801 Salon No. 44: Sweet but Strident

Sweet but Strident
An exhibition of work from Brooklynn Johnson and Maria Samuelson, with performance from Halie Bahr
Presented by 801 Salon
Hosted by Red Flower Studios, Salt Lake City

Opening Reception
Saturday, May 23, 7- 9 pm
DJ set by @bassil_bb, live glass demos
Red Flower Studios, 339 W 700 S, SLC

Closing Reception
Friday, June 12, 7-9 pm
Performance by Halie Bahr at 8 pm
Red Flower Studios, 339 W 700 S, SLC

About the Exhibit:
Sweet but Strident is a collection of visual works from Maria Samuelson and Brooklynn Johnson, with performance art from Halie Bahr. Each of these women is exploring womanhood not as a fixed identity, but as an evolving, negotiated condition. They engage with the complexities of inhabiting a gendered body and the ways it is seen, shaped, and remembered. Womanhood emerges as something stretched across competing demands, never static, always in flux. Womanhood is attentive to subtle shifts: the ways identity is worn down and rebuilt, how meaning accumulates through loss. Womanhood is relational and porous, continually formed in the interplay between vulnerability and care, between witnessing and being witnessed. These works attend to the realities of trauma, care, motherhood, loss, and memory, while resisting any singular definition. In doing so, they propose a vision of womanhood that is expansive and unsettled—one that embraces contradiction, holds space for fracture, and finds meaning in the ongoing act of reassembly.

About the Artists

Maria Samuelson (she/her) is a Leipzig, Germany and West Valley City, Utah-based artist andmother to a special-needs child. She holds an MA from Ohio University and a BA fromBrigham Young University. Her work has been shown at Leipzig International Artists(LIA) Program, Leipzig, Germany; Armadillo Gallery, Leipzig, Germany; SpringvilleMuseum of Art, Springville, UT, USA; Bountiful Davis Art Center, Bountiful, UT, USA;Exponent II Magazine; I Never Read, Art Book Fair, Basel, Switzerland; 801 Salon ArtBook Fair, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Salt Lake City, Utah; Suboart Magazine;TELEPHONE, online exhibit; Anderson Creative Studio, Canton, OH, USA; SPACESGallery, Cleveland, OH, USA; Bridge Project, Cleveland, OH, USA; and BroadwayGallery, New York City, NY, USA. She has an upcoming solo exhibition at HollandProject Serva Pool Flux, Reno, NV. Her artist residencies include TAKT Leipzig,Germany, and the LIA Program, Leipzig, Germany. She will also participate in aRamona Residency in Houston, TX later this year.

Brooklynn Johnson (she/her) is an artist and educator working across multimedia painting, sculpture, and performance. She received an MFA from the University of California, Davis, and has participated in residencies including Casa Lu in Mexico City, Ali Yousefi Projects in Sacramento, and most recently, the Artist in Residence program at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. Her work has been shown in California, Oregon, New York, Utah, Washington, and Mexico City. Based in Salt Lake City, Brooklynn teaches children’s art classes through Summer Squash Studio and oil painting at Weber State University.

Halie Bahr (she/hers) is a choreographer, performer, producer, educator, and scholar. She has presented work and performed nationally in venues such as Movement Research at the Judson Church (New York, NY), The Walker Art Center (Minneapolis, MN), Links Hall (Chicago, IL), Red Eye Theater (Minneapolis, MN), the Rose Wagner for the Performing Arts (Salt Lake City, UT), among many others. Halie is a professor of dance at Hamline University. She also doubles as a non-profit consultant in sincere reverence and support for the arts community. Through this work, she is the associate director and editor of loveDANCEmore, and works in communications for Red Eye Theater. Halie holds her MFA from the University of Utah. She recently published scholarship with Dance Studies Association (2025, vol. 43), and was awarded the Utah Division of Arts & Museums Performing Arts Fellowship (2024).

About the Host
Red Flower Studios is a dynamic glassblowing studio dedicated to creativity, craftsmanship, and community. We offer hands-on experiences, workshops, and private events that immerse guests in the art of hot glass. Whether you're a first-timer or an experienced artist, our expert instructors guide you through the process in a welcoming and inspiring environment. Located in Salt Lake City's Granary District and Park City's Iron Horse District, our studios provide a space to learn, create, and connect. From interactive demonstrations to custom projects, we make the art of glassblowing accessible and unforgettable. Explore our fine art gallery and showrooms.

\\

is a 501(c)3 non profit dedicated to making art accessible to the community. We produce multidisciplinary art exhibits and performances around SLC, providing a platform for local artists to show their work ✨ If you're interested in supporting our work, feel free to drop a donation through Eventbrite or our Venmo @slc801salon

Follow us on Insta to keep up with future shows! @801.salon

Red Flower Studios is an ADA accessible venue. If you have any accessibility requests, please feel free to reach out in advance [[email protected]]

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher 801 Salon