The Escalante Canyons Art Festival is being held this year Sept. 18 through 27. The Colorado Plateau festival includes a painting competition, an arts and crafts sale, a speaker series, exhibits, workshops, demonstrations, and live music.
Plein Air Painting Competition
During the Plein Air Painting Competition, artists are given six full days to paint. Canvas stamping occurs at the Escalante Community Center Friday, Sept. 18, and paintings must be submitted there on Thursday, Sept. 24 between 1 and 4 p.m. Prizes are worth $8,000.
Speaker series
A series of talks will be given at the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center Speakers include Kristina Waggoner, who will talk about the Escalante River and healthy watersheds; Dr. Alan Titus, who will discuss paleontological findings in the Kaiparowits Plateau; Lisa Louise Adams, who will speak about how she has moved from the sciences to the arts; Dr. Britton Mace, who will discuss the acoustics of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument; Jack Schmidt, who will give a talk on rehabilitating the Colorado River network, Teresa Jordon, who will talk about mixed media involving images and text; Hal Cannon, a musician and storyteller who will focus on pioneer music, and Paula McNeil, who will speak about art and artists in Escalante.
Arts and crafts fair
On Sept. 25 and 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m, an arts and crafts fair will be held at Festival Hall and Festival Plaza. Regional artisans will offer jewelry, ceramics, photography, wooden crafts, fiber goods, and more.
Workshops
Steve Chamberlain, an award-winning artist who won the Best of Show Awards in 2014 at both Escalante and Moab plein air competitions, will offer three two-day workshops. Each workshop costs $45 to attend. The workshops will address subject, composition, color, light and shadow, and focal point as well as how to paint the essence of the moment, letting the subject express itself through the artist, color theory, use of medium, starting or continuing plein air paintings, and finding a personal creative voice.
Lisa Louise Adams will present a workshop on Coptic bookbinding Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $65 plus $20 for materials.
Live music
On Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Tamara and David Hauze, Crook and the Bluff, Big Wild Wings, and Kenny Hall will perform.
On Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Jessica Frogley and Richard Woodbury, Crook and the Bluff, Matt Dallin, and No Strings will play.
For more information, visit the Escalante Canyon Art Festival’s webpage.
