"Water. It’s flexible, tangible, and yielding. It changes course or shape effortlessly and continues on its journey through adaptability. It can be quiet and still, loud and raging, cold and hard, or warm and soothing. It’s reflective yet it can be a dark abyss into which light is absorbed. It provides flexibility and resilience to the living things it nourishes, and through persistence it has shaped our landscape over time. In this exhibit, our artists explore what it means to be Like Water."
(written by Dana Worley for the Artists Gallery)
This past year, a lot of my creativity has been inspired by water. It's odd, perhaps, given that I live in a high mountain desert that receives most of its annual precipitation in snowfall. But water -- however scarce it may be where I live -- is one of the places I find solace and rejuvenation, and yes, inspiration. Some of my happiest memories are sitting by a mountain stream or standing on the shore of a great vast ocean.
When I learned that the Hyrum City Museum would be hosting a traveling Smithsonian exhibit, H2O Today, and there would be opportunity for concurrent activities, I eagerly signed up my local artists co-op, The Artists Gallery. Originally, we thought we would have the exhibit in February 2021, but the continuing pandemic put the brakes on that.
Since availability of the COVID-19 vaccine has increased, things are returning to "normal". I'm excited that we are moving forward with our exhibit, Like Water, which is planned for August - October 2021. Our opening reception will be held August 13 from 6 to 9 PM, and we will also participate during the Water Works Theater and Exhibit Tour sponsored by Cache Arts (Cache Arts and the Artists Gallery are at 43 S Main, Logan).
Like most of the west, Utah is suffering from extreme drought. Water use, availability, and ramifications like fire are at the top of our minds. The Smithsonian's H2O Today exhibit is one of the activities surrounding Think Water Utah. From their web site:
Think Water Utah is a statewide collaboration and conversation on the critical topic of water presented by Utah Humanities and its partners. Join us throughout 2020 and 2021 for Smithsonian exhibitions, along with local exhibitions and events that explore how water is essential to Utah communities.
The Like Water exhibit at the gallery is just one of many activities that are planned as part of H2O Today/Think Water Utah. Below is a preliminary list of activities that are planned.
- Blessed by Water/Worked by Hand Exhibit, tour Franklin Relic Hall, National Oregon/California Trail Center, Soda Springs Library, Bear River Valley Museum, American West Heritage Center, Oneida County Library, Rich County Library, and Hyrum City Museum.
- H2Oh, How Miraculous!, in Logan, Brigham City, Garden City, and Paris.
- The Dam that Saved a Town, Newton Town Arts & Humanities Committee
- Hometown Habitat, Brigham City Museums
- Conversation with Terry Tempest Williams, Brigham City Museums
- Boa Ogoi: The River is Life, Hyrum City Museum
- Obstacle or Opportunity, Cache DUP Museum
- From Snow to Salt Lake, Stokes Nature Center
- Blue at the Zoo, Zootah
- Steam, Snow, Sweat, location TBD
- Water Works Exhibit and Theater Tour, Cache Arts
- Like Water, Artists’ Gallery
- Greg Smoak Lecture (and others), Cache Valley Historical Society
- Steam Thresher Demonstrations, American West Heritage Center
- Coloring With Water Family Activity, Hyrum City Museum
- Water Writings Workshops, Helicon West
- Religion and Water Discussion, Cache Community Connections
- Maple Grove Hot Springs Activity
- Bridgerland Audubon Society/USU Anthropology Museum, Teaching Trunk/Saturday Event
- Beaver Mountain Ski Tour
- USU Water Lab Tour
- USU Power Plant Steam Tunnels Tour
- Cache Valley Water Color Society Activity
As details become available, they will be updated on the Bear River Heritage Area web site: http://bearriverheritage.com/h2o/
I'm looking forward to our opening reception on August 13. I hope you will be able to join us and contemplate what it means along with our artists to be Like Water.
Dana
Tidepool bowls, Dana Worley
