Go to 15 Bytes Home
page 5
Print This Page
 PAGE 6
PAGE 7
PAGE 8
PAGE 9
PAGE 10
Subscribe to 15 Bytes For Free
    May 2007
Page 9    
Arts Festival Coverage
May Festivals & Upcoming Plein-air Competitions
Prepared by 15 Bytes staff unless otherwise indicated.

This month's art events in Spring City and Moab, both Memorial Day weekend, are harbingers of the busy festival season that will hit the state full force in June. Part of this summer's art festivals are a number of plein-air competition for artists, three of which are featured below.

Spring City Heritage Days takes place Saturday, May 26 in the wonderfully preserved central Utah village of Spring City. Sponsored by the Friends of Historic Spring City and the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, the event will include a Tour of Historic Homes and an art and antiques show at the old Spring City School. Tickets for the home tour cost $10 for adults, $5 for children, and are available on Main Street and at the old Spring City School. At least fifteen buildings will be on tour this year including the currently under renovation, Judge's House and Stone Barn

The Art & Antiques Show and Sale, held at the Old School, will have paintings from current Spring City artists including: Osral Allred, Lee Bennion, Linda Budd, Susan Gallacher, M'lisa Paulsen, Cassandria Parsons, Kathy Peterson and others. In addition this year's show will feature Art Squared a wall of one foot square paintings by these artists as well as nationally known Brad Aldrich, Doug Fryer, Brian Kershinik, Ron Richmond and Michael Workman. All proceeds fron the auction will be donated to the Old School restoration fund.

Moab Arts Festival. If you've been reading these pages the past couple of months you'll have noticed our coverage of Moab, a place long treasured for its outdoor activities but becoming increasingly well-known for its art as well. The city's annual art festival, which takes place in Swanny City Park (400 North 100 West) is in its fifteenth year. The festival includes artwork from local and regional artists, an art camp for kids and plenty of live musical entertainment. Memorial Day Weekend, Saturday, May 26 (10 am - 8 pm) and Sunday, May 27 (10 am - 6 pm)

Plenty of festivals are coming up this summer and many of them have a outdoor painting competitions, so you plein-air enthusiasts might start getting your bug spray, hats and french easels ready. Here's three coming up in the next month or so.

Summerfest
Cache Valley's Summerfest, June 13-16, occurs on Tabernacle Square in downtown Logan. The festival includes a plein-air competition juried by Glen Edwards, with over $4000 in cash and prizes.

Ogden Arts Festival
The rural countryside of the Cache Valley (above) contrasts with the urban setting of the Ogden Arts Festival's Plein Air competition, June 28 and 29. Participants have two days to finish up to two paintings in the downtown area of Ogden. $3,000 in total cash prizes and purchase awards.

Midway Arts Association
The Midway Arts Association's Wasatch Plein Air Paradise 2007 is the group's signature event that coincides with the town's 4th of July celebrations. The event includes 4 painting competitions over a seven day period with a total of over $9000 in prize money.

Up and Upcoming: To The North
Exhibition Listings in Northern Utah
Prepared by 15 Bytes staff unless otherwise indicated.

PARK CITY
Kimball Art Center UP: Wasatch Back Student Art Show in the Main Gallery, Young Artists Academy in the Garage Gallery and The Visual Art Institute in the Badami Gallery; all shows through May 28.

Julie Nester Gallery UP: The Wild West, a photographic series by David Levinthal, though May 14th with a reception for the artist on April 12, 5:30-8:00 pm. The Wild West series, begun in 1986 is inspired by the romance and grandeur of 1950's Western television and film; in these photographs, Levinthal arranges figurines into stereotypical poses to portray the rugged individualism of the Western hero. The blurred photographs, rich in color, use the iconic toy figurines to create an illusion of reality and motion. The hazy illusions illustrate the blur of fact, fiction and perception surrounding the cultural myths of the American West. "Having worked with toys and other objects of popular culture as the subject matter for my artwork for over 25 years, I have always found these objects not to be benign toys merely for play, but rather an active and profound means for the socialization of society", comments Levinthal. The exhibit includes 12 photographs many of which are the last available from the original 1986 shoot.
94-PC-C-12” Polaroid Polacolor 20x24
Gary Collins

OGDEN AREA
The Ogden First Fridays Art Walk takes place every month on the First Friday. Galleries are open from 6 to 9 pm for receptions.

Eccles Community Art Center UP: Paintings by Gary, Cheryl & John Collins in the Main Gallery and oil paintings by students of Scott Wallis in the Carriage House Gallery during the month of May.

Gary Max Collins has drawn and painted since early childhood. He attended both Brigham Young University and the University of Utah . He is a lifetime resident of Utah, stating that his love for the wide variety of natural settings which provide him with a rich source of inspiration for his painting, keep him here. Gary Collins painting has been described as a place between what a landscape looks like and what it feels like. It’s impossible not to become involved with the colorful textures, gentle motion, and abstract subtleties evident in his portrayals. His paintings are an invitation to experience a place with him and see as only an artist can see.” Gary’s goal is to create paintings that give the viewer pleasure and enrich their environment. “Painting is my true joy. I feel fortunate that I am able to make my living doing what I love, that I have the luxury of being able to follow my bliss.”

Born on a ranch in Washington state, Cheryl Collins was intuitively drawn to nature, photography, art and poetry. She majored in art and worked at a variety of art media before she found her niche in sculpture and fused glass art.

Cheryl’s inspiration from healing art of past cultures led to her being commissioned to design and create a fused glass Healing Towers for the main entrance of the IHC Hospital in St. George, Utah. “I am grateful for the opportunity to create such powerful and uplifting art, beauty that goes far beyond aesthetics. Glass has a magical quality and the ancient art symbols (on the Healing Towers) act as a universal language that can eliminate barriers and erase cultural differences.”

John Collins was raised in Utah. His first painting instruction came from his father, Gary and his sister, Chris, who are both artists. He attended the University of Utah after receiving an arts scholarship. John enjoys working in many different media (watercolor, oil and acrylics) as well as in many different styles (traditional, contemporary and experimental). His active lifestyle and love of the outdoors are reflected in his plein-air paintings. He may be found teaching watercolor classes on river trips along the Colorado.

John says “Art is magic. It has energy and when it is experienced I feel like it creates a synergy with the viewer. I paint landscapes, abstracts and images that have meaning to me. It is always exciting to evoke sensations from people that view my work.”

Oil Paintings by students of Scott Wallis: Delores Bertagnolli, Susie Davis, Nancy Eilander, Shelley Jenkins, Laurie Kopinski, Barbara Nix, Debbie Peterson, & Sandra Rasmussen. Wallis Students Join the center Saturday, June 2, 2007 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for an Art Clearance Sale on the grounds (weather permitting). If the weather is uncooperative, the sale will move into the Main Dance Studio.

UPCOMING: Paintings of Doug Braithwaite and paintings by Sue Valentine in the Carriage House Gallery.

Gallery 25 (268 Historic 25th St., Ogden, 334-9881) UP: Art by Carol Fielding through May.

Gallery at the Station
Presents paintings by Kimberly Roush and pottery by Kevin Frazier. Opening Reception Friday, May 4th, from 6 p.m.- 8 p.m.

LOGAN
AVA/Alliance for the Varied Arts UPCOMING: Blessing Akalaonu & Paul Grass Images of Music and Dining, May 25 – June 29

Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art UP: Scott Grieger: Impersonations through May 31. During 1970, Scott Grieger created a series of images that "impersonated" famous works of art. The resulting photographs from his widely exhibited Impersonations series show Grieger acting out some well known artist's work. ASLO: May Swenson’s Muse: Art and the West through August 4, 2007. Vignettes featuring new acquisitions from the permanent collection, audio recordings, paintings, sculpture and photographs that are combined with language from May Swenson’s poems. Each vignette explores how visual objects inspired Swenson’s writing and her relationship to the region. AND: The 9th International Shoebox Sculpture Exhibition, through May 5. Eighty-two small sculptures from around the world show how artists have handled the challenges of space and scale dictated by the size of an ordinary shoebox. Organized by University of Hawai‘i Art Gallery, this triennial, invitation-only exhibition has attracted a large number of well-known artists from North America, Hawai‘i, Europe and Asia. Each sculpture speaks for itself. Some works are conceptual, some reflect the artist’s cultural heritage, and others are universal in expression.

BOUNTIFUL
BDAC UPCOMING: Intermountain Society of Artists members exhibit and a companion exhibit of the photographic work of high school students from around the State of Utah. Both exhibits run May 11th to June 8th.

The Intermountain Society of Artists enrolls a wide range of artists in media such as oil, watercolor, acrylic, pastel, abstract and sculpture. The members of the Society also sponsors a growing number of educational programs. The submitted art works will be juried by Bountiful artist and teacher Lester Lee. ISA President Iletta R. Green says the purpose of the Society is to help members create their art. “The ISA encourages artist, especially new ones, to paint,” said Mrs. Green. “We want artists to create, which is why we have a high priority on the educational programs offered by the Society.” The ISA was established in 1969 and currently has over 160 members in the intermountain region. On the night of the reception, most of the artists submitting works for the annual show will be present to discuss their work with the public.

The companion photo competition, also at the Bountiful/Davis Art Center, will feature photographs by high school students. Although there in no awards ceremony for the high school exhibit, ribbons will be awarded to the winners. The competition is open to all students from throughout the state.
The Bountiful/Davis Art Center will host a reception from 7pm to 9pm, on May 11th, with the awards ceremony beginning at 7:15pm.
Become an Underwriter