This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Two Utah artists — David Brothers and Pam Bowman — have been awarded the 2016 Visual Arts Fellowship from the Utah Division of Arts & Museums.
Each gets a $10,000 grant to support their work.
"Both Pam Bowman and David Brothers have constructed detailed — even obsessive — alternative worlds," said JoAnne Northrup, the director of contemporary art initiatives at the Nevada Museum of Art, the out-of-state juror who chose these two from 124 entries. "They are both storytellers, and those stories seize the imagination of viewers."
Even though Utah is known for its natural beauty, Northrup said in a statement, "it is remarkable that artists with a tendency to look inward are creating what I deem to be the most compelling art coming out of Utah today."
For Brothers, who lives in Salt Lake City, the fellowship comes after a "banner year," as he has finished several ambitious projects.
"Having set goals and accomplished them, it seemed appropriate to start even more enthusiastic projects, possibly even duplicate my notable year—but wait! Along comes the Visual Arts Fellowship and seals the deal, ups the stakes and raises the bar," Brothers said in a statement.
Brothers' current installation, "Rolithica," is on display at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art through April 30.
Bowman, from Provo, said she will use the grant money to cover the cost of materials and technical assistants, which are necessary in her challenging installations.
"I am interested in researching indigenous crafts and textile work in different parts of the world, as they relate to repetitive work and domesticity," Bowman said in a statement. "Having a more grounded knowledge of such processes will enrich my work conceptually. One avenue for this research is through pursuing international artist residencies. This could also allow me to act as an emissary for Utah by exhibiting my work more broadly."