Lester B. Lee and LeConte Stewart

The North Side by LeConte Stewart

Welcome to the inaugural posting of the Bountiful/Davis Art Center blog.  I'm writing about some observations I've made about the Lester B. Lee exhibit at BDAC.  Lester Lee, well-known and award winning artist, has been involved in the Art Center for several years.  He has taught and exhibited at BDAC many times and formerly served as the Chair.  After retiring from a productive career as a High School Educator in Art, Lester and his family moved to Clarkston, Utah where he is in the process of building a new home.  He is greatly missed in Davis County, so it is a pleasure to see his recent work.

Abandoned House by Lester B. Lee

I experienced a powerful emotional response to the paintings and drawings that Lester brought in for the exhibit.  I knew there was something very special about this new work.  I was struck by the feelings of isolation and grittiness the work evoked.  The subject matter and mood of these paintings and drawings reminded me of the Depression Era works of LeConte Stewart (I had recently visited the LeConte Stewart exhibit at the Utah Museum of Fine Art).  Most of the paintings by Lee feature just one figure in a rural or urban setting that is reminiscent of America in the 30's. 

LeConte Stewart



Lester B. Lee

 Lester Lee admits that he is influenced by another Regionalist painter, Andrew Wyeth.  There is a painting in the exhibit that pays homage to this famous painter.  But I can't help but be struck by the similarity I find between Lee and Stewart.  These two artists, though not born and raised in Davis County, have made such a lasting impression on so many there that Davis County residents will always claim them as their own.

Lester Lee will teach a watercolor workshop at BDAC on November 5.  The paintings will remain in the gallery until the end of that day.  Check out the website: http://www.bdac.org/ for more information about the workshop.

Aaron Bushnell's oil paintings of rural and urban settings are exhibited along side Lester Lee's work.  These two artists have known each other for a long time and have supported one another in their respective careers.  One of Aaron's paintings is on a recent cover of Southwest Art magazine.  Like Lee, Bushnell is an extraordinary artist and has deep roots in Davis County.

I hope you have the opportunity to visit Bountiful/Davis Art Center soon to view these exhibits along with Illustrators Utah!  The illustration exhibit features some of Utah's top professional illustrators as well as Hall of Fame work by revered illustrators on the tail end of the golden age of illustration, from the collection of Paul Mann.  He will do a presentation about this collection at BDAC on October 21 at 7pm.

Baker, CA by Lester B. Lee

Blogging is new territory for me but I'm excited about the possibilities it will inspire and how it will connect us to you.  Thank goodness I have some techno-savvy geeks on my staff  (Mike Call and Joshua Blackwelder) to help out. Thanks, guys.

Emma J. Dugal
Executive Director
Bountiful/Davis Art Center