Arts-Entertainment
The Danforth Museum of Art (DMA) will host a panel discussion about the intersection of art, science, and nature on Thursday, November 19th from 5:30 to 8 pm. Sara Mast’s abstract art exhibit, Standing In the River, will serve as the starting point to discover how the seemingly different disciplines of art and science might come together in a larger understanding of the human place in the natural world. Panelists include:
- Sara Mast, Artist and Professor Emerita of Art in the School of Art, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
- Dr. Cassia Hameline, Poet
- Alecia Jongerward, Education and Advocacy Director, Park County Environmental Council
Storrs Bishop, Curator and Education Director, DMA, will server as the moderator.
Standing in the River is an exhibit of Sara Mast’s abstract encaustic paintings created from 2022-2024. The paintings, made of oil, pigment stick, cold wax on canvas and encaustic board, draw the viewer into an immersive and experiential environment and evoke the all-encompassing sensibility of open land, water and sky of Montana. In addition to the paintings, Mast presents small, shiny black vitrified PEM glass “rocks” reminiscent of obsidian. The PEM glass is made of trash melted with plasma and is a reflection on our relationship to natural resources.
Sara Mast’s abstract interpretations of the Montana landscape and her reflections on the effects of humans on the planet draw on her interpretation of place and experience. Her interest in the role of science in addressing human-engineered environmental impacts combines in novel ways with her use of the ancient practice of encaustic painting. Encaustic wax is one of the oldest forms of art preservation. Its proximity to the PEM glass made of trash places the ancient in conversation with the contemporary.
Doors open at 5:30 pm. Refreshments and small bites will be available. Admission to the Danforth is always free, though donations are always welcome!
Sara Mast’s installation will be on display at the DMA until November 21st. At the Danforth Museum of Art, we believe that art has the power to transform the way we experience the world by inspiring, challenging, and bringing people together.
The DMA is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 12 to 4 pm. The Danforth Museum of Art is located at 106 North Main Street, Livingston, Montana, www.thedanforth.org.