Gallery Moab, an artist-owned and operated cooperative gallery, displays a colorful diversity of original fine art and artisan crafts by local artists inspired by our remarkable canyon country landscape. In May Guest Artist Dave Manley and Featured Gallery Member Artist Deborah McDermott will be in the spotlight. Each has developed a close personal connection to rock, which shines through their work. And they both rock!

Dave Manley claims that many pairs of shoes have met their end on his feet over the past three decades traveling throughout the mountains and desert surrounding the Four Corners. Working for 35 years as a stone mason has given him an intimate understanding of the effort and techniques involved in the construction of ancient Puebloan structures. Sixteen years ago he became interested in photography and purchased a camera to accompany him during his weekend adventures. He won the first Canyonlands Natural History Association Photo Contest in 2010 and was recognized by the American Rock Art Research Association in 2012 with the Oliver Award for his work on rock art documentation at Sand Island outside Bluff, Utah along the San Juan River. He currently divides his time between southwestern Colorado and eastern Utah. He continues to travel the western US working and chasing rock art in obscure corners of the Southwest, producing stunning images of what he finds.

Deborah McDermott is a printmaker and painter who has been living in Moab for five years. Formerly, her art centered on the human figure. Now, she’s an admitted rock lover. Her creative process involves walking anywhere she is able to, just to see what’s there, taking lots of pictures, and then returning to her home studio to synthesize the imagery. Of her work she says “This past year, I’ve been breaking new ground in my own printmaking. It’s exciting and scary to try to exceed your own expectations. It could be a big waste of time, paper, and ink. Or, it could pay off. I’ve complicated my printmaking process by working with more layers of color and using more than one block to make a single print. I’ve enjoyed doing variations of the same print, called monoprints, resulting in unexpected and exciting results. I’ve also started to add tiny human figures to give scale. Who knows, it may eventually mean a return to more figurative work.”

Come join the fun at Gallery Moab during Art Walk on Saturday, May 8, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Meet our talented artists, enjoy their latest creations, and maybe even win a prize! For your safety and ours, we continue to follow COVID safety protocols by requiring masks indoors, social distancing, and sanitizing. We offer colorful 100% cotton masks made by our artists for sale.

Open 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. Sunday – Thursday; 12 noon – 7:00 p.m. Friday & Saturday. Call 435-220-0891 and we will gladly open by appointment during other hours. One of the artists is always on hand when the gallery is open to answer your questions or help you find that perfect gift or memento of your visit.

Gallery Moab LCA - 59 South Main Street #1, Moab, Utah 84532 - 435-355-0024
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