I visited the Spiro Art Center this week to see their most recent residents’ work and took a couple pictures for our out-of-state readers. The Park City art community really came out for this event; the energy was lively and the artists were eager to speak about their work.

Haven’t heard of the Spiro Art Center yet? Spiro selects three to five residents for each of its twice-yearly terms. The artists submit applications and a jury selects participants based on their proposal, resume and samples of their work. The four current artists were recently featured in this Park Record article by Alisha Self.

Leading up to the open house, I purposely avoided information about the exhibit so that I could see it with fresh eyes and an unbiased perspective. Although, to be fair, I had several friends and colleagues tell me I “just had to see the amazing work.” I’m glad I waited. The artists’ works were incredibly unique and would have been difficult (for me!) to comprehend without seeing them in person.

All four artists were on hand to discuss their work and share their viewpoints. From wool sculpture to animation and installation, this show ran the gamut of emerging artists in a contemporary format. What a site to see such fresh and innovative work here in Park City!

We even saw a bit of art in action: Greg Wrenn (a poet and author finishing up his novel) read from one of his latest poems. And Dawn Gettler (an installation artist) perhaps got more action than she was hoping for, when three separate Spiro visitors walked through her art piece and disrupted her sugar-formation pieces (top picture).

2010 Artists-in-Residence, Term I (April)

• Sjors Vervoort-Visual (Netherlands)
• Faith Hagenhofer-Visual (Washington)
• Dawn Gettler-Visual (Illinois)
• Greg Wrenn-Writer (Missouri)

Mark your calendar for their upcoming events:

• Open Studio Event on May 28th (6-9pm).
• May 8th: The Poem You Weren’t Expecting, Instructor: James Arthur (AIR – May)
• June 7-11th, Artspark Summer Session, Instructors: Susan Parker and Justin Parisi-Smith
• July 5-9th, Encaustic-painting with hot wax, Instructor: Daniella Woolf

Jennifer Carr, Fine Art Consultant at Gallery MAR, will be contributing to our Park City blog this spring, with her Italian Insights and Adventures. This week’s adventure brought Jennifer through the volcano cloud to Paris, France, where she begins her three month trip. Look for more updates and inspirations from her travels throughout Italy and beyond.

Jennifer Carr (center) with friends

I went to Paris for the weekend before my travels in Italy began. I had 3 days and 60 museums/monuments at my fingertips. Everywhere you looked were beautiful flowers, bridges and sculptures. The parks were filled with groups of people lounging and enjoying the day. The Louvre was incredible and a bit overwhelming; you could spend all day there and still have exhibition left to see.

We road bikes through the city so we wouldn’t miss any of the scenery as we went from Notre Dame, to the Champs- Elysees , the Eiffel Tower and the list continues…

My favorite space was the water lily rooms in the Musee de l’Organgerie. You walk through the doors and the walkway’s sides are filled with Monet’s history of his life, gardens, and paintings. You then enter the first room of blank walls and complete silence. As you move into the next room you understand why. The circular walls are filled with Monet’s water lily paintings from his series in 1916-1923. His garden and especially the lilies were a huge passion of his and it is very present throughout the room.

I have loved Monet since my elementary art docent introduced him to our class, and seeing his works of that magnitude, in person, was an amazing experience I will always remember.

Next up Milano……Ciao!

Western Art and Architecture Magazine is featuring Matt Flint in their “Illuminations” section, as an “Artist to Watch.” We agree! We’ve been watching this talented, Wyoming-based artist for some time.  It was perfect timing to showcase a new body of Flint’s work for our “Elements of Abstraction” show at Gallery MAR.

Flint says, about his work,  “My paintings are about the rhythms of the natural world. Ideas of memory, fragility, and interconnectedness traverse the work. The imagery I use consists of glyphs, semi abstracted plants, animals, and figures that inhabit a “landscape” made up of simple geometric patterns. The geometry serves as a loose framework to organize, join, and simultaneously isolate the various subjects in the paintings. Earthy colors, repeated patterns, and marks intermingle with hidden images to form layers of meaning.”

Rich textures, scratched, weathered surfaces, and subtle light qualities come from months of intuitively working and reworking the surfaces. No preliminary sketches are made; every thought is worked out directly on the piece, forming a roadmap of the creative process. The resulting work is an encouragement to slow down and listen to our surroundings.

We just received this new painting by Wyoming based artist Warren Neary. What a beaut! Like the rest of the work in Neary’s repertoire, the lighting and shadow-play is extraordinary. This work reminds us that summer in Park City is just around the corner. What are your Park City summer plans? Please mark your calendars for our July 3rd Second Annual “Local Fireworks” exhibition and reception.

“Main Street Horseless Carriage,” 14″ x 18″, Oil on Board, 2010

I just got back from a trip to New York, highlighted by a stop to MOMA for the much-hyped  Marina Abramović performance “The Artist Is Present.” Coming from my small-town park City art gallery, it’s always a welcome shock to see the galleries and museums of New York. I am awed by the variety of art forms, the multitude of galleries, and the haughty attitudes of the “gallerina” art gallery staff.

But back to MOMA. Marina Abramovic, a 63-year-old artist who was born in Yugoslavia, is one of the great pioneers of performance art. Her first U.S. retrospective, “The Artist Is Present,” is at MOMA now, for a total of 90 days. For her MoMA retrospective, Abramovic is (daily) performing a new piece called “The Artist Is Present,” staged in the museum’s central atrium. During all the hours her show is open, Abramovic sits silently on one side of a table, while visitors can choose to face her for a while in a second chair. The Washington Post sums it up here:  “The comings and goings of these invited guests help underline the implacable stillness that Abramovic has committed herself to.”

I read a blog about a woman who dressed as Abramovic (red dress, identical hair) and sat across from her all day as a part of her own art piece. And a man I spoke to  at MOMA has been there every week, always waiting at least 4 hours to sit with her. He’s finding it addictive. No, I did not sit. The intense lighting that burns down on Abromovic and her seated guest was enough to keep me away.

For me, the most compelling part of the retrospective is not the nudity or the graphic self-flagellation.  It’s how the exhibit forces me to question my own sense of self. What is “comfortable”? How do I feel about death? Nudity? Time? It’s exhausting to walk through the exhibit and mentally put yourself in the performers’ shoes. If you’re in New York, you have to go. What do you think of performance as art? What would you do/say/think of in the chair?

Learn/experience/question more here: Marina Abramovic at MOMA.

In case you missed it, have a look at CNN’s “The Original Paparazzo” segment, including Ron’s interview with Brooke Anderson at Gallery MAR in Park City. It was a thrill to have Ron and his beautiful wife Betty here at the gallery to celebrate the new movie, “Smash His Camera,” which was recently picked up by HBO. Congratulations to Leon Gast and the producers!

Gallery MAR, a Park City Art Gallery, on CNN with Brooke Anderson

Park City Mountain Resort will remain open to skiers through 4/18. We have been “snowed in” with over 40 inches in the last 72 hours.

Gallery MAR will be open until 9 pm this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and will shift hours next week to Monday, Wednesday- Saturday from 10-6 and Sunday from 11-6. We will be closed Tuesdays until July. We’ll see you soon for a little Apres Ski Art Tour on Main Street, Park City.

Jan Perkins, “Above 11th Street,” Oil, 12″ x 9″, 2010

At Gallery MAR, we are always looking for ways to give back and pass on our success.  In that spirit, I am pleased to pass on an exciting opportunity that helps give back to the Park City we know and love.

The Park City Foundation just has announced their newest way for locals and part-timers to support our community’s not-for-profit organizations and give back to our arts organizations… and get a great deal on skiing and golf at the same time! The “Community Pass” supports the Community Fund:  an annual, competitive grant process for Summit County’s charitable organizations. And by buying one for you and your family in Park City, you support support the nonprofit organizations that preserve what we value.

Here’s the good stuff: the Community Pass gives you access to 8 exclusive golf resorts plus ski and ride days at both Park City Mountain Resort and The Canyons. You can learn more about these opportunities on The Park City Foundation’s website.

Since 2008, the Community Fund has granted over $200,000 to more than 25 organizations- for operating costs, new and existing programs and for capacity building projects. Grants supported all types of nonprofit organizations including arts organizations.  Each year The Park City Foundation will expand the program to support our community more fully– to make it a great place to live, work, visit and enjoy– now and in the future. Passes are available for a mostly-tax deductible $8,000 contribution to the Community Fund.

Not interested in golf or skiing? Here are more ways to get involved.