Meet New Artists at Midway Art Association Gallery
For the months of February and March, seven new artists will join the Gallery sponsored by the Midway Art Association, in Midway. The Gallery is located in the Town Hall in space 120B. It is part of the Association’s mission to give our members an outlet to show their art to the public, whether they are established artists or just getting started in their practice.
The Gallery is open every Friday and Saturday from 10AM-5PM during winter hours. It is also open by appointment. An open house will be held
on February 4th, 2023, from Noon to 5PM to view the art and meet some of the artists. Light refreshments will be served.
Here are some interesting facts about our seven new artists.
GÜNTHER HAIDENTHALLER
RESIDENCE: Alpine, UT
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MEDIUMS OF CHOICE: Oil, watercolor, and pen & crayon.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY: Günther Haidenthaller grew up drawing and painting. He studied illustration and advertising design at Utah
State University, then spent 27 years in design and art direction. In 2015 he began painting full time. He says, “Being Austrian, I am haunted by the ethereal dreamlike quality of light in the moisture saturated atmosphere. I strive to express that longing in my art
and hope the viewer will feel my vision. Art is all about passion, and this is mine.” He is a member of Oil Painters of America (OPA), American Impressionist Society (AIS) and several Utah artist’s organizations.
BRIAN CRAGUN
RESIDENCE: Lehi, UT
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MEDIUMS OF CHOICE: Oil
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY: Brian Cragun of Lehi, UT has been painting landscapes and religious themes for over 25 years. His medium is oil and style impressionistic. He loves capturing light and the effects of light. Much of his work is painted plein air. He has studied
with award winning plein air artists Marc Hanson of Savannah, Georgia, and Kami Polzin of Stillwater, Minnesota. Most recently he has studied with Dick Horrocks of Utah. Brian’s art is available online at briancragun.blogspot.com, and is also shown at
Beespoke Utah gallery in American Fork.
JANET JOHNSON
RESIDENCE: Heber City, UT
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MEDIUMS OF CHOICE: oil, with acrylic used for murals, watercolor
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY: I am inspired by the beauty in nature and in the “ordinary” yet extraordinary little things in everyday life. I hope my work puts a smile on you face, and makes you want to get outdoors and enjoy our beautiful world.
LINDA O’DONNELL
RESIDENCE: Heber City, UT
FIND OUT MORE: Instagram: @Lindaodonnellstudios
MEDIUMS OF CHOICE: Mixed media and acrylic
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY: I grew up in the Hudson Valley in New York State where I was exposed to an art environment by my parents. My love for art and design grew and I graduated from Cornell University’s School of Design and Environmental Analysis where I had a full and exciting career for 35 years in both private & government industry designing commercial products, interiors, and human factor analysis. After retiring in 2013, my husband and I moved to Utah where we enjoy skiing, hiking, fishing, camping, traveling
and plein air painting. I enjoy all art forms, painting in watercolor, acrylic, oil and am continuously seeking to both refine and explore new art expression. I live by some wonderful thoughts to share with others: “Take in everything around you, use all your
senses and see the colors, smell, listen, and close your eyes and feel the world, never take anything for granted and always look forward to what is next, reach for the stars!”
BE
VERLY ROTH
RESIDENCE: South Jordan, UT
FIND OUT MORE: Flicker: flic.kr/s/aHBqjAa8cx
Instagram: @Beverlyrothart
MEDIUMS OF CHOICE: oil and watercolor
ARTIST’S BIOGRAPHY: Beverly is retired and has thoroughly enjoyed painting since 2020. She paints what reminds her of a beloved memory or what touches her heart. Her grandchildren are her favorite subjects in portraits. She also loves to paint people
in scenes that remind her of days gone by and memories of childhood. Beverly states, “I love the beauty all around me and have lived and traveled in areas of the country with widely varying landscapes. Each has its own charm and character. There is so much
beauty out there and trying to paint that beauty helps me appreciate it more.”
BEATRICE RUGGERI
RESIDENCE: Saratoga Springs, UT
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MEDIUMS OF CHOICE: watercolor, mixed media, photography
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY: I define myself a half-self-taught artist, as I started to practice before completing my formal education in fine arts. I am in fact a Sociologist and an Educator with an endorsement in fine arts. I am formally studying fine arts at SUU and working
towards a Masters degree. I moved to Utah in 2021, after two years in NYC, five in Chapel Hill, NC and two in Miami, FL. My artistic style is definitely influenced by my life experience and by the many places, cultures and people I have met along the way. Through
my artistic process, I try to capture my personal connection with a subject and the result is a spontaneous and intuitive piece. I privilege colors as my artistic language. Sometimes I combine them with a contemporary impressionistic representation of the
reality, and sometimes I let them speak alone on a surface. For me, the process is more important that the product, a process that flourishes spontaneously in me.
GARTH HARRISON
RESIDENCE: Vernal, UT
FIND OUT MOREMEDIUMS OF CHOICE: Oil
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY: It has been exhilarating for me, since born in 1928, to have lived in nature, especially to be entranced by strong contrasts of warm and cool colors, light and dark values, to capture a believable illusion of depth in my oil paintings. These
dynamic contrasts appear more vividly in early and later hours of the day to boldly rivet my attention for representation of mountains with streams and cataracts, orchards in bloom, prairie wild flowers, seashores and more during all seasons of the year.
Having earned many awards, “People’s Choice” being my favorite, I have judged exhibits and taught elements of design, form, spatial relationships, flow of light, aerial perspective for depth, and edge treatment with overall aesthetic appeal for viewers to share.
