The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho presents “Walking the Divide,” an exhibit that encourages the public to view the natural world differently and participate in the art process.
“I'm always thinking about who will be in the space with the work and how they might interact with it and how the work could hopefully promote new questions about artistic production, about what it means to be an artist for both me and the people I interact with,” said Josh Graham, the artist.
The exhibit being displayed in Idaho Falls is significant because the area is between the Great Basin Desert and the Snake River Watershed. It reflects the title “Walking the Divide,” Graham said.
Graham is a mixed media artist and assistant professor of art education at the University of Utah. The exhibit includes sculptures, mixed media installations and a re-creation of Graham’s working studio.
The exhibit reflects Graham’s habit of finding inspiration from the natural world on his walks in the Utah desert. He collects both ordinary and unusual objects he finds.
“Sometimes I'll bring them back to my studio and occasionally I'll like put them together to create sculptures,” Graham said
Part of the exhibit will include 16 stands that will hold a unique mixed media sculpture.
“I hope that viewers who come to this space will take a moment to pause,” Graham said. “Maybe slow down and look at things that might seem familiar yet different in new ways to inspire curiosity.”
The re-creation of the artist studio allows viewers to see Graham’s art process to inspire people to be artists themselves.
In the middle of the exhibit is a collection of art materials and six cork boards. This blank space invites the public to add their artistic touch to the exhibit.
“I hope that after a couple months it'll look a lot different than it does now,” Graham said. “It's almost like a big blank canvas waiting for people who come through to like mess it up.”
The mixed media installations blend collected objects with items from the surplus department of the University of Utah. This is where the university sells things it no longer needs.
“It all is kind of tied to this idea of gathering and saving and reclaiming objects,” Graham said.
Graham enjoys the visual language of creating art in a space that helps viewers flip their own perspectives.
“[Installations are] not complete until the viewer enters the space,” Graham said. “So, it's like a triadic relationship. It's the artist, the artwork and the viewer.”
“Walking the Divide” encourages the public to connect with the natural world in new and different ways. It allows a unique opportunity for the public to participate in art.
The exhibit is open until Oct. 3.
The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho is located at 300 S. Capital Ave. in Idaho Falls.
The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To learn more, go to theartmuseum.org or go to their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.