Show Preview | Grand Canyon Celebration of Art

Sunset on Kaibab by Williamson Tapia (2012 People’s Choice Award winner)

Sunset on Kaibab by Williamson Tapia (2012 People’s Choice Award winner)

Grand Canyon National Park, AZ
September 14-20

This story was featured in the September 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2013 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story!

This month, 26 artists from around the country converge in Grand Canyon National Park to paint the awe-inspiring splendor of this vast landscape that encompasses one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Now in its fifth year, the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art seeks to capture the beauty and mystery of the Grand Canyon through art, and to communicate the importance of preserving this special place to the world.

Gilded Sculptures of the Morning by John D. Cogan (2012 Purchase Award winner)

Gilded Sculptures of the Morning by John D. Cogan (2012 Purchase Award winner)

Participating artists are juried into the show, and they must submit at least one painting created from the rim of the Grand Canyon in order to be considered. “We want to include artists who are experienced with the environment of the Grand Canyon and the unique challenges it poses,” says event coordinator Kathy Duley. This year’s artists include oil painters Joshua Been, Bill Cramer, Cody DeLong, and Williamson Tapia; watercolorists Robert Dalegowski, Sam Jones, and Tim J. Morse; acrylic painter John D. Cogan; and pastelist Aaron Schuerr.

This year’s celebration begins on Saturday, September 14, with artists painting en plein air at various locations throughout Grand Canyon National Park, including the North and South Rims, Phantom Ranch, and Indian Garden. The paint-out continues through Friday, September 20, and there are artists’ demonstrations throughout the week. A Quick Draw takes place on Friday from 9 a.m. to noon in front of the El Tovar hotel. Participating artists have just two hours to transform their empty canvases into finished pieces, which are sold in a live auction immediately afterward.

The artists display their plein-air paintings from the week—as well as one studio piece each—in a show at Kolb Studio, located along the Rim Trail in Grand Canyon Village. A ticketed Buyer’s Preview and Reception is on Friday, September 20, from 5 to 7 p.m., and the show hangs through January 20 of next year. Duley is especially excited for this year’s event. “I love seeing what the artists create—it’s fascinating to see all the different visions and interpretations of the same landscape,” she says, adding, “Plus I just love being at the Grand Canyon; it’s such a wonderful place.” —Lindsay Mitchell

contact information
928.638.2481

www.grandcanyon.org

Featured in the September 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art September 2013 print issue or digital download
Or subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!


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