Escalante Canyons Art Festival celebrates the West with art, music, and more
By Allysia Angus
The Escalante Canyons Art Festival will take place Sept. 20, when the artists arrive to begin painting, through Sept. 29, with the final art sale and breakfast at Devil’s Garden Grill in Escalante. This art gathering is one of the premier events in southern Utah and has plein air artists painting throughout Wayne, Garfield, and Kane Counties. The program this year is full of creative activities, educational programs, engaging films, and fine entertainment. The event will include a night of films curated from the Wild & Scenic Film Festival and screenings of “Into the Canyon,” a film that details the 750-mile journey of filmmaker and photographer Pete McBride and writer Kevin Fedarko as they journey on foot the entire length of the Grand Canyon.
What lovelier canvas could one wish for? Vast beautiful public lands such as the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Dixie National Forest, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and several 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 which 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 will 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 will provide an incentive for young artists to participate. Art entered in the competition categories will be on exhibit and for sale Sept. 27 and 28 in the community center.
Workshops
Several talented artists are slated to teach workshops beginning Sept. 18 and going throughout the week of the festival. Workshops range from watercolor painting and nature journaling to creating woodcut prints.
Demonstrations and hands-on art activities
There are too many single and group demonstrations and hands-on activities provided to list them all. Check escalantecanyonsartfestival.org for details on all the opportunities, which include linocut printmaking, fusing text and images, hand-mulled watercolor pigments, wire-wrapping glass, decorating gourds, flint knapping, painting rocks, and sketching along the Escalante River.
Artist-in-residence
This year’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Plein Air Artist-in-Residence is Carol Johansen from Mt. Pleasant. During the month of Sept. she will explore the monument while also finding time to conduct public and school programs like making leaf monoprints at the local senior center. The results of her residency will be exhibited and for sale Sept. 27 and 28 in the community center.
Speaker series
An engaging and varied speaker series is scheduled for Sept. 27 and 28. It is focused on the Colorado River Watershed and co-sponsored by the Utah State University Center for Colorado River Studies. Speakers include Heather Hansman, James M. Aton, Jack Schmidt, and James Swensen.
Heather Hansman will discuss her new book “Downriver” and talk about why it’s important to tell stories about place, natural resources, and human impact and how books and literature can show how connected we are.
James M. Aton will discuss the book he co-authored with Jerry Spangler, “The Crimson Cowboys,” which tells the story of six archaeologists from Harvard’s Peabody Museum who in 1931 set out to do what no archaeologists had done before nor have tried since: explore, survey, and excavate Fremont sites on the Tavaputs Plateau.
Jack Schmidt, a Utah State University professor, will discuss the tough decisions surrounding the management of the Colorado River, which center on allocation of a decreasing water supply to meet the needs of a growing population vs. those that focus on environmental management of the river segments that intervene between reservoirs.
James Swensen, a Brigham Young University professor, will discuss the work and careers of John Wesley Powell’s expedition photographers along the Colorado River. It will investigate their activities within the complicated dynamics of the expedition as well as ways they attempted to capture and comprehend one of the most dramatic places on earth.
Live music
Musicians from near and far will entertain festival goers Sept. 29 and 30. Musicians include Kate MacLeod, Matt Burke, David Gerald, No Strings, Jessica Frogley & Carl Dede, Shiloh Rising, Salt Gulch All Stars, and Bob Phillips.
Kate MacLeod is a Utah musician whose voice is said to sound as pure as water from a mountain stream. While singing from the Wasatch Mountains in Utah, her highly acclaimed songs often precede her as other artists such as Laurie Lewis and Mollie O’Brien sing them on stages across the country.
Hailing from Florida, singer, songwriter, and band leader Matt Burke 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 singer-songwriter and a 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 ‘80s rock guitarists. He 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” is a diverse pair who put their own spin on just about all styles of music including Americana, folk, jug band, country, Southern rock, pop, and show tunes with a combined 90 years of playing experience.
Jessica Frogley and Carl Dede are 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 as well as the more contemporary sounds of Diana Krall.
Writing and performing together for more than 20 years, Shiloh Rising is a husband-and-wife duo. Their eclectic repertoire includes much original music, blending folk, country, bluegrass, and rock influences in their own interpretation of Western Americana.
Salt Gulch All Stars comprises 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.
Bob Phillips is a Montana-born singer-songwriter who 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 rock anti-war anthems to rebel folk and country-blues.
Wild & Scenic Film Festival
An evening of film curated from the Wild & Scenic Film Festival will be part of the art festival for the second year. 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 and wonderful exhibits, and tasty food.
To learn more about dates, times, and venues, visit escalantecanyonsartfestival.org where a digital version of the full festival program can be found. We’ll see you at the Escalante Canyons Art Festival!
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Was this article written for this years festival? The musical acts that are listed do not in anyway match those on the arts fest web site…If an older article not sure why it would be dated 2019 maybe the editor needs to check these articles a little closer? I am asking because I am going to the arts festival on Saturday to see friends play….It would be nice if the article were correct.