A Private Evening celebrating “Native Species” by William Morris

Saturday, December 6th at 6:30 p.m.

The Colony, Park City.

Polly and Buzzy Stasser, along with the Kimball Art Center, bring you a discussion of glass artist William Morris’ “Native Species” exhibition of 38 glass vessels. This art talk is led by Linda Turner, curator of the George R. Stroemple Collection. Following will be a screening of the film “Creative Nature” by John Andres.

Tickets are $100 per person and you can reserve your tickets by contacting Michelle at the Kimball Art Center: events@kimball-art.org or 435-649-8882. All proceeds from this special event support the Kimball Art Center’s education and exhibition programming.

A little background on William Morris, excerpted from Regina Hackett:

When William Morris went to school at California State University at Chico, he fell in love with the potter’s wheel and the old gas furnaces that brought the surface of his ceramics to life. He might be a potter still if he hadn’t been diverted by the studio glass movement in the 1970s and showed up to study at a new glass school in the Pilchuck woods outside of Stanwood, Washington.

To pay tuition, he drove the Pilchuck truck. Dale Chihuly was one of his first passengers, and Morris soon became a key member of the Chihuly team. After Chihuly’s loss of an eye and later, a shoulder injury, it was Morris’ rock steady presence that helped convince Chihuly he could continue to forge his own aesthetic without blowing glass himself. “I was never as good (a glass blower) as Billy,” Chihuly said later.

Ultimately, “Native Species” is a result of [collecting experiences], what he has seen walking through forests and hiking through deserts, combined with what he has learned from art history and anthropological museums: Nature direct and nature filtered through cultural history.

Beginning earlier this year, a group of Park City gallery owners and directors made the move to take ownership of the Park City Gallery Association into the hands of the galleries. They are working to create their own website, www.parkcitygalleryassocation.com (love the new logo), along with their own awareness, advertising and marketing campaign to promote the stroll and Park City arts. From what I’ve heard, everyone is working well together and “good things” are happening… Congratulations!

Previously, the Kimball Art Center headed the Association and was known as the starting off point for the monthly stroll. And prior to that (a few years back) there was an individual association run by gallery owners. It seems that the group is now coming full circle with the Park City galleries as heads of the Association. From what I have been able to discern, with this new organization, the Kimball Art Center will be a part of the stroll and Association, but there will not be a charge for the stroll (previously $7) paid to the Kimball. This means more responsibility, time and effort for the galleries, but also more say in the organization and operations of the Association.

I’m looking forward to joining the new Park City Gallery Association and participating in the strolls along with the promotion of Park City arts. The Kimball Art Center does a fantastic job of bringing arts to our locals and visitors, and we’re fortunate to have them as a part of our arts community. Check out their current exhibit of Erin Berrett’s work if you’re in town. With their new leadership, I’m optimistic that the Kimball will work together with the Park City Gallery Association to do great things.

Watch in the coming months for the new brochure, the completion of the website, and a new energy and level of involvement from the galleries here in town. Gallery MAR will be featured on the new map/brochure, as well as the website, and will participate in every monthly stroll.

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.