The "West Side" Story: New Paintings and Prints by Leia Bell

Bell began her art career in the mid-1980s by selling crayon sketches door-to-door to neighbors in Tennessee. Years later, she moved from Tennessee to Utah, learned how to snowboard, went to many rock shows, and spent a lot of time at the University of Utah taking classes in Photography and Printmaking. After graduating with a BFA in Printmaking in 2001, she had no idea how to use her fancy art degree until she started hanging out with Phil Sherburne, the owner of the rock venue, Kilby Court. He suggested that she screen print posters for the venue-- small, colorful, eye-catching pieces that would also be collectible to the townsfolk. The plan worked beautifully—the shows were packed and the posters were gone shortly after they were hung up. So it began. Since then, Leia Bell has become one the most beloved and acclaimed printmakers both in Utah and around the country. She emerged at the forefront of the rock concert poster resurgence largely as a result of her work promoting bands for Kilby Court. Her prints are distinct in their simplicity and emotive qualities (many of them feature friends, acquaintances, or neighborhood pets) and have become wildly popular with music fans and art collectors alike. She has been featured in the iconic Art of Modern Rock as well as Swag, Newsweek, Nylon, Punk Planet, Salt Lake Magazine, Salt Lake City Weekly, Salt Lake Tribune, and has been featured numerous times on NPR. She currently lives in Salt Lake City with her husband and three sons where she owns a printing and framing shop called Signed and Numbered in the 21st and 21st neighborhood. Ken Sanders Rare Books hosted Bell's first exhibit back in 2003 and we are thrilled to be hosting her latest as well. Don't miss this special event.