Places and Faces of Utah's Coal Country

Noel A. Carmack is associate professor of art at USU Eastern. He received a BFA in illustration and MFA in drawing/painting from USU. About the work in this exhibition he says: Many of the coal mines, tipples, and powerhouse stacks in Utah are beginning to disappear, due to the decline of petroleum-based energy industries. The boom-and-bust economy of southeastern Utah is turning toward more favorable efficient energy sources, so the life and traditions of the men and women who are dependent on these industries are changing. These painings and drawings represent the deteriorating structures, the weathering marks left on the landscape, and the faces of the people who live and work in the area. The work is comprised of the following: 1) industrial landscapes, featuring the machinery, structures, and tools which have been used to mine or extract the natural resources of this area, and 2) portraits of the men and women whose lives are closely tied to eastern/southeastern Utah region.