Opening September 1st, 2026 with a reception to follow on September 11th at Narthex Gallery in McMinnville, Oregon, is artist Colt Bowden's absolutely stunning solo exhibition of new works, Nowhere is Beautiful.

Bowden is an American artist, illustrator, sign painter, and entrepreneur whose creative practice is deeply connected to the American West. Raised in Magna, a mining town outside Salt Lake City, Bowden comes from a true pioneer lineage that gives the history, landscape, and mythology of the region genuine significance within his work.

His creative life has taken him through a number of distinct worlds. Before establishing himself as an artist, Bowden traveled throughout the United States as a professional skateboarder, later studying illustration at Brigham Young University, where he earned his BFA with honors in 2012.

Since then, Bowden has founded Gold Hand Signs, a hand-painted sign company, authored books and pamphlets on the subject, taught workshops, organized exhibitions, and, alongside his wife Abigayl, founded Flying Squirrel Brush Co.

Today, Bowden focuses increasingly on fine art, creating oil paintings that draw from the people, landscapes, history, and enduring mythology of the American West. His work is rooted in a personal connection to the region, but his paintings avoid simply looking backward. Through rich, dreamy compositions and brilliant, often unexpected color, he reimagines familiar Western imagery with a contemporary sense of energy and invention.

All of these qualities come together in Nowhere is Beautiful, highlighting the full range of his artistic sensibilities: From his fascination with Western history to his instinct for vivid color, craftsmanship, and visual storytelling.