Last Thursday, the Kimball Art Center‘s Jury selected 5 incredibly talented architects, from a pool of 18, to compete for the chance to design the KAC’s new redevelopment, the “Transformation” project.

Be sure to mark their “Meet Your Designer Night” on your calendar. This evening of presentations will be at the historic Egyptian Theater on Wednesday, November 2nd from 5:30pm-6:30pm. The Top Five architects chosen to compete will make a short 10-minute presentation about their firms as they compete for the Kimball Art Center Transformation Project bid. The Kimball Art Center is inviting the public to attend this free and open event.

The five architect firms selected are as follows:

BIG / Bjarke Ingels Group – Offices in New York, NY and Copenhagen, Denmark; www.big.dk

Brooks + Scarpa Architects – Los Angeles, CA; www.brooksscarpa.com

Sparano + Mooney Architecture – Salt Lake City, UT; www.sparanomooney.com

Will Bruder+ Partners Ltd. – Phoenix, AZ; www.willbruder.com

Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects – New York, NY; www.twbta.com

The competing architects will spend the afternoon of the 2nd touring the City and getting to know the programming needs of the Kimball Art Center.

“We were stunned at the level of architects who applied to our competition. The architects in the mix are comprised of men, women, Americans, Danes, Utahans, thirty-somethings, and sixty-somethings. Their styles range from contemporary, bold, refined, historic, spiritual, and minimalist to global. We have an extremely exciting and vibrant contest in the works that we hope will gain international attention. Furthermore, we believe our collective effort will help shape the future of Utah as an important upcoming arts and culture destination. After much deliberation, we believe this is reflected in the five architects who were ultimately chosen to represent the spectrum of distinct styles that will give us an incredibly diverse and exciting design competition,” shares Robin Marrouche, Executive Director, Kimball Art Center.

The November 2nd Egyptian Theater presentation is a chance for the community to hear directly from these architects about their design philosophy and to see some examples of their past work. All of these firms will bring a completely new approach to Park City architecture and as a requirement of the competition regulations, will partner with a local Park City or Salt Lake City design professional with a proven record of designing and building in the mountain areas similar to that of Park City.

After the November 2nd presentation, the five competing firms will have until December 21st to design and submit their version of the new Kimball Art Center. The final designs will be on display for the community to enjoy at the Kimball Art Center, where the public is invited to come and share their thoughts about them throughout the holidays until the final decision will be made in February when the winner of the design competition is to be selected.

Although Summer is full of art festivals and events, Fall can be one of the best times of year to see and experience new artwork in our region.

The Fall Arts Festival in Jackson Hole Wyoming, from September 8 to the 18th, is coming to its crescendo this weekend. This is when the quick paint and auction occur, and all of the galleries prepare for this weekend to be one of the best for sales all year. It’s my favorite time of year to visit Jackson Hole, which is at its best in the summer and fall months.

If you visit, Hotel Terra is a beautiful and ecologically conscious hotel that I highly recommend. In addition, the Amangani is another top favorite, with incredible views of the Tetons and even better service. For food, head to Rendezvous Bistro, where budding artists can draw right on the (paper-covered) tables and expect a wide range of seasonal and local specialties.

Amy Ringholz - Wolf Solo

Next year, Gallery MAR artist Amy Ringholz is the Featured Artist of the 2012 Fall Arts Festival, and we can’t wait to see what work she produces for the feature. Congratulations to Ms. Ringholz, whose work can be seen at our solo exhibition for her on Friday, January 13th beginning at 6pm.

Another exciting, upcoming show is the “Park City Collects” exhibition at the Kimball Art Center. This new exhibit asks the question: “why do people collect art?” and presents the stories behind signature pieces in the collections of various art aficionados from the Park City community.  The artwork on view is as diverse and eclectic as the reasons for collecting it. The Members’ Opening Reception on Saturday, December 3 from 6-8 p.m. Mark your calendar!

The Park City Gallery Association presents the September Fashion Stroll on Friday, September 30^th from 6 to 9 pm.

And join us the night before, Thursday, September 29^th, for the first annual Park City Couture Swap, at the Kimball Art Center.

Fashion Stroll: The Park City Gallery Association has teamed up with Farasha Boutique to combine the art of fashion with the fine arts. For one night only, galleries in Park City are celebrating Fall Fashion by displaying and selling the work of up-and-coming designers in their galleries, in addition to their traditional fine art offerings. Featuring clothing, jewelry, accessories, and shoe designers from Utah and abroad.

Start your fall fashion shopping at the Fashion Stroll on Friday, September 30^th from 6 to 9, meeting designers, shopping their new creations, and enjoying light bites and drinks. This event is free and open to the public.

Wrap up your evening with a Fashion Show After-party at the very-chic Silver restaurant and nightclub at 9 pm. Fashions from the participating galleries will be shown, with hair and make-up styling by Lunatic Fringe in Park City. The first 50 guests to the Fashion Show at Silver will receive a covetable gift bag.

Couture Swap: Update your fall wardrobe with “new-to-you” couture. This event on Thursday, September 29^th from 6 to 9 pm is hosted by the Kimball Art Center, with the goal of raising Awareness for Pancreatic Cancer

Join Park City’s most fashionable ladies for a private Girls’ Night Out event raising awareness for Pancreatic Cancer. The event is $125 per person, and Pre-Registration is required. Bring your fashion-current couture (& handbags) and remember that all items must be freshly laundered and in excellent condition.

Who: The Park City Gallery Association, Farasha Boutique, and the Pancreatic Cancer Association

What: Two days of Fall Fashion in Park City

When: Thursday, September 29^th and Friday, September 30^th, 2011. Both nights’ events are from 6 to 9 pm.

Where: Park City Galleries and the Kimball Art Center

Fashion Stroll Contact: Maren Mullin marenmullin@gmail.com 435-649-3001

Couture Swap Contact: Gibbie Whelehan gwhelehan@pancanvolunteer.org

Image: sketch of “Over the River,” courtesy of christojeanneclaude.net

32 failures and 22 successes. Would you give this track record an award? Probably not. So maybe it’s time to shift our perceptions.

The artists Jeanne Claude and Christo have this very same track record. And last night, we celebrated this lifetime of achievement (so far!) at Kingsbury Hall. Environmental artist Christo visited the University of Utah in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where he spoke about his current projects and life’s work (with partner of 40 years, Jeanne-Claude) in a lecture titled “Christo and Jeanne-Claude, two works in progress: Over the River, Project for the Arkansas River, Colorado and The Mastaba, Project for the United Arab Emirates.”

Christo and Jeanne-Claude collaborated and created monumental environmental works of art for over 40 years. Since the age of six, Christo was on the “artist track” as his family encouraged him and helped him navigate his path. Believing that people should have intense and memorable experiences of art outside the institution of the museum, Christo and Jeanne-Claude have typically created temporary works of art — usually lasting two weeks — on a vast scale. Borrowing land, structures, and spaces used and/or built by the public, they momentarily intervene in the local population’s daily rhythm in order to create “gentle disturbances” intended to refocus citizens’ impressions. Some of their most famous pieces include The Umbrellas, Japan – USA, 1984-91; Wrapped Coast, Little Bay, Sydney, Australia, 1969 and The Gates, Central Park, New York, City, 1979-2005.

And so… back to the life lessons. I expected to learn more about this influential artist (anyone see the AT&T commercials with draped orange fabric?) about art, but not life skills. The lecture, although fast-paced and well-practiced, touched my heart. It made me think about what it means to fail and my own personal desire to challenge myself. And I don’t think anyone left with auditorium without the experience affected their life in a very personal way. Even my (admitted) non-artistic husband had a “take away”: a new inspiration for a soon-to-be-built Arts building here in Utah… “Let’s make it fluid!”

With his work, Christo brings an awareness to our physical world and allows artwork to become a part of the political process. The power in the team’s artworks is that they cannot stay. He told us last night, “Our pieces have a tenderness, a fragility. Everyone know that this will never come again… people want to experience something that will only last for a short time.” These “short times” cost a pretty penny (all covered by Jean Claude and Christo’s artwork and preparatory materials). On “The River,” they have spent $10 Million so far… and the project is at least 3 years away from being realized. And the best way to kill a project? Suggest it to them!

As easily seen in the slide show part of the lecture, Christo said that his artworks, “deal with beauty, and I hope that they are visually dynamic.” They created the works for themselves; if anyone else liked it, “that’s a bonus… [They are] totally useless, nobody can own them or buy tickets, but they are pure poetry…one gate is not a work of art… We live in a highly regulated world, and by borrowing a space… we deal with many levels. The most important thing is to make people think about it before it physically exists.”

I particularly loved hearing about their most difficult project: The Pont Neuf. As he told it, the King of France, “is like a czar.” The bridge itself, “is a thouroughfare. And the President was socialist and the mayor was  a conservative and they never talked to one another. It was a very stressful situation.” But Christo was able to navigate the political process with never-ending diligence. Well, almost never-ending. When several Barcelona presidents were assassinated while Jeanne Claude and Christo were putting together a piece in that city, they decided to pass when the last President asked them to re-submit. I guess it’s best to keep the politicians alive, and move on.

And there were always other projects. Several irons in the fire. The Gates, their longest running project, took 28 years from inception to completion. But when an idea took root, the team would devote all of their “resources, energy, and money” to the front-line project. The fact that they were able to push past their many rejections and rise to their current notoriety is incredibly inspirational. There is an often quoted line: “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” Well, Jeanne Claude and Christo took it to another level: “What would you do if you knew you would fail, time and time again… but you knew it would be worth it in the end?” They knew, in the end, there would be art. Powerful, beautiful, glorious art. And all of the struggles would be worth their time.

Christo is a type of mad scientist, testing and refining the team’s projects with incredible precision and patience. But there is a soft side to the incredibly pragmatic man. He and Jeanne Claude worked together “because of love. Our life was an art.” Although he called Jeanne Claude “critical and argumentative,” we could all sense that he is missing her with the intensity of a sculptor would missing one of his hands. With each new audience question, Christo asked himself, “what would Jeanne Claude say.” Artist couples are their own breed, but these two brought out the best in each other and it was painful to hear in his voice how much he missed his partner.

We were left with valuable life lessons on both art and love: “To make art is a private study; there are no rules, but you need courage and you need to work a lot. The biggest problem is figuring out what it is you should do.”

What will you do today, knowing that you will fail… also knowing that in the end there will be art?

Photo courtesy of the Salt Lake Art Center. The use of this image is legal, because this blog is educational. Learn something every day! Artist: Lenka Konopasek: Letting the Light In

The Salt Lake Art Center has taken an exciting new direction (yay for Utah Arts!). In the last few years I’ve seen the programs, shows, and events “elevated” to a new standard. It’s not always easy to get away from my Park City gallery and head down to SLC, but I try to when there’s an art event that I think will not only benefit me, but also my artists and collectors.

One such event was last week, an Art Talk put together by Utah Lawyers for the Arts. Utah Lawyers for the Arts members provide pro bono legal services on art-related matters to low income Utah artists and arts organizations. They also strive to promote arts education and the involvement of lawyers in the arts community. The lawyers who volunteered to speak at the event were passionate about local artists and the role that art plays in our society. I left with the overwhelming feeling that we are fortunate to have such a group here in Utah.

As the audience was (mostly) filled with artists, that is to whom the lawyers were (understandably) speaking. But I discovered some curious prejudice against galleries in general, and Park City galleries in specific. Why? And I’ve run across this lately– the idea of The Gallery being, well, “The Man,” trying to take advantage of artists. Where did this com from? Unfortunately, not all galleries are as scrupulous as Gallery MAR. But to generalize an entire business group certainly doesn’t seem fair, especially since the livelihood of many in the audience depends on the very same galleries that the speakers were belittling.

The presentations reminded me that perhaps the worlds of art and law aren’t so separate. There are many ways to interpret the law, and opposing sides can have very different views of what they “see” in a code or law. Interpretation is in the eye of the beholder. As some lawyers plead their cases, so do many artists, as they try to sway their own audiences and get their own opinions and thoughts across. And, from my perspective, lawyers are the ultimate salespeople!

I learned more than I anticipated at the SLAC event, and am looking forward to the new Utah Lawyers for the Arts talk.

And so, a few Art Law Copyright pointers…

• When you sell a piece of artwork, you keep the copyright on the piece. It is not automatically transferred to the new owner. This means an artist has the right to create a print or giclee of the work, even if it’s in your dining room!
• You can copyright a Piece, or a Thing but not an Idea. The Expression or the Thing is what you can copyright.
• All work is automatically copyrighted after a work is finished, if it is an original work.
• The copyright gives you exclusive rights… to reproduce the work, to prepare derivative works, to distribute copies, to perform the piece, and to display it publicly. You also have the “moral right” to prevent the destruction of a work.
• You can, of course, transfer the copyright to the owner, but the owner doesn’t have the right to change/mutilate the piece. The artist still holds “moral rights” on the piece, after a sale.
• A copyright is valid 70 years after the author’s death. And copyrights can be assigned to an heir.
• You can register the copyright on your art, online, with a “VA” form, to the date of creation. It costs $35 and allows you to sue (if you have to because someone used your work illegally) and have the right to collect attorney’s fees and damages if you win. You can also register a “compilation” as one registration. For example, you can register one sheet with many paintings, all for $35. Here is a form with instructions: http://www.benedict.com/info/Law/Forms/formva.pdf
• Facebook is NOT responsible for copyright infringement.

Above, take a peek at the photos from the annual “Step Up to the Plate” Fundraiser for Arts Kids,  a youth development program using expressive arts and group techniques to serve at-risk youth. Gallery MAR was very proud to help sponsor this event, which was heads above their previous years’. Delicious food from 8 Park City chefs and dessert from the head pastry chef at the Montage Deer Valley made for a delightful and delicious evening. Fine Art Consultant Jennifer Carr (who volunteers as their Event Coordinator) was key to the success of the evening’s fund raising performance.

A little history on the program:

Arts-Kids Has Served 4000 Children Since 1999. Arts-Kids was founded in 1999 at two schools in Park City, Utah, by Pat Drewry Sanger, an Advanced Practice Psychiatric-Mental Health Registered Nurse and Child/Adolescent Specialist.

The inspiration for the program came from her early work in Norfolk, Virginia. She noticed that children growing up in tough inner city environments began to become hardened and emotionally shut down by age nine or ten. Parents were often too burned-out from their efforts to survive. They had no energy to support their children on an emotional level.

She transferred that learning to develop an initial program, using the expressive arts and group techniques to create a joyful environment for self-expression. The program grew over the years to help children cope with the inevitable social problems kids encounter at school – teasing, bullying, feelings of low self esteem – and to help students with behavioral challenges such as ADHD, autism and Asperger’s.

The purposes of Arts Kids is as follows:

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.