KUAC unveils 2019 poster

February 22, 2019

Nancy Tarnai
907-474-1890

One of three novice artists filmed by KUAC last summer for a documentary series has created the local public broadcasting station's 2019 poster, "Imperfect Reflection."

Through a chance encounter in downtown Fairbanks, Guy Gaswint became a participant in the program. Under the tutelage of Kes Woodward, a University of Alaska Fairbanks professor emeritus, Gaswint created the striking image of Patagonia that became KUAC's latest poster.

The public can meet Gaswint and see the poster and original art from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at Well Street Art Co., 1304 Well Street.

For a gift of $60 or more, KUAC supporters will receive the poster. KUAC, a part of UAF, provides public radio and television for Interior Alaska.

Born in Kalispell, Montana, Gaswint spent his younger years “terrorizing the state of Washington” before he joined the U.S. Army at 17. He traveled the world for 20 years, watched the Berlin Wall fall in 1989, learned fluent German and helped the mother of his son immigrate to the U.S. When the Army brought him to Fairbanks in 2003, he immediately decided it was to be his final home state.



“I never wanted to be an artist and actually had no artistic desire that I knew of until I met Mr. Woodward,” Gaswint said. “He asked me if I would like to learn how to paint and I said yes, only because I could not think of a reason not to. Now that I have started producing art there is nothing else that I would rather be doing.”

Participating in the KUAC TV series "Into the Woods" had a huge impact on Gaswint’s interest in art. KUAC filmed the eight-part series in summer 2018 and broadcast it in September and October.

“After the show, I realized that I had been an artist my whole life,” Gaswint said. “Everyone is an artist in their own way. Art is not a painting or a drawing; art is an expression of ourselves and can take the form of a chair, garden, quilt, a hair style. Actually anything that we try to make aesthetically pleasing is art.”

Gaswint said his goal is to accept that we are in essence nothing but energy and our emotions are how our energy is expressed.

“Art at its core can only be a tangible expression of our personal energy, and emotions. I strive to make my art thought provoking through content and intriguing by providing small details and over-exaggerations of shape and form,” he said. “My artistic vision is that my art should attack the sense of touch and sight.”