The still, tranquil beauty of Utah's mountains and deserts, long admired by artists, was born from a turbulent past. Massive environmental and geologic changes in deep time, along with continued erosion, created a landscape with stratigraphy laid bare. Each rock, from resistant, cliff-forming sandstones to soft, bench and slope-forming mudstones, tells the story of Utah's geologic past.

In this exhibit, we take you on a journey across eastern and southern Utah through the eyes of the artist and the geologist. What do these geologic formations tell us about the deep history of Utah? How was the climate different, and what animals and plants called these landscapes home? Find out as we go Chasing Time!

Terry Willis’ Artist Statement

Capturing the profound beauty that surrounds us is the focus of my art. I spend time in the outdoors truly seeing what the changing light and weather can do to transform an ordinary scene into one of magic.

Each painting is an effort to seize these moments of awe-inspiring beauty. It is a process to give depth to the scene and allow the viewer to truly enjoy that interpretation of my experience for themselves and to give it their own meaning.