Opening: Maps and Monsters

The I.J. & Jeanné Wagner Jewish Community Center (JCC) is pleased to announce the upcoming art exhibition, Maps and Monsters, featuring new works by multidisciplinary artist and composer Russell Huiskamp. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, July 10, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM MDT on the 2nd floor of the JCC, located at 2 Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84113. The show will be on view from July 1st through August 29th.

Maps and Monsters has been selected as the JCC’s monthly Artist Series show for July and August. The exhibition invites viewers into an exploration of the aesthetics of mythical world-building. Huiskamp’s work references common tropes of popular fantasy, paying homage to the genre while simultaneously constructing his own unique universe.

In his artist statement for the show, Huiskamp describes, “Maps and Monsters is an exploration of the aesthetics of mythical world-building. Common tropes of popular fantasy are referenced both as an homage and as a way to build my own universe, much in the same way the original creators of these universes referenced universes created before them. Epic storytelling, and the patterns we recognize as part of its tradition, transcend specifics; they can be recreated through line and color, and their mysticism and intrigue persist.”

The opening reception is open to the public, and attendees will have the opportunity to meet the artist. Light refreshments and bites will be served.