During the month of December, the Historic Park City District will host a number of events, classes and activities as a part of the holidays to celebrate the festive season. Many events are free to the public and open to all ages.

Art Lovers

On Saturday, December 18th, Gallery MAR presents their winter exhibition titled “Here and Abroad.” The exhibition features new works by Geore Bodine and Kirk Tatom.

Images of Nature Gallery will host their Annual Holiday Open House on December 3rd, 4th, and 5th. The gallery will premier 11 new images from world renowned wildlife and nature photographer, Thomas Mangelsen.

The walls in the Thomas Anthony Gallery will be graced with new paintings from artist Anton Arkhipov from December 17th through the 31st.

During the Gallery Stroll on December 29th, Coda Gallery will host a reception for Heather Barron. Coda Gallery is home to a contemporary, colorful array of paintings, sculpture, furniture and glass.

Kids’ Activities

The Kimball Art Center is the heart of Park City’s historic and vibrant arts community. As part of their mission they work to engage individuals of all ages in a variety of ways, one of which is education.

The Kimball’s lineup of December family and youth classes is extensive. From Toy Land Painting to a Gift Making Workshop, there is surely something to for everyone. Registration can take place online at or by contacting the Kimball directly at 435.649.8882.

Holiday Spirit

Santa will arrive, via the Town Lift on Saturday, December 18th. His sleigh is scheduled to visit Main Street around 6:15pm. There will be kids activities, hot cocoa and of course a change to have your picture taken with the big fella.

Carolers and sign-along music will help keep the festive mood, while you shop and dine in the Historic District. The music will begin at 5:00 each evening in Miners Park, starting Sunday, December 19th. Carolers will perform at 2 p.m. on December 24 and no performance on December 25.

Start a holiday tradition by taking a carriage ride through the District. Carriages can be picked on the corner of Park Avenue and 7th Street, between Utah Ski and Golf and Butchers Chop House and Bar. Carriage rides will run from December 18th through the 29th and operate between 3pm to 10pm. Between 3 and 5pm a family of four can ride for $25. At 5pm the rates rise to $35 per couple and $5 per additional person.

Don’t let the shortest day of the year leave you in the dark! Come up to Historic Park City for our Winter Solstice Electric Parade on Tuesday, December 21st. The parade begins at 6pm.

Shows

The Egyptian Theatre has prepared a full line-up of performances for the month of December. They include a Kurt Bestor solo piano Christmas concert to Satisfaction – A Rolling Stones Experience to mention just two.

Who? You, your friends, neighbors and anyone who is up for having some fun.

Brought to you by the Historic Park City Business Alliance.

What? Dancing to “Let it Snow”. We think this may be the first flashmob in Park City!

Where? In front of the Egyptian Theatre on Main Street.

When? December 11th @ 4pm

Visit http://www.historicparkcityutah.com/blog/events/flashmob-on-main-street-december-11-4pm for more information.

Send this along to your friends and have them come out and join us for this fun event. Information on Flashmobs are typically circulated through e-mail chains and through social networking sites. We will not be advertising the event through the media. Part of the fun is catching people by surprise. We hope to see you there.

Michael Bingham*, “Texas,” Mixed Media, 2009

I’ve recently been fascinated with the art crime world, and wanted to find out more about what happens when art is a form of rehabilitation, rather than a commodity to be stolen and brokered. How does a criminal see, experience, and view art? Can the arts serve as rehabilitation for criminals and negligent youth? What about the safety of the artists and the protection of their craft? Just a few questions I’ve been exploring, with information on a few programs, below.

INDIAN ARTISTS

Looking to India, Delhi’s Tihar Jail has recently played host to contemporary artists, and some of India’s best known. They have launched an  initiative to use art as a way to stimulate young inmates. Devised by the Ramchander Nath Foundation (RNF) and the Ojas Art consultancy, the project has provided artist workshops and training focused on rehabilitation.

36 artists have arranged to visit the jail,  from all over the country, including many high-profile contemporary artists. Most are not well-known in the US and all have agreed to donate a work of art to the Tihar Jail, with the entire selection set to exhibit at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Art, in Delhi. The exhibition will also coincide with the launch of a film about the project and the publication of a catalog of the works, with profits from sales going towards further funding of rehabilitation programs at the jail.

JAIL ARTS PROGRAMS IN THE US

In the Bay Area, Community Works Director Ruth Morgan has developed the nationally renowned San Francisco Sheriff’s Department Jail Arts Program since 1979.  She continues to expand the Jail Arts programming, bringing a diversity of artists in a variety of disciplines into the San Francisco County Jail (and post-release facilities).  I think it’s exceptionally brave for these artists to give up their time and sense of security to give back in this raw way.

On the web, one can find many Jail Art website and sales gallery. One such is the site Art from the “Big House”, where you can find custom artwork. If interested, you can ask to have one of their artists draw a portrait of you, your loved-one, a celebrity, or even your favorite pet from a photograph that you supply. They promise that, “Our artists offer quality custom portraits at very competitive prices.”  And if you’re looking for “body art,” well, the some of the best tattoo artists are in jail.

In Michigan, The Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) brings original works of art to Michigan’s correctional facilities, juvenile centers, urban high schools, and communities all over the state. Their mission is to provide a process, “guided by respect and a spirit of collaboration in which vulnerability, risk and improvisation lead to discovery. [They] make possible the spaces in which the voices and visions of the incarcerated can be expressed.” The PCAP has facilitated hundreds of Collaborative Workshops in theater, creative writing, art, dance, music and video, each culminating in a final performance, reading or exhibits. View the testimony and feedback  here.

*Michael Binghanis an upstanding citizen, is not a criminal, and (as far as I know) has never been in jail.

The Gallery MAR view to Main Street is unmatched and this week we were able to take in all of the Sundance sights and frights. Stars who were spotted: Pierce Brosnan, Wesley Snipes, Benjamin Bratt, Anthony Edwards, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and more. The films very incredible this year and the we are so thankful to Sundance for bringing these incredible films and their makers to our snowy town. Favorites from the Fest: The End of the Line, The Reckoning, Motherhood, and Shouting Fire. Let’s hope that many of these will be distributed and that film-watchers all over the world will be able to experience them.

Warren Neary, “Evening Out,” Oil

Main Street has official been deluged with film-goers, studio execs, and celebrity gawkers. This quiet scene (above) fresh from Warren Neary’s studio is a far cry from the intense action and noise that is currently taking over Park City. The world renowned Sundance Film Festival is in its 25th year. We’ll keep a tally of celebrities who darken our door and post it in the next blog entry, along with the top films that we were able to see.

We’re going to also check out the New Frontier on Main, which melds art, science and film and where the only rules are that you break them. According to the Park Record, the films, which challenge viewers to examine everything from beekeepers to factory workers, can be seen throughout the 10-day festival on several of the festival screens around town. The installations play simultaneously on the lower level of the Main Street Mall from noon to 7 pm and are open to the public as space permits.

What’s your favorite Sundance Experience?