CEDAR CITY — Born from a desire to follow his heart and pursue his dream of becoming a painter, Kevin Kehoe’s “Western Therapy” exhibit is on display at the Southern Utah Museum of Art until Oct. 1. Kehoe finds inspiration in the tranquil beauty of the Western landscapes that surround his home.
Kehoe calls himself a “New American Painter,” with an emphasis on “New.” He is a native New Englander but now resides in Heber Valley, Utah.
Kehoe began his studies of light and composition at the Art Institute of Boston (1980-1983), where he was inspired by the work of masters such as Edward Hopper, Vincent Van Gogh and Jim Jones. In December 2013, he left his successful career as an advertising creative director to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a painter.
Kehoe feels the West is “that spiritual, reverent place that feeds the soul and inspires the heart like no other.” The wide open spaces, blue skies and high-altitude air of the West creates a majestic place that allows the viewer to open his or her heart and mind to endless possibilities of free thought and a feeling that dreams can become reality.
Kehoe paints from his studio in The Old Firehouse Building in Heber Valley, Utah, where the Wasatch and Uinta mountain ranges serve as his spectacular backdrop. Kehoe says:
Light, to me, is the most beautiful element in the universe because of its power to artfully transform anything it touches, anything it wraps itself around. Light and composition are paramount as I contemplate what to paint and why. Successful composition is probably more important than the brushwork itself.
Kehoe is motivated by “a quest to capture what is true and real, what is sincere and reverent, to capture reality through rose-colored glasses.” He strives to capture a moment in time or experience how he recalls it in both his mind and heart.
Robert Redford once said, “Some people have therapy. I have Utah.” Kehoe’s aim for his art is to be “a visual exhale, to capture what is uncomplicated, in a complicated world.” Kehoe uses the magic of the West that stirs his soul to create beautiful relationships between light and landscape, person and place. He hopes “Western Therapy” will ignite the viewer’s sense of wonder, while providing him or her refuge from life’s worries.
If you are interested in purchasing Kevin Kehoe’s work, please contact the Modern West Fine Art gallery online.
Event details
- What: Kevin Kehoe presents “Western Therapy” to Southern Utah Museum of Art
- When: On display now through Oct. 1 | Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Where: Southern Utah Museum of Art, 13 S. 300 West, Cedar City, Utah
- Admission: Free to public
- For more information, visit the Southern Utah Museum of Art website
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