SUMA Observations & Conversations

Southern Utah Museum of Art Manager of Marketing and Communication Emily Ronquillo chats with Maren Holmes, Campus Engagement Associate, and Courtney Blue, Museum Associate and SUMA Sidekick member about how SUMA engages with students at Southern Utah University. 

The trio talks about the evolution and future of the museum's membership program SUMA Sidekicks, getting on TikTok and venturing into Pinterest. This episode gives insight on ways the museum is engaging with college students at large and the role of student employees. 

SUMA Sidekicks is a free membership program open to students at SUU and Southwest Tech. Sidekicks earn prizes for visiting the museum, bringing friends, and attending events. More information about the program and how to sign up is available at go.suu.edu/sumasidekicks. 

Southern Utah Museum of Art Executive Director Jessica Kinsey invites artist Billy Schenck into the podcast studio to talk about his 50+ year career, his connection to Andy Warhol, his advice for art students, and even his favorite Western movies. This episode was recorded as part of the exhibition "Billy Schenck: Myth of the West," a retrospective of works from Billy's permanent collection on view at SUMA through March 19, 2022, and his first-ever all-landscape exhibition, "Schenck's Utah: A Land Less Traveled" at Modern West Fine Art in Salt Lake City through March 21, 2022. 

Billy Schenck is a contemporary artist with work in more than 40 museum and corporate collections. His subject matter spans genres from Western landscape to cowboy pop. He is a World Champion Ranch Sorting winner and the proprietor of the Double Standard Ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, his home for the past two decades. 

You can find more information about Billy's exhibition alongside "Andy Warhol: Cowboys and Indians" at go.suu.edu/westernpop. You can find more information about BIlly at billyschenck.com and on Instagram @billyschenckart. 

SUMA Observations and Conversations in produced in partnership with SUU News. 

Learn more about "Andy Warhol: Cowboys and Indians" and "Billy Schenck: Myth of the West" in this audio guide offered in Spanish.

"Andy Warhol: Cowboys and Indians" and "Billy Schenck: Myth of the West" are on exhibition at Southern Utah Museum of Art through March 19, 2022.

Featured Artwork: "The Last Sunset" by Billy Schenck, 2016

Learn more about "Andy Warhol: Cowboys and Indians" and "Billy Schenck: Myth of the West" in this audio guide offered in English. 

"Andy Warhol: Cowboys and Indians" and "Billy Schenck: Myth of the West" are on exhibition at Southern Utah Museum of Art through March 19, 2022. 

Featured Artwork: "The Last Sunset" by Billy Schenck, 2016

Southern Utah Museum of Art Manager of Marketing and Communication, Emily Ronquillo, and Registrar, Emily Moyle talk with artist and art historian, Dr. Andrew Kent-Marvick about Andy Warhol in anticipation of SUMA's exhibition "Andy Warhol: Cowboys and Indians" on view through March 19, 2022. 

Andy Warhol was the undisputed leader of American Pop Art, a movement characterized by artists' use of household items, advertising images, and other "low" art forms, and commercial printing techniques in an effort to democratize art. Warhol had a tremendous gift for understanding the myths of the Baby Boomer generation. His ability to identify images that expressed the essence of the Boomers can be seen in his early work in the 1960s, including Soup Cans and the Elvis Presley series. 

SUMA Observations and Conversations is produced in partnership with SUU News. 

In this episode, Southern Utah Museum of Art Marketing Manager Emily Ronquillo and This Earth co-curator Hikmet Sidney Loe interview artist Michael Dax Iacovone. We discuss his work, Tracing the Arc of the Solstice, his process and how he learned geometry to make art, and connectedness and solitude during the retreat. 

This episode was recorded during the opening weekend of the exhibition. 

This Earth: Notes and Observations by Montello Foundation Artists is on view at SUMA through December 23, 2021. 

In this episode, Southern Utah Museum of Art Marketing Manager Emily Ronquillo and This Earth co-curator Hikmet Sidney Loe interview artist Miho Suzuki. We discuss her works in the exhibition, Animal Friends, her experience at The Montello Foundation, how it compares to other artist residency programs, and her time in Utah and the American West. 

This episode was recorded on October 15, right before the opening reception of This Earth. 

This Earth: Notes and Observations by Montello Foundation Artists is on view at SUMA through December 23, 2021. 

The deserts of Nevada and Utah have been potent landscapes for artists to render since first traversing these regions. Drawn to vast vistas, unique flora and fauna, and the subtle changes in geographic proportions and colors, there are extensive interpretations of nature and its meaning.

In this episode, Southern Utah Museum of Art Marketing Manager Emily Ronquillo and This Earth co-curator Hikmet Sidney Loe interview Montello Foundation Founder/Director Stefan Hagen and artist Patricia Watwood. We explore the mission behind The Montello Foundation, what it is like to be alone in the deserts of the Great Basin, and learn more about the exhibition at SUMA. 

This Earth: Notes and Observations by Montello Foundation Artists is on view at SUMA through December 23, 2021. 

Hear about This Earth: Notes and Observations by Montello Foundation Artists in this audio guide offered in Spanish. 

Hear about This Earth: Notes and Observations by Montello Foundation Artists in this audio guide.