Here is a taste of Fred Calleri’s newest exhibition. See more from the show here…

The Hogle Zoo holds its 17th annual art exhibit January 29 – March 14, 2010. This exhibit was initiated to provide Utah artists an opportunity to display their works of wildlife and “wild nature” in a setting complementary to their work. This show has grown to be one of the best venues in Utah for viewing wildlife and nature art.

This year’s show was juried by Robin Rankin, the exectutive director of the Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah. An Opening Reception was held on January 29th where awards were presented, including:

An Honorable Mention Cash Awards for “Rhinoceros” (oil) by Ron Russon

In addition the following artists had pieces selected by the Utah Arts Council for their Traveling Exhibits Program: Richard Ansley, Carrie Bailey, Amanda Barber, Laurel Casjens, Seth Commichaux, Ginny Coombs, Frankie Corrigan, David Crane, Jesica Crysallis, Brady Donley, Lucia Heffernan, Nick Jones, Brock Kopecky, Nina Marcus, Sophia Overfelt, Sarah Pagels, Pamela Poulsen, Patty Reay, Colleen Reynolds, Ron Russon, Mark Slater, Maxwell Sueoka, Megan Thomas, Sarah Trela-Hoskins, Suzanne Wille. Special thanks to the Utah Arts Council and the Salt Lake City Arts Council for their continued support of the World of the Wild Art Show.

We just received two new works by Utah artist Ron Russon, stop by the gallery to see them today!

Gallery MAR is pleased to announce the newest offering from the Carol Alleman Studios, “GARDEN OF PROMISES.”

Garden of Promises, Carol’s first consort of bronze work, is comprised of five, individual crocus vessels (including Promises and Golden Promises, the seeds and inspiration for Garden of Promises). Each season brings its own unique and necessary gifts to our lives, and so it is with the Garden of Promises. The promise of each season being one of potency and perfection.

Each vessel stands 6.25″ high by 4.5″ wide, offering an intricate and unique patina. The vessels may be purchased as a complete set or on an individual basis. There is a notable savings with each subsequent vessel purchase within the Garden of Promises, the greatest being realized when purchasing the complete Garden all at once.

Prices are available by calling the gallery. 435.649.3001

As with all of Carol’s magnificent bronzes, these have their companion poetry, inspiration and research facts which are available upon request. The entire body of work by Carol can be viewed on our website.

These would be a stunning addition to any collection and a unique presentation.

The visual arts and informal writing have been life companions for Carol Alleman. Upon locating to Tucson, Arizona in 1994, she discovered clay while exploring the mysterious desert landscape. Immediately she began digging her own clay and experimenting with slab, coil, and a variety of hand building techniques. Since then she has continued to explore the infinite dimensions of clay, water-based and oil, considering herself largely “self-taught.”

In late 2001, Carol expanded her work into the bronze market choosing her vessel forms as her entry work. Today she continues to develop the bronze cast “Tree of Life” and “Nature Series” of mystical, organic vessels. Both series reflect a visual and narrative imagery of her personal intimacy with the powerful energy, spirit, and symbolism of trees and nature. Companion writings accompany her work.

Park City Kimball Arts Festival 2010 dates will be August 7 – 8, 2010.

To apply to our 2010 show please go to zapplication.org and register.

The application deadline is March 1, 2010.

Check out the newest feature of the Arts Festival, 2010’s RELEVANT: BE CREATIVE, BE MENTORED, BE INSPIRED, BE IN PARK CITY.

RELEVANT 2010 is a five-day artist-in-residency program for a select group of undergraduate and graduate level college students working in the media of sculpture, painting and mixed media. Set in the beautiful mountains of Park City, Utah, students have the opportunity to be mentored by leading artists in their field, connect with industry experts and meet nationally acclaimed gallery owners. The residency culminates with the Opening Night Auction and Gala of the 41st Annual Park City Kimball Arts Festival, where student’s work will be on display and sold to an audience including top art collectors.

RELEVANT 2010 is looking for emerging cutting edge artists dedicated to developing their artistic career. Students are given the experience of developing art for sale, while being challenged to expand their artistic boundaries. During the residency each student’s primary goal is to create a piece of artwork that will be sold at the Opening Night Art Auction and Gala and be on display during the Arts Festival. Students are given a theme, timeline, budget and private studio space. Daily work sessions will include critiques by mentors and peers. The residency requires dedication, long hours, deadlines and flexibility.

RELEVANT 2010 is a platform for discovery. The residency will place students in the spotlight, through interaction with the public, interviews with film crews and participation in the Opening Night Auction and Gala. The Park City Kimball Arts Festival is rated as one of the top ten festivals in the country. The three-day festival attracts 45,000 attendees and national press, providing students with great exposure and the opportunity to foster relationships with future collectors.

RELEVANT 2010 will fund accepted students. expenses including airfare, lodging, meals and a stipend for art supplies. Students will keep 50% of their art sale.

In conjunction with a completed application, the following must also be submitted…

* 5 images of your work created within the last two years

* 2-minute video answering the question “Why are you RELEVANT?”

* $25.00 non-refundable application fee

* Applications due April 18th, 2010

Amy Ringolz and Lisa Lamoreaux the night of their opening reception. Congratulations to both artists on a beautiful show, hanging through February.

“Why Walk Alone,” Oil, 2010 by Amy Ringholz

Lisa Lamoreaux with collectors in the Park City gallery.

Brad Stroman, “Evening Sentry,” Acrylic on Board, 16″ x 16″, 2010

I recently came across a very interesting article in The Art Newspaper, an online arts news digest. It notes that fine art will always be a valuable asset, but that 2010 will be a year of continued shaping for the art market. Between 2005 and 2009 a huge upswing and then a significant downswing to the market changed the (until then) steady Art Market Index. Learn more about the AMI and the Mei Moses Index in a previous blog here.  It does seem to be the trend that auction sizes are decreasing (in number of bodies present and dollar amounts reached for works) and private and gallery sales are now the preferred method of buying and selling.

In my opinion, artists and galleries are now editing, working harder, and bringing only the best works to market. Speculative collectors are turning to other means of investment while true art lovers are getting fantastic deals on first-tier works. On a smaller (local) scale, art galleries in the southwest are continuing the thrive. Although there are stories of galleries closing (over 7 in Scottsdale in the last two years) there are always new ones springing up. Artists will continue to work and there will always be collectors for whom fine art is a necessity.

Read more from The Art Newspaper here.