In a gallery-to-go format, the Holladay Arts Council invited local artists to submit work exploring the connection between growth, care and change—both in nature and everyday life. Inspired by the shifting seasons and the people and experiences that help us thrive, this broad and welcoming theme encouraged diverse interpretations.

Nature & Nurture, a three-day open art exhibition, captivated visitors with the work of 65 artists and 115 pieces of art from various visual mediums displayed in the Hallway Gallery at Holladay City Hall. 

“We looked to the Holladay Arts Council mission statement of inspiring, engaging and unifying the community when creating this show,” arts council member Bonnie Nell said. “We came to a consensus that it would be a good idea to try a show around Mother’s Day with the inspiring theme of Nature and Nurture. We wanted community members to be able to buy a piece of art and take it home upon purchase for those looking for a Mother’s Day gift.”

Arts council members Susan McFarland and Brooke Barris led the event, which showcased the work of local artists alongside that of Holladay arts council members. To celebrate the Mother’s Day theme further, the Nature & Nurture show was held in conjunction with Amy Banta’s debut play “Spartan Moms,” which featured afternoon and evening performances in the Big Cottonwood Room at City Hall. 

Care fosters conditions necessary for growth, emphasizing nurturing’s role in positive development for all living things. Local artist Charlotte Mortimer’s painting of a robin on her nest with newly hatched chicks titled “Mother’s Watch” speaks directly to the theme of growth, care and change. 

The image captures a quiet but powerful moment of transition—the emergence of new life, the instinctual nurturing of a mother bird, and the fragile beginnings that hold so much potential. 

“The nest is a symbol of both safety and transformation. It reflects how care, whether in nature or in our own lives, creates the conditions for growth,” Mortimer said. “Just as the seasons shift and bring change, this scene reminds us that life is always moving forward, and that with support and connection, we can thrive through those changes.”λ