| Exhibition
commemorates life and work of late Utah artist
January 14 2009 | The Utah division
of arts and museums is commemorating the life of recently
deceased Utah painter J. Thomas "Tom" Mulder
with an exhibition of his artwork titled Conscious Awakening
of My Dreams: A Tom Mulder Retrospective. Mulder died
of colon cancer on November 24, at the age of 69. A
well-known and respected Utah artist, Mulder was known
for his use of color, light, form, and design in the
illustration of his work’s clear and simple themes.
The exhibition is at the Rio Gallery in Salt Lake City,
and opens with a public reception from 6:00 to 9:00
p.m. on Friday, January 16.
"Since Tom shared his memories,
passions, and experiences in life with others through
his artwork, a commemorative exhibition of his paintings
is only fitting. The show at the Rio will allow his
friends, family, and peers to honor their memories of
Tom with each other, and perpetuate his presence by
introducing the public to Tom and his paintings, as
well," said Margaret Hunt, Director of the Utah
Division of Arts and Museums.
The Mulder exhibition is comprised
of two parts. The first section features a selection
of Mulder’s paintings accompanied by personal writings
by both the artist and those close to him. The second
section is a small installation that reconstructs Mulder's
workspace, including his easel and palette, exactly
as it was left in his most recent studio space at Captain
Captain Studios in Salt Lake City.
Mulder loved and was greatly inspired
by the world’s "sun-belt" cultures, those
that are located roughly along the same latitude as
the Mediterranean Sea. He made a point of traveling
extensively in India, Mexico, Spain, Italy, France,
Greece, and the Southwest United States, during which
time, he developed the sense of color, light, and form
characteristic of his artwork. Throughout his artistic
career, Mulder was represented by several galleries,
including Salt Lake City’s Phillips Gallery, and showed
often at Park City‘s Kimball Art Center. He also participated
in numerous art festivals, including the Utah Arts Festival
and the San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival, where he
was awarded First Place in 2003. A graduate of East
High School in Salt Lake City and the University of
Utah, Mulder also attended the Nizam College in Hyderabad,
India, and completed his M.F.A. from the University
of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, in 1977. After returning to
Utah and until his death, Mulder lived in the Avenues
neighborhood of Salt Lake City.
Conscious Awakening of My Dreams
is curated by Trent Alvey and Chase Leslie for the Utah
Division of Arts and Museums. The exhibition runs from
January 16 through March 5. Gallery hours are Monday
through Friday, 7:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. The Rio
Gallery is located inside the Rio Grande Depot at 300
South Rio Grande Street (455 West) in Salt Lake City.
All gallery exhibitions are free and open to the public.
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