Escalante, UT
Various locations, September 18-27
Steve Chamberlain, Bryce Hoodoo, oil, 12 x 9, last year’s Best of Show in oil.
This story was featured in the September 2015 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2015 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story!
For over a decade, artists and collectors have been traveling to a remote part of Utah to celebrate fine art. This month the Escalante Canyons Art Festival celebrates its 12th year with even more events for artists and art lovers to enjoy.
The show begins with artists arriving in Escalante on September 18. The artists can paint within a three-county area, which includes the Grand Staircase- Escalante National Monument as well as other national and state wild lands. With around 100 artists participating in the six-day paint-out, visitors to the area are likely to spot artists painting in a variety of scenic spots. On Wednesday, September 23, artists are invited to Paint the Town from 7 a.m. to noon. This paint-out centers on the quaint downtown area of Escalante but also offers a 2-mile radius in which the artists can choose subject matter that inspires them. On Thursday, artists enter their best works into a competition in one of two categories: oils and acrylics or mixed media. On Friday, September 25, the weekend events begin with the Plein Air Exhibit and Art Sale, an awards ceremony, an arts and crafts festival, and musical entertainment.
This year the show adds a number of art demonstrations and lectures as well as a plein-air competition for junior artists. Students are invited to paint and show their work alongside the adults. Juniors can also submit their work for prizes in two age categories: kindergarten to sixth grades or seventh through 12th grades. And there are prizes for the juniors as well, says Allysia Angus, marketing director for the show. “They compete among their peers for prizes, and they have their own show with their artwork next to the adults’ paintings.”
Also new this year is a Paint the River Pack Trip in which four artists take a backcountry pack trip to the upper sections of the Escalante River to paint for two days. Paintings created on the trip are for sale during the weekend, and a portion of the proceeds benefits the Escalante River Watershed Partnership, raising awareness about the restoration efforts on the river.
“This show is incredibly accessible to people, even the kids!” Angus says. “At this show you come to a beautiful place, wander around, and have a great time, and around every corner is anoth- er astounding scene.” —Laura Rintala
contact information
435.826.5615
www.escalantecanyonsartfestival.org
Featured in the September 2015 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art September 2015 print issue or digital download Or subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!
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- Dennis Farris, Smoky Mountain Road, oil, 12 x 12, last year’s Artist in Residence.
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- Steve Chamberlain, Bryce Hoodoo, oil, 12 x 9, last year’s Best of Show in oil.
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- Mike Padian, Dia Copia, watercolor, 11 x 7, last year’s Best of Show in mixed media.
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