Stokes Nature Center invites community to vote in art exhibition

The walls and display tables at Stokes Nature Center are filled with painting, photography, sculpture, pottery, poetry and music submissions as part of a community art exhibition celebrating natural landscapes.

The exhibition, titled “AMERICA250: Celebrating the Beauty of Our Natural Landscapes,” is the culmination of a series of events hosted through a National Endowment for the Arts Big Read grant received by the center. The exhibition opened June 7 and will remain on display through June, with awards scheduled to be presented July 7.

Kendra Penry, executive director of Stokes Nature Center, said the exhibition was designed to celebrate both the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States and the natural landscapes that define the region.

Dylan Moore

“We decided to go with creating an art exhibit celebrating any type of art, music, poetry, photography, whatever it is, however the artist defines art,” Penry said. “The theme is the beauty of our natural landscapes.”

Artists were invited to create works depicting natural landscapes as they appear today or as they may have looked 250 years ago. The exhibition welcomes a wide range of artistic mediums, including painting, photography, sculpture, poetry and music.

According to Penry, the exhibition is the first of its kind at the center. While Stokes Nature Center has hosted art exhibitions before, those displays have typically focused on a single local artist.

“In this case, we just opened it up to everyone,” Penry said, “to celebrate the amazing talent that exists in Cache Valley.”

The exhibition features artists from a wide range of backgrounds and experience levels. Penry said submissions came from elementary-aged artists, high school students, amateur creators and professional artists.

Visitors can participate in the judging process through the exhibition’s Viewer’s Choice award. Rather than using online voting, the center chose a simpler approach.

“Just drop a bead in a glass jar,” Penry said.

Each visitor receives one bead and can place it in a jar positioned in front of the artwork they believe deserves the award. Additional awards include the SNC Staff Choice, Judges’ Overall Winner, Best 3D Submission, Best Historical Representation and Best [Artist] Under 18.

Anna Nelson, community engagement specialist at Stokes Nature Center, said community members have responded enthusiastically to the exhibition since it opened.

“It’s great watching people get so excited,” Nelson said. “I’ve had people coming and asking me for beads, and I just get to give it to them.”

Nelson said one of the most rewarding aspects of the exhibition has been seeing participation from visitors of all ages.

“I’ve even had the opportunity to have little kids vote,” Nelson said. “The opportunity to have all the different age ranges, I think, is great.”

Penry said the exhibition has received more community attention than previous displays, partly because it represents dozens of artists rather than a single creator.

“We have something for everyone up here right now, and it’s been phenomenal,” Penry said.

The response has been strong enough that organizers are already considering similar exhibitions in the future.

“I’ve been asked by several people if we would do it again,” Penry said.

For now, community members can continue viewing the exhibition and casting their votes throughout June. Organizers hope the display not only highlights the area’s artistic talent but also encourages visitors to connect with the natural landscapes that inspired the work.