It seems like all of us found a bit of ourselves over the last two years, finding more time for introspection, and sometimes anxiety, as we rush into a new global era. We have spent a lot of time talking to artists about this subject, but we found Modern West's newest group show, YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF, to be particularly on point in that it was a show started before the pandemic and yet took a new meaning as the few years in between rolled on. 

Modern West is excited to present an exhibition of new works by Andrew Alba, Fidalis Buehler, Jiyoun Lee-Lodge, Aïsha Lehmann, Mitch Mantle, Wren Ross, and Matthew Sketch in the group exhibition YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF. The exhibition will be on view May 20 through July 9, 2022. The Public Opening Reception will be held May 20 from 6-8pm. Artists will be in attendance at the opening, and all are invited to attend.

Like we mentioned, YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF has been in the works since the fall of 2019. After Fidalis Buehler introduced Modern West’s Director Shalee Cooper to Mitch Mantle’s work, Cooper curated the group exhibition MYTH featuring works by Buehler, Mantle, and Wren Ross. The works from MYTH complimented each other so well that the show opened up discussion of future exhibitions by these artists.

Andrew Alba became an early artist in residence at Modern West in 2020 and he quickly connected with Buehler, Mantle, and Ross, sharing a similar thematic approach in his work. Matthew Sketch followed Alba’s residency in 2021 and after Buehler introduced MW to Aïsha Lehmann in the Spring of 2021, she became an artist in residence in the summer, followed by Jiyoun Lee-Lodge in the fall. Modern West’s residency program has not only given artists a space to develop work, but has cultivated community between our artists and led to representation and the artists conversing about their work with each other. While in residency, Alba, Lee-Lodge, Lehmann, and Sketch each developed work that spoke directly to identity in Utah, but with universal themes that extend far beyond.

Each of the artists included in YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF is rooted in Utah, but their identity-based work pushes boundaries and reflects outwards, from Utah to the West and beyond. We are excited to announce a collaboration with Emmanuel Art Gallery in Denver who will be featuring this exhibition online, and look forward to future collaborations that will travel these artists works throughout the region.

Stay tuned next week as we share some of our interviews and conversations with the artists in YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF.