New artwork on display in the museum café

August 3, 2018

An exhibit of paintings and woodcuts by Gail Priday has opened in the Café Gallery at the University of Alaska Museum of the North.

In "Northern Forest," the images illustrate details from the forest environment, such as roots, berries and mushrooms, through changing seasons.

Priday said she is fascinated by the details of the Northern landscape.

"I am inspired by the things I see every day," she said. "I am fascinated by the ever-changing natural world. I equate walking through the woods to treasure hunting. I frequently carry pockets full of fallen leaves, lichen-covered branches and decaying logs back to my studio."

Priday picked the works featured in this exhibit because they illustrate a wide range of subject matter available in a small area, the woods around her home on Chena Ridge. Included are pieces that represent each season. She finds the changes spurred by those natural shifts a remarkable feature of living in the Interior.

The show includes both large-scale paintings and smaller woodcuts.

"Painting allows for the use of so many colors and the inclusion of endless details, while the woodcuts force me to use only the essentials," she said. "As a result, they complement each other. The large paintings can be viewed from a distance, while the woodcuts draw you in."

Priday has taught in the UAF Art Department and is the school and community liaison in the museum’s education department.

"Northern Forest" will be featured in the Café Gallery through March 2019 as part of a rotating schedule of exhibits featuring Fairbanks artists.