For October’s First Friday, the Grant County Art Guild Studio will host INTO THE WILD, featuring the work of Mona Prater and Paula Manning-Lewis. Manning-Lewis will be showing her new collection of Gila trees; Prater will be populating that forest with her most recent body of work — portraits of Gila wildlife.

Mona Prater grew up in the Willamette Valley near Salem, Oregon. She attended multiple colleges, earning a BFA in Painting and Sculpture, an MFA in Studio Art, and an MA in Art History. Mona has traveled extensively throughout the USA and Europe, and she and her husband spent ten years backpacking through Central and South America. After moving to Austin, TX, she made her living creating fused glass and marketing it through a variety of stores and craft markets. She retired to Silver City four years ago and now spends her spare time painting.

Paula Manning-Lewis is a landscape painter rooted in the heart of Southwestern New Mexico, where the untamed beauty of the Gila National Forest serves as both her backyard and her greatest inspiration. For over 30 years, she has explored various artistic styles and subjects, but nature — especially the vast landscapes and towering trees of the Southwest — has always called her back. Her art is more than a visual experience; it’s a spiritual journey, reflecting the deep connection she feels with the land.

The opening reception for Into the Wild is October 2, 4–7pm, during October’s First Friday art walk. Show location: GCAG Studio, 307 N Texas, Silver City, NM. Into the Wild will be on display for two weekends — Saturdays 10am–5pm and Sundays 10am–4pm on October 3–4 & 10–11.