Nathan Florence: From Pre-Med to Artist

Published: October 06, 2016 | Author: Lola Taylor | Read Time: 2 minutes

Artist Nathan Florence will open his exhibit at the Southern Utah Museum of Art on October 10, 2016. His art will be on display through October 31, 2016. He will also present an artist talk for SUU Art & Design Department’s Art Insights on October 20 at 7:00 pm. Admission is free, and the general public is invited to attend.

From a young age, Florence was afraid of running out of paper and turned to using his shoes, pants, bedroom door and walls as his artistic canvas. His childhood career goals shifted from rock star, to reconstructive surgeon and architect. Growing up in Denver and Salt Lake City, he left his home to study industrial design at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Florence later changed his focus to pre-med, taking art classes when he could.

After studying to be a designer and surgeon, Florence decided to take the sage advice of his professor and pursued his passion to be an artist. He felt fortunate to work in such an exciting and rewarding field. Florence was eventually drawn back to Salt Lake City by the siren song of the mountains, where he currently lives with his wife and two children.

When asked about his current work, Florence said, "My definition of what it means to be an artist has expanded from traditional drawing and painting to include community activism and education and is still expanding. My current projects include painting commissions, directing a documentary and being an artist in residence at a charter school that has an art and project learning emphasis."

Nathan Florence is represented by Modern West Fine Art in Salt Lake City, Utah. Gallery Manager Shalee Cooper said, “Nathan captures the essence of his subject matter through subtle gestures and dramatic compositions. Many of his works hold an ethereal nostalgia. He is a Renaissance artist with the ability to work any medium whether it be music, film, or painting. He finds the beauty in the every-day and incorporates that into his work.”

For more information, visit Florence's artist page at from Modern West Fine Art.

Art Insights is hosted during the fall and spring semesters by SUU’s Art & Design faculty. Students and community members meet to experience presentations and discussions by visiting artists and art educators from around the nation who share their work and insights.

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