"The inspiration for Topher Straus’ art comes from decades of living in, and exploring Colorado and the Rocky Mountains, admiring tree-flooded valleys and silhouetted, mountain peak sunsets. His process includes modern technology and methods that result in a well-known landscape engulfed in contoured lines that superimpose the autogenous beauty of the original photograph. He takes recognizable, natural landscapes and converts them into a modern array of sharp lines — blending and contorting them up the slope of a mountain or shaping the soft, blurred lines of a waterfall. His zest for transcending established iconography makes for a unique combination of traditional vistas and modern style."

by Amy Norton

"Working out of his picturesque hometown of Golden, Colorado, it’s no wonder that Topher Straus finds inspiration in the natural world. In his recent series “The Parks,” Topher blends photography with digital painting to create colorful, large-scale renderings of the United States’ National Parks. Printed on aluminum and finished with high-gloss acrylic resin, Topher’s sweeping vistas bring the outdoors in. The unforgettably impactful series has been exhibited at the Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah, New York; Bitfactory Gallery in Denver, Colorado; and the American Mountaineering Museum in Golden, Colorado. We spoke with the artist to learn more."

by Bethany Fincher

New Directions is a premier national exhibition of contemporary art. Artists are encouraged to submit works that provide a juxtaposition of traditional styles and cutting-edge practices in all 2D media, 3D sculpture, video, and installation.

Now in its 35th year, New Directions brings contemporary art to an atypical venue - the intimate galleries of Barrett Art Center’s 1840s Greek Revival townhouse. Former domestic spaces remodeled as galleries create a visually-compelling setting for contemporary and cutting-edge work.