This March, Telluride Arts is featuring Open Space, an exhibition by Diane Best. The Art Walk opening reception will be held on Thursday, March 2nd, 5-8pm at Telluride Arts HQ Gallery West at 224 W Colorado Avenue. Enjoy live music by local, multi-instrumentalist Anneke Dean at the Art Walk reception.
With this series, Open Space, Diane Best continues her exploration of the more and more remote, uninhabited, and overlooked corners of the earth. She says, “I am interested in preserving or recording a single incredible moment of converging light and landscape while enjoying the space, beauty and quietness.”
Featured in the show will be a series of large format, acrylic paintings from desert, arctic, and alpine landscapes including her coveted work “Telluride Whiteout” (2018, 36x72”). Additionally, Diane will be showcasing new and old, large format brush drawings inspired by the iconic Joshua tree, a staple of the desert, and a favored subject of hers for 25 years. She calls them “tree portraits” and loves their movement and unique structures, reminding her of Dr. Seuss creatures.
Diane Best was born in Boston, and studied in the San Francisco area (Stanford University, San Francisco Art Institute), before moving south to Los Angeles. There, she did commercial artwork for the entertainment industry. Moving to Joshua Tree in 1995, she continued working freelance for Los Angeles animation studios, but over time shifted the focus of her talent to capturing the intense drama of the desert landscape that surrounded her. Diane’s work has been presented in solo and group exhibits throughout the country, including shows at the Carnegie Museum, the Southwest Museum in LA, a show of her “Shack” photos in NYC, and the Joshua Treenial 2015, 2017 and 2019. She has taught painting workshops for the Desert Institute in Joshua Tree National Park for many years, and has been profiled in publications such as: Palm Springs Life, Lifescapes: West Coast Art & design, Art Patron Magazine, and a KCET documentary for Artbound. She has also worked with the National Parks as a featured artist for Joshua Tree National Park.
The gallery is open most days from 12-6pm or by appointment. For more information contact Telluride Arts at 970-728-3930, info@telluridearts.org, or find us online at www.telluridearts.org. To see past Telluride Arts HQ Gallery exhibits or to submit an exhibit proposal visit www.telluridearts.org/telluride-arts-exhibits.
