Stokes Nature Center's America 250 Art Show gave Cache Valley residents a new way to experience the outdoors through artwork inspired by nature.
The exhibit featured paintings, sculptures, photography, poetry, and music as part of the America 250 initiative. It grew out of a National Endowment for the Arts Big Read grant focused on helping people connect with nature in creative ways.
Executive Director Kendra Penry said the exhibit was designed to be about more than creating artwork.
"We wanted people to get outside to experience being in the glorious nature that we have in Cache Valley, but also to find a new way to see it and a new way to share it with others," Penry said.
The exhibit featured work from professional artists, children, high school students and community members.
One participating artist was Andrea Smith, a ceramics teacher at Mountain Crest High School and a member of the Stokes Nature Center board. Smith and her students created ceramic pieces inspired by meaningful places in nature.
"Art shows are a great opportunity for artists to challenge themselves and to build confidence and to kind of put themselves out there," Smith said. "Art is very personal, but it's also a conversation with someone else, the viewer."
Smith said many of her students were nervous about entering the exhibit but were proud to see their work displayed alongside other artists in the community.
Organizers said the America 250 Art Show introduced new visitors to Stokes Nature Center and highlighted how art can inspire people to experience and appreciate nature in new ways.
