Show Preview | Celebration of Art

Grand Canyon, AZ
Grand Canyon National Park, September 10-January 16, 2017

Mitch Baird, Arizona Evening Token, oil, 20 x 24.

Mitch Baird, Arizona Evening Token, oil, 20 x 24.

This story was featured in the September 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art  September 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

The eighth annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art takes place this month with a weeklong series of events throughout Grand Canyon National Park, culminating in an exhibition that highlights the grandeur of the American wilderness. The 26 invited artists create one studio piece prior to the show, which historically has had a Grand Canyon theme. This year, however, in recognition of the National Parks Service’s 100-year anniversary, artists had the option to paint a scene inspired by any of the parks in the system. The artists also participate in plein-air events leading up to the exhibition.

The activities, all free and open to the public, kick off with Plein Air at Grand Canyon, which begins Saturday, September 10, and continues through September 16. During this time, visitors can watch as artists create works for the exhibition at various park locations, including the North and South Rims, Phantom Ranch, and Indian Garden. Renowned Grand Canyon painter Curt Walters gives a talk on Friday, September 16, at Shrine of the Ages. Saturday, September 17, sees the Quick Draw and Auction at Bright Angel Trailhead. Finally, the exhibition and sale opens on Sunday, September 18, with a reception for the artists at the historic Kolb Studio from noon to 2 p.m and upwards of 400 pieces of art available for sale.

Among the artists featured are painters Mitch Baird, Amery Bohling, John D. Cogan, Michelle Condrat, Cody DeLong, Michael Chesley Johnson, and James McGrew. For the first time, the show also includes a sculptor, Michael Trcic. “The entire week is always a lot of fun,” says show coordinator Kathy Duley. “It’s wonderful to watch the artists work and see how they grow from year to year.”

Mitch Baird, who is participating in the festival for the second year, brings a painting of a dramatic sunset as seen from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Baird captures the luminous pinks, purples, and blues that characterize that captivating time of day, when so many visual transformations occur. “There’s nothing more awe-inspiring than that late light in the Grand Canyon,” says Baird, who composed the piece as he sat on the rim, absorbing the unparalleled vastness of the canyon. “It’s all about light and space,” he says.

Michael Chesley Johnson contributes a canvas depicting a seaside vignette from Acadia National Park in Maine. The artist captures the iridescent light and shimmering water off Otter Point, which offers a glimpse of Acadia’s majestic cliffs. “I’m very familiar with the park,” says Johnson, who spends his summers off the coast of Maine. “It’s a place that’s very special to me.” This is Johnson’s fourth year to participate in this show. “I enjoy every minute of the event,” he says. “I’m painting at one of the world’s most spectacular locations with some of the world’s best outdoor painters.”

Proceeds from the Celebration of Art help fund a permanent art venue at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. —Elizabeth L. Delaney

contact information
480.277.0458
www.grandcanyon.org/arts-and-culture

This story was featured in the September 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art  September 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

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