Red Butte Garden is a popular place for anyone in Salt Lake City to visit. Being the largest and most popular botanical attraction in the valley, it has a vast array of things to look at, making it easy to forget that it serves as an artistic platform. The most notable of this would be the Red Butte Concerts, but between the entrance gift shop and the garden proper, there’s a small slice of space dedicated to local artists. The current featured artist is Chase McCleary.
About the artist
McCleary is a native born Utahn who graduated from The University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. She also teaches classes at Salt Lake Community College and is part of the U’s continuing education program, where she is currently teaching beginning-level courses for anyone interested in starting their artistic journey. Her works can be seen displayed in various places across the state, with one of the most notable being the 15th Street Gallery, a great showing of local artists. Every artist has a unique style, and McCleary is no different. The main focus of her paintings is nature. She specializes landscapes, animals or other aspects of the natural world. There are very little abstract concepts at play with her work, her focus being realism.
The exhibit
Looking from a distance, the detail and depth in McCleary’s works gives the illusion that they are not made of paint and brush but instead photographs. Getting closer, that illusion fades. However, that does not lessen the artistry at hand as the details of the paintings are traded for letting the viewer look and appreciate the technique behind them. No matter what angle these pieces are looked at, there is always something to be enjoyed. Some of the standout pieces of the exhibit are “Scarlet Mormon,” a painting that depicts the butterfly it was named after. “Magic Hour” is perhaps the most gorgeous painting in the exhibit, with the melding of purple, orange and blue capturing the setting sun. The joyously named “Little Guy” is a small bird sitting on a branch in great detail, with the roundness of the feathers coming into play. The last highlight is “Capital Reef,” which is a prime example of how well McCleary can capture nature.
Red Butte Garden is a rotating venue. On Sept. 29. the McCleary exhibit will be gone. That said, there are future events to look forward to at the Red Butte Garden. From Nov. 7 to Dec. 21, there will be the Glass in the Garden Art Show. It will be an exhibition from the Glass Art Guild of Utah that will allow them to show off their skills to the public.
All of these paintings at the McCleary exhibit are available for purchase, the majority of which are on canvas while a few are on metal print. Even if you do not plan on purchasing a painting, go and see what this local artist has to offer as well as keep an eye open for any other of her showings. U students and faculty get free admission to Red Butte with their student ID.
