First Friday hosts Dyer Beck’s exhibit “Moments in Time”
“Moments In Time” by Laurie Dyer Beck, who painted this work from a historical photo taken between Whitefish and Columbia Falls.
Works by American artist Laurie Dyer Beck will be exhibited through Feb. 26 at Phillips Studio & Gallery in Kalispell. Dyer Beck’s collection of contemporary works honors the diversity of the natural environment and history the artist has captured with her paintbrush. Titled “Moments In Time,” the body of work reveals the complex perspectives of Dyer Beck’s past and the significance it has on her current work.
An opening artist reception will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on the studio’s First Friday, Feb. 4.
Dyer Beck was born in California in the 1960s to parents who were avid outdoor recreationists. She spent time in the outdoors with her parents in Yosemite Park in California, Arizona, and several other states hiking and exploring and she took up drawing during her childhood years.
She attended art classes at Berea College where she learned the key skills of oil painting. She went on to get a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
After college Dyer Beck worked as a substitute teacher and painted in her free time, took commissions, and displayed in a few art shows. She landed a full-time teaching job in Florida but realized the local art scene there was thriving, so she opted to focus on her art full time. The higher end art shows were juried, and she won numerous awards, including first place and a few “Best of Show.”She fine-tuned her subject matter, with a focus on wildlife and endangered species.
In 2007 Dyer Beck and her family moved to Kalispell. In Montana her life took a new turn — different terrains, wildlife and even the sunsets are different. She has loved the change and the new challenge to discover all it has to offer, photographing the places and sunsets as she travels around the state.
Some of Dyer Beck’s pieces reflect the Rocky Mountain influence, others are of things that have caught her eye. She now sees herself as more than a wildlife artist. Living in so many different places in her life has had a profound influence on her work.
Phillips Studio & Gallery is located in the Kalispell Center Mall. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit phillipsfineartgallery.com or call 309-2335.