The Red Rock Art of Max Weaver

Born in 1917, Max Weaver has spent his life advocating art in what ever community he is in.  He received bachelors and masters degrees from Utah State University, and taught art for 40 years, part of that time at Brigham Young University.  As the former Chairman of the City of Orem Visual Arts Commission, Weaver was a major force in establishing Orem’s permanent art collection in the 1970’s.  Weaver has also served on the Utah County Art Board, the City of Orem Art Board, Chair of the SCERA Visual Arts Committee, as well as on the Central Art Committee for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints’ Sesquicentennial Celebration.               As a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Weaver and his wife served in Nauvoo.  During this time the artist created wood and linoleum prints of religious and historical subjects, of which over 3,000 were given to guests at the visitor center after taking the tour that Weaver was assigned as part of his mission responsibilities.  These prints became so popular that some visitors took Weavers tour several times in order to develop their collection. Thus, the artist not only used his art to magnify his missionary labors, he used his mission to enhance his art skills in a variety of media.  Weaver has exhibited his paintings, prints, pottery, jewelry and crafts in many one man shows throughout the western United States and has won awards in all of these areas.  Because of his skill in many areas, Weaver was known by his former colleagues in the art department at Brigham Young University as a Renaissance man.    This exhibition is an example of one of Weavers greatest interests: red rock, or more specifically the landscapes of Southern Utah.  His love of the area is apparent in the subtle detail used in the variety of prints illustrating many of the popular landmarks in the national parks of Southern Utah.  In his paintings of this area, the artist’s interest in color is a prevalent theme.  As the viewer passes from one painting to the next, vibrant oranges and reds illustrate the beauty of this part of the United States and the artist’s love for the subject.  According to Weaver, “Art is a personal way of life, unique in every respect to the individual artist. It embraces body, soul and spirit.  This is reflected in everything the artist does. Art is creativity in the idea, the design, the material, and the process.” This philosophy allowed Weaver to explore different media and styles throughout his life, as well as find inspiration in the things he loved like the red rock of the paintings in this exhibition. (written by Naudia Jones)