ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
The TEST SITE artist residency program at Bountiful Davis Art Center is designed to foster experimentation and innovation, culminating in a solo exhibition in our Annex Gallery. Artists selected for the BDAC residency receive 24-hour access to a private studio, fully equipped with materials and tools, allowing them to create and explore their work freely. The body of work developed during the residency will be showcased in a solo exhibition in the Annex Gallery during the following calendar year, with BDAC providing comprehensive marketing and publicity support across social media, newsletters, and press releases.
In addition to studio and exhibition opportunities, resident artists are expected to contribute to the BDAC community by giving an artist talk, workshop, or leading a critique session with local artists. This engagement enriches the resident's experience while also strengthening connections within the broader BDAC community, fostering relationships, and expanding the artist’s network.
The program offers two residencies: one running from fall to spring and a summer residency. The Test Site Summer Residency provides a graduating high school student and a teacher from the Davis School District with 24-hour studio access, offering a unique opportunity to develop their skills in a professional environment.
CURRENT ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
Cole Wilkes is an artist whose work blends craftsmanship, storytelling, nostalgia, and a deep appreciation for process. Working primarily as a potter and sculptor, Wilkes creates hand-built and wheel-thrown ceramic forms that range from functional pieces to imaginative sculptural works. His clay practice is rooted in experimentation, layering glazes, embracing texture, and allowing the material to guide the final form.
A strong sense of nostalgia runs throughout Wilkes' work. Inspired by the cartoons, toys, and stories that shaped his childhood, he enjoys creating miniature villages, environments, and sculptural pieces that celebrate beloved worlds from classic pop culture. From Smurf inspired villages tucked among mushrooms and tiny cottages to fantasy creations influenced by He-Man and other iconic characters of the 1980s, his artwork often invites viewers to reconnect with cherished memories and the sense of wonder that comes with them.
In addition to ceramics, Wilkes is also a painter, exploring color, composition, and expression through both traditional and contemporary approaches. His paintings often complement his ceramic work, drawing inspiration from nature, imagination, and the storytelling elements that appear throughout his artistic practice. Whether working with brush and canvas or clay and glaze, he enjoys discovering new ways to communicate ideas and evoke emotion through visual art.
Wilkes also works in wood burning, using pyrography to add intricate detail, pattern, and narrative to natural surfaces. This medium allows him to explore contrast, line, and patience, turning raw wood into expressive, one-of-a-kind pieces. Photography is another important pillar of his artistic practice. Through the lens, Wilkes captures moments that balance technical precision with emotion and humor. His photographic work often reflects a curiosity about people, environments, and the small details that tell larger stories.
Across all mediums, Wilkes values creative exploration. Whether shaping clay, applying paint, burning wood, building nostalgic miniature worlds, or framing a photograph, his work invites viewers to slow down, look closer, and connect with the art on a personal level. Through each piece, he strives to create meaningful experiences that celebrate creativity, imagination, and the enduring joy of revisiting the stories and memories that inspire us.
CURRENT JUNIOR ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
Lexi Reese
Lexi Reese is a representational oil painter based in West Point, Utah. In addition to strictly representational pieces, her work includes a combination of realistic figures and expressionist backgrounds. Lexi loves painting pieces that include both conceptual depth and technical precision. She seeks to capture complex themes about life and the human psyche with her deliberate, vivid brush strokes. Lexi received Juror’s Award of Merit, Artist Nosh Award, Lyon Art Studio Award, Visual Art Institute Scholarship, and Traveling Exhibition Award at Springville in 2026 with her piece Girl Who is Seen. She is absolutely thrilled to be the Junior Artist-in-Residence for the BDAC and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to grow as an artist.
