Escalante Canyons Art Festival: 10 days of art, music, film, and more
By Allysia Angus
The 15th annual Escalante Canyons Art Festival runs from Sept. 21, when the artists arrive to begin painting, to Sept. 30 when we close things out with the final art sale and breakfast at Kiva Koffeehouse above the Escalante River.
This art gathering is one of the premier events in southern Utah and has plein air artists painting throughout three counties: Wayne, Garfield, and Kane. The program this year is full of creative activities, educational programs, great fun, engaging films, and fine entertainment, including screenings of “The Colorado” — a film The New York Times calls “visually captivating and unsettling” — and a night of films curated from the Wild and Scenic Film Festival.
What lovelier canvas could one wish for? Vast beautiful public lands including Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Dixie National Forest, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and several Utah State Parks surround the town of Escalante on Scenic Byway 12 between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks. As you travel throughout the region, you are likely to see artists creating works en plein air (a French term that means “in full air”), inspired by these world-renowned landscapes.
Plein air competition
Plein-air artists creating works in oil, pastel, watercolor, or mixed media work across the three-county region to compete for prizes valued at more than $10,000. Artists of all abilities, experience levels, and ages are encouraged to join the competition. A special category with cash awards provides incentive for young artists to participate. Artworks entered in the competition categories will on exhibit and for sale Sept. 29 and 30 in the exhibit hall.
Workshops
Several talented artists are slated to teach workshops beginning Sept. 17 and going throughout the week of the festival. Workshops range from the fundamentals of plein air painting to creating multi-layered reduction prints.
Demonstrations and hands-on art activities
There are too many single and group demonstrations and hands-on activities being provided to list them all. Check escalantecanyonsartfestival.org for details on all the opportunities, which include pastel landscape painting, nocturne painting at night, watercolor painting (portraits and landscapes), flint knapping, oil-painting fundamentals, found object mosaic making, sketching along Escalante River, dinosaur mask-making, alcohol inks on tiles, and Native American drum making.
Artist in residence
This year’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Plein Air Artist in Residence is Graham Goff from Montana. Goff is an architect and artist who spends much of his free time exploring wild places with sketchbook in tow. During the month of September, he will explore the monument while also conducting public and school programs, like taking folks on a sketching trip along the Escalante River. The results of his residency will be exhibited and for sale Sept. 29 and 30 in the exhibit hall.
Speaker series
This year’s keynote program is a screening of “The Colorado” followed by a discussion with producer and director Murat Eyuboglu and author and explorer Christa Sadler, who wrote the film’s companion book. “The Colorado” is a visual feast set to music by today’s leading composers and narrated by stage legend Mark Rylance. It takes viewers on a journey in nine chapters through the prehistoric settlements of the region, the period of European exploration, the dam-building era, modern industrial agriculture and immigration, and the impact of climate change.
Our engaging and varied speaker’s series is scheduled for Sept. 29 and 30:
—Historian Marsha Holland will discuss the Utah Oral History Project that documents the voices and stories of local residents and influencers of the region.
— Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument paleontologist Scott Richardson will share details about recent paleontological discoveries at the monument.
—Author and explorer Christ Sadler will introduce scientist, explorer, and policymaker John Wesley Powell from her new book, “The Colorado.”
—Artist and photographer Kit Frost will share how to make the most of our phone cameras to take stunning photographs.
— Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument park ranger Sean Duffy will explore the question of why Native Americans are astronomers followed up with telescope viewing of the stunning night skies of the area.
—Dr. Paula McNeill, a retired art educator from Valdosta, Georgia, will share stories of the life and works of this year’s featured artist, Shawn Miller, and featured vendor Karen Rangitch.
Musicians from near and far will also entertain festival goers Sept. 29 and 30:
—Kate MacLeod is a singer whose voice is said to sound as pure as water from a mountain stream. From the Wasatch Mountains, her highly acclaimed songs often precede her as other musicians such as Laurie Lewis and Mollie O’Brien sing them on stages across the country.
—Singer, songwriter, band leader, and entertainer Matt Burke, hailing from Florida, has more than 15 years of performance history under his belt. Burke’s music will appeal to fans of classic and Southern rock, roots rock, blues, alternative rock, Americana, country, and reggae as his music pulls from all of these genres. He is a talented and captivating performer, whether on stage solo with an acoustic guitar or fronting a full five-piece band.
—David Gerald, the son of rural Mississippi parents, grew up on the sounds of the blues and R&B music in his hometown of Detroit. Gerald started playing guitar at the age of 15, influenced by Prince and other ‘80s rock guitarists, then later rediscovered the blues and was inspired by the music of Albert King, ZZ Hill, B.B. King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
—Grand Junction-based duo No Strings are a diverse pair who put their own spin on just about all styles of music with more than a combined 90 years of playing experience.
—Jessica Frogley and Carl Dede are two Boulder, Utah, musicians who draw from the songs of Gershwin, Fats Waller, Berlin, and all the old jazz greats. Their musical sound calls on the torch tunes of Billy Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald and the more contemporary sounds of Diana Krall.
—Shiloh Rising are a husband-and-wife duo who have been writing and performing together for more than 20 years. Their eclectic repertoire includes much original music blending folk, country, bluegrass, and rock influences — in short, their own interpretation of Western Americana.
—Salt Gulch All Stars are Boulder and Escalante musicians who have been playing together on and off over the years. They love to play music and make people dance. They play a mix of familiar songs with a personal twist.
—Montana-born singer-songwriter Bob Phillips writes and performs in the tradition of American roots music, offering an authentic and musically compelling look at life, the world, and ourselves. Diverse musical styles color his tunes, which range from gritty anti-war anthems to rebel folk and country/blues.
Wild & Scenic Film Festival
A part of the art festival for the second year is an evening of film curated from the Wild & Scenic Film Festival selections. On Sept. 21, enjoy the screening of 12 films on a variety of subjects from rivers and adventure to wildlife, including one that highlights the work of local partners to restore the Escalante River Watershed.
And if all that wasn’t enough, the festival also includes an arts and crafts fair with many artists and craftsmen from the intermountain west selling their wares, open studios, wonderful exhibits, and of course tasty food.
Check out escalantecanyonsartfestival.org to learn more about dates, times, and venues. A digital version of the full festival program can be found there as well. We’ll see you at the Escalante Canyons Art Festival!
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