Various locations, Escalante, UT
September 12-25
Allen Brockbank, After Hours, oil, 8 x 16.
Taking place every year in the great outdoors of Utah’s canyon country, the Escalante Canyons Art Festival is a 14-day celebration of fine art, music, nature, and more. Art lovers can find multiple opportunities to learn about the creative process and purchase artwork at the plein-air painting competition and sale, demonstrations, workshops, open studios, and other special events during the festival.
More than 100 painters from around the country participate in the plein-air painting competition, which runs from Friday, September 16, through Wednesday, September 21, setting up their easels in and around the nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument as well as Bryce and Capitol Reef National Parks. The competition is open to all artists, including young artists and students. “Every year we notice about half of the participating artists are new to the event, so it’s always exciting to see how they will interpret the landscapes of our region,” says festival co-director Allysia Angus. Some of this year’s participating artists include Helga Watkins, Lonny Granston, Valerie Orlemann, Carol Johansen, Michael Keyes, and Sue Tyler. (Images shown are from last year’s event.)
At the conclusion of the plein-air competition, more than 200 paintings in oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, or mixed media in various sizes and styles are available for purchase on Friday, September 23, and Saturday, September 24, in the exhibit tent at Escalante Town Park. For those unable to attend in person, paintings are displayed and available for purchase on the festival’s website.
“You don’t want to miss September 23 and 24, when the exhibition goes live and art sales begin,” Angus says. “Collectors have the opportunity to discover talent from artists of all ages who have been painting for years, as well as fresh talent from young budding artists or those who have taken up painting in retirement. You will also find a community of people here who love Utah’s stunning public lands, capturing them on canvas, and supporting one another.” —Allison Malafronte
contact information
www.escalantecanyonsartfestival.org
This story appeared in the August/September 2022 issue of Southwest Art magazine.