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by Shawn Rossiter

UP: Some great shows opened up during the June gallery stroll and you only have a few days left to catch them before they come down, so here is a quick run down of what you should check out if you haven't already had the chance.

Be sure to see the Trevor Southey exhibit at A Gallery and the Holly Mae Pendergast show at Art Access. I won't tell you why. Shawn Stradley and Kent Rigby already have on page 1.

If you have a friend in town, take them to Phillips Gallery, whose current four person show is a wonderful snapshot of the diversity -- stylistically and thematically -- of the Utah art world. Heidi Adkins works in a modernist style -- think Henri Matisse and the Paris school -- on paintings that "focus on mankind's relationship to deity." Man's relationship to man is the theme of James Charles' abstract series of work, which expresses his personal experience of war. Lindsay Frei and Irwin Greenberg create paintings with less abstract themes but with no less finesse. Frei has been making a name for herself as a still-life painter ever since graduating from the University of Utah. Greenberg, a native of Brooklyn, enjoys bringing to life the city scenes he knows so well.

A trip to the Patrick Moore Gallery, where the Glass Art Guild's second annual "A Gathering of Glass" is on display, will also be worth the effort if you have time this week. You may see a lot of glass art this summer at all the art festivals, so visit the Glass Art Guild's exhibition to get an idea of what the good stuff looks like.

You may have lingering bad memories of the Sugarhouse area from the traffic on the Fourth of July, but don't let your post-traumatic stress stop you from visiting the Groutage Gallery (1058 East 2100 South) where some very fine etchings by Adrian Van Suchtelen are on display.

UPCOMING: While you're in Sugarhouse, you might consider getting your summer haircut at the Visage Salon Studios; or at least checking out the July exhibit of this new sponsor of Gallery Stroll -- "JOAN DURAN, Abstract Action Paintings and Works on Paper.” Duran is originally from Barcelona, Spain, lived in Belize for many years and currently resides in Merida, Mexico. He is an abstract artist whose works are totally non-representational and done in the “action painting” style. Brooms, sticks, bare hands and large brushes are used to create the works with paints and resins. The artist works very quickly and intuitively reacts to each new stroke, splash, smear, color, and material.

You'll want to return to Patrick Moore for the July Gallery Stroll for a 15-year retrospective of Salt Lake City artist, Ken Baxter. Baxter is known for his well-composed, juicy, plein-air landscapes and we hope that the retrospective will live up to its name and display work from across his career. Baxter will also be showing work of his brother, Dan, another fine artist who, tragically, died young.

A few blocks from Patrick Moore, nestled between Mikado and Caffe Molise, is Pam O'Mara's Utah Artist Hands, where, during July and August, the work of David Maestas will be on display. Maestas has been making his mark with his pastel drawings over the past couple of years, including winning various awards. From his minimalist pastel landscapes and spirit figures, Maestas has now ventured into abstract painting. You'll see from these works, however, that Maestas' new direction is not so much a departure as it is an expansion of his visual vocabulary.

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To see what new works other Utah artists are creating, visit (and revisit) the Horne Fine Art "revolving" group show. The gallery's fine cadre of artists will be bringing in works all summer as soon as they finish them. You'll be able to see the newest works by artists like Doug Braithwaite, Traci O'Very Covey, Tony Cox and Karen Horne.

If too much two-dimensional work is getting you down, Dan Cummings has the answer. Cummings, a local sculptor, is curating a massive sculpture exhibition at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center (196 W. Malvern [2650 South]) "The Face of Utah Sculpture," which Cummings hope will become an annual event, will fill the Center's gallery and foyer and spill onto the patio with 5 monumental pieces. Over forty artists, including Ed Fraughton, Gary Price, Karl Momen, Chris Coleman and Cummings himself, will display works across a wide spectrum of media, disciplines and traditions. July 15 thru September 5th.

If you aren't going to have much of a chance this summer to take a plunge -- whether in our own thankfully-full reservoirs or some far off beach -- you can appreciate aquatic splendor vicariously at the Magpie Gallery's water-themed group exhibit opening in August.

But do try to take a vacation. We will. (No 15 Bytes in August, but we'll be back in September).

Speaking of vacations, when I was in Mexico recently, I saw a Mexican bull-riding event not unlike the American except . . . "look Mom no hands!" (makes us gringos look like pansies). Lenka Konopasek, Czech born Utah artist, brings an outsider's perspective on our hands-on variety of bull-riding in her upcoming exhibit at A-gallery.

For many other exciting visual arts exhibitions, check out the listings below.

MUSEUM OF UTAH ART & HISTORY: Ella at 100: The Paintings of Ella Peacock this summer, June 3--July 31

SALT LAKE ART CENTER: Street Level Gallery: "Scott Fife: The Idaho Project," featuring sculpture by Seattle-based artist Scott Fife, through Oct. 2. Public reception Friday, July 15, from 6-9 p.m. Main Gallery: "Fresh Ink: Prints from Flatbed Press," featuring prints from the Austin, Texas, print studio, through Sept. 25..

E STREET GALLERY UP: "Imaginings Manifest" paintings and assemblage by Brink Chipman. Thru July 14. UPCOMING: "The Dog Days of Summer" painting of Bill Ellis, featuring various renditions of whimsical canines.

CONTEMPORARY DESIGN & ART GALLERY (30 E. Broadway #105) UP: Color Expressionism by Aleta Pippin , Santa Fe, NM; Bert Leveile Woodstock, IL; Joan Duran, Mexico; P.J. Gorman Perry County, PA; Stan McBride SLC, UT; Jan Moulding SLC, UT UPCOMING: "Nudes in Contemporary Art."

WASATCH FRAME SHOP (1940 S 1100 E; 485-1353) Pot Luck/Number One: A collection of work from our previous shows

SALT LAKE PUBLIC LIBRARIES:

Anderson-Foothill Branch (1135 S. 2100 East) "Puzzle Pictures: Color Abstraction by Marguerite Roberts and Kathleen Gardner" thru July 16

Day_Riverside Branch (1575 W 1000 N) "New Directions in Mixed Media Art by James Shuman" thru Aug. 12. Public reception Saturday, July 15, from 3:30-5:30.

Gallery at Library Square (210 E 400 South) "The Art of the Book: Work by Utah Artists," featuring works by Anna Campbell Bliss, Adam Larsen, James Baker, Amber Heaton and Christopher McAfee, thru July 16.

Sprague Branch: (2131 S. 100 East) "Night Stillness: Black and White Photographs by Stacy Young," thru Aug. 6.