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!

Salt Lake City’s commitment to contemporary art recently caught the attention of the national publication W Magazine. Take a look at this  interesting piece featured in their January issue.

Former local litigator Adam Price, who joined the Salt Lake City Art Center as its director, is acknowledged for his contributions to cutting edge culture. The BYU art museum gets a few lines, too.

W Magazine is one of the few “fashion” magazines that continually reaches out the the art community and features up-and-coming artists, designers, and galleries. They bridge the gap between art and fashion. Their annual “Art Issue” is a must see…

And the winner is… Chakaia Booker’s sculpture “Discarded Memories”! The young Benefactors chose this piece at last night’s Annual Acquisition Dinner and Gala. Our $18,000 budget will be used (in part) to add this piece to the Utah Museum of Fine Art’s collection. Many thanks to Jessica Peterson and Jill Dawsey for organizing and bringing this event to fruition. Based on my table’s opinion, this piece won by a landslide.

The event brought many local collectors and art folks together; our new Salt Lake Art Center’s executive director, Adam Price, was at our table, as was Brent Schneider, who gave a very inspiring speech, challenging us to ask “what is art?” A few Gallery MAR collectors were in the house, so thank you for supporting the UMFA!

If you enjoy discussing modern and contemporary art, the Young Benefactors at the UMFA is a perfect fit for you. Don’t let the name fool you: there is no specified age range for membership and they welcome everyone. “Young” represents fresh, innovative ways of seeing and experiencing the visual world. I’ve enjoyed all of the opportunities that the Young Benefectors membership has provided me. My favorite event was the “Behind the Scenes” tour of the museum’s collection.

[From the UMFA website]:  Established in 2004, the Young Benefactors organization of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts is a leadership association for individuals dedicated to cultivating stewardship for the Museum and its collections. Young Benefactors use a portion of their combined membership dues to purchase a work of art for the UMFA’s permanent collection each year; making the group vital to the future of the UMFA, and to the cultural vitality of the community and the State of Utah.

Young Benefactors membership offers a unique opportunity to mingle with a diverse group of people who share a passion for learning about, and encouraging advocacy for, the visual arts. Group activities include a variety of educational programs and social events including curator and director-led tours of museum exhibitions, tours of private art collections and artists’ studios, and private receptions at area art galleries.

The Summit County Fair celebrated 100 years this summer with several special commemorative events during its centennial, Aug. 1-8. Anniversary events included a centennial quilt, medallion and mural by Gallery MAR artist Jan Perkins. The county’s longtime residents, 95 years and older, served as the fair’s Grand Marshals.

This past weekend, Summit County unveiled an original mural commemorating the fair’s first 100 years, created by Oakley artist Jan Perkins. The mural will hang on the back of the grandstand, located at the entrance of the fairgrounds in Coalville, Utah.

“Jan’s iconic depiction of our rodeo, one of the most popular events at the Summit County Fair, and her excellence in artistic execution won her the commission,” said Brian Bellamy, interim county manager.

Perkins, who graduated from Utah State with a degree in painting, specializes in painting animals with an attention to anatomical detail that gives her subjects a realistic quality. Her strong interest in magazine illustrations from the early 1900s has influenced her design for the mural, which depicts home arts, horticulture, floriculture, livestock and the rodeo. Perkins was chosen to create the mural by a selection committee from the Summit County Fair Board, which reviewed the artistic submissions.

Annual Art Auction and Gala

It will be a hot time in the old town Thursday, July 30th. That’s when art patrons from the west converge at the 2009 Kimball Art Center’s Annual Art Auction and Gala. We hope you’ll be one of them. Besides the opportunity to enjoy the excellent food and drink alongside some of your favorite artists, you’ll have a chance to get heated up bidding in both silent and live auctions. Not only will you leave the evening with your imagination ignited, but you’ll feel warm all over knowing you contributed to some of the most valuable assets in our community-art, artists, and art education. We thank you in advance for your generosity. Thursday, July 30, 2009 Kimball Art Center, 638 Park Avenue, Park City, Utah. Gallery MAR artist Ron Russon is featured in the art Auction.

The Complete Canvas: 5:30 p.m. Includes a reserved table for eight of your guests plus cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, auction preview, and everything below.

The Full Palette: 5:30 p.m. Same as above minus the reserved table for eight

6:30 pm – Seated dinner with the artists

The Petite Palette: 7:00 p.m. Entry into the silent and live auction plus deserts and drinks

8:30 p.m – Live auction

RSVP by July 23rd at 435-649-8882 or events@kimball-art.org. Party attire

Ron Russon, “American Bison, Oil.

Park City Arts Festival

Celebrate the 40th Park City Kimball Arts Festival by volunteering August 1st & 2nd.

The Park City Kimball Arts Festival is Utah’s oldest and longest running Arts Festival. This year’s festival will host over 40,000 visitors and feature 225 nationally acclaimed artists and craftsmen, along with great food, live entertainment and fun family activities. Volunteers are the heart and soul of our festival. Be at the center of this exciting event!

Volunteers receive the 2009 festival t-shirt, access to all weekend festivities, lunch & refreshments and a sponsor gift bag including a gift certificate from Knead a Message. Questions? Contact The Kimball Art Center at 435-649-8882 ext. 105 or volunteers@kimball-art.org

Our artists, Jan Perkins and Rob Colvin are currently on view at the Springville Museum of Art. In celebration of the unique and varied landscape of the west, the Springville Museum of Art has opened its new exhibit, Redrock, Sage & Pinon. The exhibit, which spans over 100 years of fine art, includes such artists as Maynard Dixon, John Fery and Alfred Lambourne, along with Gallery MAR artist Rob Colvin. Featuring the raw and untamed beauty of the Wild West, each work highlights the depth and wonder of canyons and deserts unique to Utah. With the striking contrast of the bright blue sky against the red rock, it is no wonder why artists were drawn to the National Parks and Monuments.

Jan Perkins’ piece, “Sanctuary,” was selected as one of 200 pieces in the annual Spring Salon at the Springville Musuem of Art. She has aslo recently been selected to commission a mural for the city of Oakley, Utah, for their Centennial celebration. The mural will debut during the Summit County Fair, August 1st through the 8th. The mural will be hung on the back of the grandstand at the entrance of the Summit County Fairgrounds in Coalville. “Jan’s iconic depiction of our rodeo, one of the most popular events at the Summit County Fair, and her excellence in artistic execution won her the commission,” said Brian Bellamy, Interim County Manager.

Lisa Lamoreaux,  “Spacious Oasis,” Mixed Media, 18″ x 24″, 2008

The Park City Summit County Arts Council has released new figures showcasing the impact that our local arts and culture scene has on our city. In addition to their programs promoting public art, student art, marketing for the arts, and other outreach programs, the PCSCAC estimates that our combined arts events and services:

• Bring more than $73 million in revenue to Utah
• Attract more than 400,000 overnight visitors to Utah
• Serve more than 20,000 Summit County residents, including our K-12 students
• Directly employ more than 200 Summit County residents.

Talk about economic stimulation! Proving once again the incredibly impact that the Arts has on our local tourism, citizens, and economy.  Visit the Park City Summit County Arts Council site for more information on local events and our rich cultural scene.

Ryan Brown, “Sunlit Path,” Oil

Gallery MAR artist Ryan Brown (of Utah) has recently opened a new art training school, modeled after the prestigious Florance Academy of Art in Italy. The Center for Academic Study and Naturalist Painting (CAS) is an answer to the growing need that a number of students find when seeking traditional academic art instruction. This Academy teaches the same classical techniques and methods of drawing and painting taught at the best ateliers and academies in the world. And it’s the only academic training center, based on the 19th century artisanal art school, west of the Mississippi. The CAS is now presenting an open figure drawing class and an anatomy class and they are currently looking for students and artists who wish to participate with the center.

This is Brown’s vision: “The ultimate goal of the CAS is to provide artists with an education that allows them to pursue and produce an art that serves the public, elevates society and reestablishes the standards of art as a visual language that can be understood and felt beyond any boundaries. It is our belief that craft precedes artistry, knowledge precedes inspiration, observation precedes invention and a process-based art always yields a higher standard of work.”

In an extremely regimented environment, CAS students are able to learn how to observe nature with a high degree of accuracy. Students quickly develop discipline in drawing by expecting more from their work with raised awareness and standards. For questions concerning the Center for Academic Study and Naturalist Painting please contact its director, Ryan S. Brown at ryan@ryansbrownart.com.

Article excerpted here by Amber Foote, Herald Correspondent

Utah artist Rob Colvin views the world through shape and color, and his exhibit “Geometry of the Land,” at the Springville Museum of Art, is a typical representation of his artistic style. “The main way I would describe my work is ‘geometrical,’ ” Colvin said. “That’s the way I’ve always seen the world.”

Colvin, a Utah resident, is a veteran freelance illustrator who has done work for various prestigious financial and technology magazines and national newspapers since 1983. He exhibits work at Gallery MAR in park City, Utah.

He began painting oil and acrylic landscapes approximately nine years ago, and is now becoming recognized for his depictions of the unique landscape and scenic formations found in southern Utah and Arizona.

Approximately 30 paintings from Colvin’s collection will be displayed at the Springville Museum of Art and will feature landscapes of mountains scenes as well as many red rock formations from national parks including Zion, Capitol Reef, Cathedral Valley, Monument Valley and others.

“The red rock in southern Utah has always inspired me,” Colvin said of the ideas for his paintings. “I’ve always been excited about design and geometry and seeing the shapes and the different values and subtlety of color.”

Springville Museum of Art director Vern Swanson said that the museum is excited to be exhibiting Colvin’s works — Swanson considers him to be one of the “great Utah painters of landscapes.” Swanson also said he feels that Colvin’s paintings of the red rock areas of southern Utah are some of his best work.

“They’re very, very powerful images,” Swanson said. “They’re big, bold, abstracted landscapes that are very stylized.”

In addition to Colvin’s characteristic red rock landscapes, he also has started a distinctive series of paintings that look like giant U.S. stamps — serrated border and current first class price are included on the larger-than-life canvas stamps, which also feature various red rock formations. Six of Colvin’s stamp paintings will be displayed.

“I’ve always loved stamps, but stamps are so small and I wanted to see them big,” Colvin said of the creative idea. “I’ve always wanted to see my work on a stamp, and so I’ve done a series of landscapes on big stamps.”

If you go… “Geometry of the Land” at the Springville Museum of Art, 126 E. 400 South, Springville. They areoOpen Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday 3 p.m.-6 p.m.

Kathleen Peterson’s Display at the 11th Annual Zion’s Bank Art Show

This year’s Zion’s Bank Art show, last Thursday November 6th, was incredibly well organized. Parked patrons were escorted to a tour bus which drove the few blocks to the art show. This is one of the best “free,” public events that I have attended all year. The selection of artists was incredibly varied, from contemporary favorites like Wendy Chidester and Dave Hall, to traditional Utah favorites Michael Coleman and Richard Murray.

Gallery MAR artist Kathleen Peterson was featured in the middle of the action, on the 7th floor. Peterson’s work will be exhibited in Gallery MAR’s Winter Grand Opening and Miniature show, this December 19th to January 4th.

Kathleen Peterson “Chicken” Oil

Kathleen Peterson “Mexican Schoolgirls” Oil

And I have to mention the food! Each level displayed a different offering of hors d’oeuvres and sweets by Utah catering companies. Sadly, there was no wine to go with the delightful treats. For that, you’ll have to come to a Gallery MAR Wine Wednesday! Congratulations to Katleen Peterson and the other Zion’s Bank artists on a packed house.