Check out the latest press coverage of Gallery MAR below. In their “Coast to Coast” section American Art Collector Magazine chose Gallery MAR for our insider advice into the market here in Park City. The September issue is on newsstands now.

American Art Collector Magazine - September 2008

Aaron Memmott, “Main Street Glow” 18″ x 24″ Oil

Thank you to our artists all over the nation for inspiring us and enriching our lives.

Some favorite American artists to celebrate in August include Andy Warhol (whose birthday is August 6),  Mary Cassatt, Currier & Ives, Georgia O’Keefe, William Johnson, Thomas Eakins, Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth, Frederic Remington, M. L. Mastai, August Macke, Diego Velazquez, Arshile Gorky, Jean Dubuffet, Jean Honore Fragdnard, Norman Rockwell, Philip Evergood, Charles Alston, and Winslow Homer, just to name a few!

Here is a list of more American artists in varying styles: http://www.artcyclopedia.com/nationalities/American.html.

Do you have a favorite American artist, one you’re appreciating this month? Gallery MAR has added two new American artists to the gallery this week: Aaron Memmott and Kirk Tatom. Introduce yourself to their work today.

Kirk Tatom, “Southern View Cambria” 16″ x 19.5″ Oil

Congratulations to Kathy Lofft. Just today she got the endorsement from Utah’s second most powerful public executive (after the Governor): Peter Corroon, Salt Lake County’s Mayor. Spread the word and visit her website at www.VoteLofft.com. Lofft’s fund raising even on Monday night was a great success. Thank you to her campaign contributers for donating so generously, to Done to Your Taste Catering for the fantastic food, and everyone who helped to set up and support Lofft’s race for House Seat 53.

What a fantastic weekend for our Park City art community! Many thanks to our local artist Brooks Yates for coming by the gallery to paint here and delight our guests. This weekend was incredibly hot (both the temperature and the art!) and packed to gills every day with festival-goers. Friday night was the best night by far, in my opinion, with locals streaming through and picking up artistic goodies to add to their collections. Favorites of the 225 artist? Salt Lake painter Erin Berrett and Seattlite Brian McGuffey. Congratulations to the Kimball Art Center on their very successful annual auction on Thursday night and the popularity of the festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Gallery MAR artist Ginger Bowen is offering an oil painting class this December 2008 at the prestigious Scottsdale Artists’ School. See the flier below for more information. Or, email info@gallerymar.com for more information.

It’s hard to believe that this is the Kimball Art Center’s 39th year hosting the Park City Arts Festival. Congratulations! This is the largest art festival in Utah, with growth every year.

As always, Main Street will close down on Friday afternoon to allow the artists and craftsmen to set up their booths. On this night, locals can check out the booths in a free sneak peak starting at around 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The official festival kicks off on Saturday, August 2nd from 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and runs through Sunday, August 3rd from 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. 225 artists will showcase their wares and live music; 3 beer and wine gardens, and delicious food will entice you to stay all day. There’s also a Kids’ Corner featuring activities including face painting and art projects to keep the little ones busy.

“How to Fest”:

• Park at the Park City Mountain Resort lot and take a 5 minute bus to Main Street, or carpool with friends and park in one of the Marsac lots.

• Arrive early and walk up one side of the street during the coolest part of the day. Grab a Navajo Taco and a beer for lunch at the top of Main, then stroll down to see the other side of the street.

• Come at night and make a reservation at one of your favorite restaurants. My pick? Artichokes and trout on the patio at Cafe Terigo, or blistered beans and sushi on Shabu’s deck.

• Take a full tour before making any purchase decisions. Ask the vendor to put the piece in hold for 30 minutes if you need some time to think. Can’t live without it? Snatch up the piece right away… many vendors sell out and your piece may not be there later!

• Don’t forget a visit to Gallery MAR at 580 Main Street– we will have Utah artist Brooks Yates performing an artist demonstration on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“Sunny Side of the Street” by Jan Perkins, Oil.

On Thursday night Park City was graced with the musical talents of Feist, an “indie” singer and songwriter whose voice is delicate, soothing and yet powerful all at once. Her concert was one of the many outdoor music events that the Park City Performing Arts Foundation puts on and was sponsored in part by two friends of Gallery MAR, Jon and Leslie Snavely.

A packed crowd waited for the sky to darken and the concert to begin. At around 9, Feist finally took the stage and a light show of sorts began. I say “of sorts”– after such a long wait the result was not as dramatic and I had hoped for. Little bursts of light here and there, pulsating to the music. Ho, hum.

The light show continued to develop as it got darker. Behind the musicians, on the backdrop of their stage, we saw enormous hands criss crossing and dragging paint into shapes and scenery. Turns out they had an artist live on the stage who was created the pieces on a light box which was then transferred to the big screen. The pieces they created, each in line with the lyric to a song, were temporary and washed away as the songs ended. Stencils and objects were also projected over the light box, and at one point two of the artists worked together to join hands and form new imagery.

I have to say, it distracted me from the performers and the music (the light box was quite bright), but it was a fun idea and a fresh way of showing artwork.

Since our opening nearly 6 weeks ago, we have added to our exhibiting artists list. Five new artists from all of the country have joined us.

Allow me to make the introduction…

Debbie Fowler grew up in Idaho and began her painting career 15 years ago. She has painted professionally and exhibited in galleries since 1997, and has studied and worked with renowned Utah artists such as Ovanis Berberian, Larry Wade, George Allen, Ann Marie Oborn, and Diane Turner. Her lush and vibrant floral scenes and landscapes showcase the best views in the west.

Allan Mardon lives in Arizona, and is inspired by the graphic beauty and history of his new surroundings. After moving here from Canada, he began to approach his canvas in an entirely different way, embarking upon a series of paintings with Native American themes. Employing a primitive and narrative style, these works depict in historic detail the artifacts and beauty of indigenous cultures of bygone times. Mardon’s paintings can be found in galleries and museums throughout the country as well as extensive public, corporate and private collections in the United States and abroad.

Fran Nicholson is our new sculptor from New Mexico. Her current body of work is all about dogs doing what they do best – living in the moment, unselfconsciously, and at peace being themselves. These virtues, which come so naturally to dogs, are often life-long goals for their human companions. Luckily for us, dogs are brilliant teachers. Nicholson says, “My second series consists of bronze dogs in relation to cubes, like the props used in formal photo shoots. True to their nature, these dogs would rather skip the formal poses and just climb down. Maybe roll over for a belly rub, or sit and scratch an itchy spot. So they do, and so I sculpt them.”

Jan Perkins graduated with a degree in painting and illustration from Utah State University in 1985. Since then Jan has worked as an illustrator and more recently as a landscape and wildlife artist. She has a vast interest in life and this is reflected in her variety of created work. She has painted Greek ceiling paintings, award winning portraits of musicians in the Utah Symphony, children’s portraits, landscapes for Utah ski resorts, fashion illustration, and paintings of show and race horses. She is currently exploring and expressing as much as possible the heart and soul within via the beauty of wild lands, nature, and light. Her work is influenced by James Reynolds, Dan McCaw, Putt, Sargent, Levitan, Phillip Goodwin, Sorolla and Vouillard.

Mary Scrimgeour began painting full time in 1990. Her worldwide travels continue to enhance and nourish her work. Mary interprets the world by painting what she sees and feels. Her love of children, a sense of humor, and a compassion for people are some of the emotions she blends with her vision. She majored in fine arts at the University of Colorado and has taken numerous classes with prominent Colorado artists. For many years Mary worked as an art director for several national magazines; during this time she continued her artwork independently. In 1985 she designed her own line of women’s clothing for her designer clothing store in Boulder, Colorado.