Old Town Park City, from the air– a hot balloon, in fact!

This new Blog Post from AAA travel writer Heidimarie Chernushin features all of the “hot spots” that Park City has to offer, including Gallery MAR.  We were honored and excited to have this writer visit out town, and it was a pleasure to guide her through the galleries we have on Main Street.

Park City, Utah: Summer View

“In spite of multiple trips to the Salt Lake City area, I had never ventured into the surrounding mountains.  This time around, I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity, because located an easy drive 30 miles east of Salt Lake is the mountain community of Park City.

After the Mormons settled in Utah, Army soldiers were dispatched to keep an eye on them because the government didn’t quite trust Brigham Young and his disciples.   Many of the soldiers had experience as miners and recognized the potential for rich mineral deposits around Park City. Silver was discovered in 1868[...]

[...]Our first stop was at Gallery Mar where we met with owner Maren Bargreen.  This unique gallery featured a variety of interesting pieces of art, including vases [by Sharon Jackman] that reminded me of the work of Louis Comfort Tiffany. (I put those vases on my “wish list” of things to buy when I win the lottery)…” View more here: http://www.aaatravelviews.com/post/2010/09/24/Park-City-Utah-Summer-View.aspx#continue

This Post on PETA Prime, showcases how to enjoy Park City, Vegan style! http://prime.peta.org/2010/09/park-city-utah-vegan-friendly-mountain-majesty

Tonight was a  successful night for our non-profit awareness Gallery Stroll. Many Park City galleries joined with area non-profits to raise awareness for each group, and raise funds in many cases. Gallery MAR teamed up with Recycle Utah, and we were able to raise several hundred dollars for their cause, all through $10 Opportunity Drawing donations.

Tonight’s lucky winner is Andy Beerman, owner of Park City’s Treasure Mountain Inn, “the only meeting/conference property in the Historic district, we are carbon-neutral,earth-friendly, with sleeping rooms that comply with AAA’s 4-diamond specifications” [with quote courtesy of Treasure Mountain Inn's website].

Congratulations to Andy and to Recycle Utah for all that you do!

Summit County RAP & Proposition #1

One of the reasons many of us choose to live in Summit County is the exceptional quality of life we enjoy here, with every season. RAP has played a significant role in maintaining and enhancing that quality of life at an almost negligible cost to residents. Proposition #1 on the ballot this November asks voters whether or not to reauthorize RAP. It is not a new tax; rather, it is a simple renewal of an important source of funding for county-wide recreation and arts programs. A “yes” vote on November 2nd will allow the County Council to reauthorize RAP. Here are a few bullet points to consider…

• Summit County created the RAP tax program in 2000 to help fund recreation facilities, arts programs, and parks for Summit County residents.
• The RAP tax is a sales tax of only one penny on every 10 dollars spent in Summit County, nearly half (approximately 43%) of which is paid by visitors and all of which is used directly for the benefit of Summit County residents.
• Since 2000, RAP grants have provided more than $10 million for recreation, arts and parks. Among the programs and projects that have benefited directly from RAP are:

o        Trails
o        Oakley Rodeo
o        Aquatic Center
o        Recreation complexes in Coalville and at South Summit High School
o        Summit County Fair
o        Park in Peoa and Park Stage in Henefer
o        Park City Ice Rink
o        Skateboard parks
o        Mountain Town Music performances on stages and in parks throughout Summit County
o        Locals concerts at City Park and Deer Valley
o        Deer Valley Music Festival “Music of Disney” concert
o        Free Kimball Art Center events and exhibitions
o        Student outreach opportunities and afterschool programs at the Eccles Center
o        Egyptian Theatre productions and Youth Theatre
o        Sundance Film Festival and Outdoor Film Series
o        Local history exhibits at the Park City, Summit County, and Alf Engen Museums
o        Norwegian Outdoor Exploration programs serving youth in all Summit County schools

Spread the word and help support this important initiative!

This is your final week to enter Gallery MAR‘s Recycle Utah fundraiser.

Just $10 enters you in our Opportunity Drawing to win an original encaustic painting by local Park City artist Bridgette Meinhold.

“Bee Conscious”: Encaustic Art and Benefit for Recycle Utah

PARK CITY—Honey bees take the stage for this exhibition of encaustic works by local and regional artists. Enjoy the latest works in this ancient, wax-based medium. Without our friendly, buzzing neighbors, we would be without 90% of our tastiest foods and medium for the encaustic art form. This exhibit will be mounted to raise awareness for the plight of the honeybee, one of nature’s most cherished and necessary animals. Works by encaustic artists Bridgette Meinhold, Gretchen Papka, and Shawna Moore will be featured.

This “Bee Conscious” event kicks off a month-long fund raiser for Recycle Utah, culminating in Park City’s Non-Profit Awareness Gallery Stroll on Friday September 24th. Gallery MAR is selling $10 opportunity drawing tickets to benefit Recycle Utah, throughout the month of September. Enter to win your own “Bee Conscious” encaustic artwork by a local artist and find out the lucky winner at the September Gallery Stroll.

Who: Artists Bridgette Meinhold, Gretchen Papka, & Shawna Moore with Recycle Utah and Gallery MAR

What: “Bee Conscious” exhibition, honeybee awareness, and Recycle Utah fundraiser

When: Now until the Opportunity Drawing for Recycle Utah, on Gallery Stroll night, September 24th.

Where: Gallery MAR 580 Main Street, Park City, Utah www.gallerymar.com

Gallery MAR‘s Joe Norman and Warren Neary are both featured in this month’s press coverage. We’re excited to see these two fine artists’ work, celebrated. Pick up a copy of City Weekly or Southwest Art Magazine today and read more below to discover their talents.

Artys 2010– Celebrating Utah’s Arts: The best in local theater, dance, art & more.

By City Weekly Staff

“Best Recycled Works”

Joe Norman, Blue Boat Home Design

We’re not kidding when we say this furniture is pure junk. Artist Joe Norman painstakingly crafts sculptures and furnishings out of leftover materials more suited for the dump, creating eco-friendly products with both an aesthetic and practical use. Using items like wood pallets, crankshafts, bike gears, concrete bits, scrapmetal and even old bomb casings as material, Norman is able to fashion anything into a dining-room table or a matching desk-and-chair set—finding beauty and use in that which has been discarded, giving his customers enjoyment and the environment a break. BlueBoatHomeDesign.com

Southwest Art Magazine, October 2010

Portfolio | Peaks & Valleys: Rocky Mountain Landscapes

“I’ve enjoyed drawing and painting since I was a child. In high school, 
I remember stepping off the bus and seeing this flaming sunset, and 
I thought to myself, someday I want to capture that in paint. In creating this painting, I traveled to one of my favorite locations—the Wyoming Hereford Ranch. It reminds me of my childhood home, with cows, horses, meandering streams, rolling hills, and gnarly cotton-wood trees. I quickly developed a color sketch in oil and then used it along with photos to complete the painting. I find working this way exhilarating. My goal is to create artwork that captures the essence 
of what I see and transports us to another world.”

Dossier
Representation
Abend Gallery, Denver, CO; Gallery Mar, Park City, UT; www.warrenneary.com.

Upcoming Shows
Group exhibit, National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Dayton, OH, October 22-
January 2011.
Group show, Abend Gallery, October 29-November 24.

Davis Glassworks created incredible blown and fused glass sculptures for Gallery MAR. But the design community has recently been very energized by the Davis’ “Antler” Chandeliers. This new direction on a classic was featured in the “Best of” issue of Mountain Living Magazine this season.

The Davis’ work (top right) is all hand blown glass, making the piece much lighter than I had anticipated. The artists have told me that it is only 45 pounds. Just imagine the possibilities of where you could put such a fanciful work, and all of the incredible colors– everything from rose to red to black, and of course traditional brown. I love the witty take on a “mountain” look and it so much more fresh than just another set of elk antlers.

“Seeds of Harmony,” in an edition of 45, is Carol Alleman’s new sculpture in her “Tree of Life” series.

Bronze bowl (easel optional), 3.25″ h x 16″ w, current price $ 4,800

Seeds of Harmony is a broad open bowl presenting nine pomegranates and a golden serpent subtly intertwined among the ripened fruits. Seeds of Harmony speaks of the potency of current times and opportunities for transformation (symbolically the serpent). The six-sided pomegranate represents harmony and abundance – a call to create abundant harmony in our lives.

Seeds of Harmony was inspired by the rich, beautiful and unique pomegranate fruit.  It is published that each fruit holds an average of 600 ruby-red seeds. That’s an incredible amount of potency!  The sheer abundance of this inspiring fruits’ seeds is enough to cause anyone to pause in great wonder and awe.

The subtle serpent weaving among the branches of the pomegranate echoes a message of transformation and of growth.  It speaks of shedding/leaving the old behind and growing into a new ‘skin’ – a very new way of moving in this world.   What is it, I asked, that needs to die in my life to create space for something far more harmonious to be born? I remain hopeful we are collectively moving rapidly toward a place of realizing absolute harmony.

The edition size of 45 was chosen as a derivative of the number nine.  Nine is symbolic of completion.  We are in the healing process of ‘completing’ a huge transformational and profoundly vital change in the manner in which we live, consider and act – individually and collectively.

A complete viewing of Carol Alleman’s bronze works and writings, including Seeds of Harmony, are available for viewing at www.gallerymar.com. Enjoy the poem below, an accompaniment to the bronze work.

SEEDS OF HARMONY

Ruby-red inside out

pointed, star-shaped crown

marks the place of your

wondrous blooming birth

six sided rounded one

declares intent

for unending harmony

calling us to birth it with you

six hundred ruby seeds

nestled in your skin

six hundred ripe possibilities

something fruitful being born

six hundred hungry opportunities

for new ears and eyes

leading the way

for transformation

and harmony

red – red – red

blood of death

blood of birth

blood of growth

hopeful pomegranate nurtures

the awareness of our inherent abundance

with potent seeds of transformation

Seeds of Harmony

© 2010 Carol Alleman