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DIGEST
Publisher’s Message 8 Editor’s Welcome 12
14 The Sequence
A Fibonacci Timeline
by Nathan Bowen PhD
by Steven Stradley MFA
Music, Fine Art, Fashion & Art Showcases
16 How and Why to Collect Art 22 Contextual Reconstructions 26 Art & Events
32 Editor’s Choice
34 Beauty and Balance
by Dr. Carmen Stenholm PhD
38 Chinese Watercolor
by Kathleen Benson
41 The Arts Advocate
by Kamron Braunberger
42 The Making of a Monument
by Taylor Steelman
49 Painting the Legacy of the American West
On the Cover: Many Many Miles by Billy Schenck 40 x 30, Oil on Canvas
by Rebecca Stowers
52 Art Lifts the Soul
On display at Modern West Fine Art in Salt Lake City, Utah
by Wade Wixom
58 Let There be Lilacs
Born and raised in rural Ohio, Billy Shenck is a pop artist and photo-realist painter of western figures and landscape. His work can be viewed at Altamira Fine Art in Jackson, WY, Altamira Fine Art in Scottsdale, AZ, Greg Bennett Contemporary Art in Palm Desert, CA, Sally Hendrickson Fine Art in Denver, CO, Maxwell Alexander Gallery in Culver City, CA, Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson, AZ, Modern West Fine Art in Salt Lake City, UT, and Sorrel Sky Gallery, Santa Fe, NM.
by Martin Ricks
60 Meanderings
by Dennis Smith
62 Spirit of Russian Art in the West
Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery, Park City, UT
64 World’s Rising Piano Stars
by Aaron Christensen
66 Children & Practicing the Piano
by Joshua Wright
70 El Maestro, Viva Las Vegas!
by Robert T. Benson, M.D., M.B.A.
75 Miracles in Cache Valley
by Paul Parkinson
80 The Madeleine Choir School
86 Disney at Tuacahn
by Karla Seamons
93 The Creative Process
by Janice Brooks
97 Selected Works
Galleries from the Mountain West
107 Gallery Directory
Mountain West Listings
by Cheryl Collins
114 A Secret Circle
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Publisher’s Message
M
y favorite professor in college was Dr. Paul Cox, a prominent ethnobotanist. As he taught us Biology, things his students previously hadn’t noticed became particularly important and of great interest to us. He brought to life the fascinations of everything from the smallest plants outside our classroom doors to the largest trees in the rain forest. He brought such a passion for the science he taught, and magic to the mundane things that simply hadn’t occurred to us before. I know Dr. Cox loved the arts. He counseled us to be frugal in life with most things, but with our education, to be lavish and elaborate. He told us about his time as a poor student in Boston, going without any luxuries to save up for student rate season tickets to the Symphony, and taking the T to the performances dressed up for the musical feast they would soon savor. I feel sure that my professor, as a scientist, understood more than just the aesthetic value of the arts. Great art expresses those things in this world that make us stop and think, sit and stare, listen and feel, and become inspired by what is before us. Experts are now saying that the arts – both the technical expertise to create them and the benefits from consuming them – are essential parts of our integrated intellect. There are two neural pathways in our brains simplistically described as one being related to reason and the other to empathy and intuition. Traditionally, it was thought that we only use one pathway at a time, and some use one more than the other. The more we discover about our brains, the more it is clear just how integrated is our psyche. There is growing evidence that we do our best work as humans when we develop technical skill sets, rooted in reason, and apply them to the intuitive questions or perceptions we face. In other words, our intellect is enhanced as we develop our intuitive empathetic sensitivities. As Dr. Cox might say, don’t just watch a summer sunset, but seek out artists’ depictions as well. William Turner famously painted sunsets, for example, creating such vibrant color and mood, offering a window of introspection and reflection for millions of viewers. Countless observers are inspired by Turner’s paintings, which are memoirs of what is universally available to our eyes on this beautiful earth. Often, intuition, inspiration and empathy go unrecognized… until an artist expresses it to us. There’s an intuitive insight or understanding of life that each artist portrays in his or her work. It has been said that art is the signature of civilization. During this season, while spending time with family, outdoors, or travelling, I challenge you to spend more time seeing and perceiving. Listen to a Bach Suite while staring at a sunrise—or while viewing a Gary Collins or Gregory Stocks oil painting of one. While listening to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons or a Beethoven sonata, take in a sunset—or, be amazed at how Martin Ricks or Jennifer Worsley interprets one. We are blessed in this region with artistic wonders echoing the natural beauty of the Mountain West. Let the musicians of the symphonies, operas, theatres, and the artists of the galleries and museums in our communities inspire you. They do more than entertain and satisfy our senses; they sharpen our minds. Go ahead, I dare you: be inspired.
Robert T. Benson M.D., M.B.A.
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DIGEST
PUBLISHER Robert T. Benson M.D., M.B.A. MANAGING EDITOR
Delivering culinary experiences
Taylor Steelman MARKETING / ART DIRECTOR Joe Olivas CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tammi Swanson FEATURED WRITERS Aaron Christensen Carmen Stenholm, PhD Janice Brooks Joshua Wright Karla Seamons Kathleen Benson
to the level of an art form
Nathan Bowen, PhD Rebecca Stowers Steven Stradley, MFA CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Cheryl Collins Dennis Smith Kamron Braunberger Martin Ricks Paul Parkinson Wade Wixom CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
that nourish and invigorate your senses.
Beau Pearson C. Darling Dana Sohm Kelli Nakagama For advertising information send inquiries to: Fibonacci Fine Arts Company Attn: Fibonacci Fine Art Digest 1495 S Black Ridge Drive St. George, UT 84770 P 435.656.3377 www.fibonaccifinearts.com info@fibonaccifinearts.com
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Advertisements in Fibonacci Fine Art Digest, are not endorsements by the publisher. The publisher is not responsible or liable for errors or omissions in any advertisement beyond the paid price. Fibonacci Fine Art Digest is published 4 times annually by The Taft Co., LLC and is distributed throughout the Southern Utah and surrounding areas. Any reproduction, electronic, print or otherwise without written concent from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Address requests for special permission to the Managing Editor. To subscribe to the Fibonacci Fine Arts Digest, make changes to your current subscription or purchase back issues, call (435) 656-3377 visit our website at www.fibonaccifinearts.com for details. Copyright © 2014 Fibonacci Fine Art Digest, The Taft Co., LLC. All rights reserved.
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Editor’s Welcome
W
hen you enjoy daily interaction with a unique array of musicians, painters, sculptors, writers and performers, as I do, you begin to notice something peculiar. When gathered together, the masters of their respective art are overcome with child-like wonder at the talent of their compatriots. As the painter Frank Huff admitted after a recent concert by Ukrainian pianist Mykola Suk: “I couldn’t do that in a million years.” I smiled, knowing that Suk had earlier complimented Huff’s paintings the instant he saw them. In a heavy Ukrainian accent, Suk cast a glance at a Huff landscape during rehearsal and exclaimed: “It is just so beautiful!” Arthur Conan Doyle aptly suggested that, “talent instantly recognizes genius.” The artist shows amazement when a writer captures in words what she can only express in color – the writer puzzles over why she struggles with words to illuminate what a painter shows us silently. The musician whose fingers are calloused by decades of practice fixes an incredulous gaze on the glow of an abstract painting – just before he takes the stage to leave an audience breathless. Awe notwithstanding, these artists have more in common than they sometimes realize. To produce great art, regardless of medium, one relies on the time-tested elements: Practice. Patience. Support. Patrons. Humility. Drive. Vision. The Fibonacci Digest’s Summer/Fall issue aims to capture the awe, effort, and creativity of the Mountain West’s finest art and artists. You will read about how an entire city is supporting sculptor Edward Hlavka as he completes a beautiful new monument. Martin Ricks explains how a memory of his father in a Ukrainian garden inspired his latest masterpiece. We learn about Chinese artist Skylar Chang’s mastery of watercolor techniques passed down over the centuries. Jason Rich explains how he cultivated his ability to paint idyllic western scenes through years of working as a cowboy in Logan, Utah. In his words, “You need to feel it, taste it, smell it and experience it so it will show in the painting.” In the performing arts, an individual rarely works alone in a studio to bring art to life. The collaborative process unfolds between a conductor and his orchestra, between an artistic director and his cast, and between a generous benefactor and a local community. The Tuacahn Theatre, Las Vegas Philharmonic and Utah Festival Opera share how these partnerships develop the rich product that entertains crowds from across the globe. In each case, a determined vision ignites and sustains a creative journey. The Fibonacci Digest is following a similar path. Our vision is to highlight the subtle yet powerful genius of the artists of the Mountain West. We believe that the various arts should be explored together because the beauty of one art form, recognized in tandem with another, enhances both. The region is a veritable treasure trove of talent. Many already display their craft on national stages. Let this be your playbill to our world. Visit the great stages, sets, studios and galleries of the Mountain West, and make them a part of your life and home. As Einstein reminds us: “creativity is contagious—pass it on.” And so we do. Taylor Steelman
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Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci with the Fibonacci sequence illustrated.
“Vitruvian Man” by Leonardo da Vinci around 1490
The Sequence A Fibonacci Timeline
T
he Golden Ratio has inspired thinkers of all disciplines like no other number in the history of mathematics. The fascination and the pervasive appearance of Phi, a.k.a. 1.618, a.k.a. the Golden Ratio, is not confined just to mathematicians. Biologists, artists, musicians, historians, architects, psychologists, scientists and mystics have pondered and debated the basis of its universal appeal. One way to describe the ratio is this: The whole item is in exactly the same proportion to each larger piece as each
larger piece is to the smaller pieces. This is a relationship that can be proven with numbers, that gives rise to a series of shapes and dynamics that appear throughout nature and which can be directly translated into rules or proportion used – both intentionally and unknowingly – by artists. These principles of harmony have been acknowledged as fundamental truths as seen in the proportions of our very own bodies and throughout nature. Famous Swiss architect Le Corbusier centered his design
Pythagoras (570–495 BC) was an Ionian Greek philosopher, mathematician, and founder of the religious movement called Pythagoreanism. Pythagoras thought that absolute happiness lay in the contemplation of the harmony of the rhythms of the Universe, “tes teleiotetos arithmon”- the perfection of numbers, the number being both rhythm and proportion. Phidias (490–430 BC) was a Greek sculptor, painter and architect, who lived in the 5th century BC and is said to exhibit Phi ratios in his body of artistic works without a mention of using mathematics. He made the Parthenon statues that seem to embody the Golden Ratio.
Theano of Crotona (546 BC) Italy, she taught mathematics in Samos and Croton and is said to be the author of the treatise on the Golden Mean, an important concept in mathematics. the Golden Mean is found in nature and used in both art and architecture.
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Hippocrates of Chios (470–410 BC) was an ancient Greek mathematician, (geometer), and astronomer. He is reported to have been kicked out of a secretive group for having divulged the construction of the pentagram. The pentagram and pentagon are constructed using Phi ratios.
Plato (427-347 BC) In Timaeus, Plato described five possible regular solids as the basis for harmonious structure of the universe. The Divine Proportion pays a crutial role in the dimensions and formation of these solids.
Euclid (325-265 BC) is often referred to as the “father of geometry”, where he wrote the collection of 13 books named The Elements and was written in Greek around 300 BC. In The Elements, he gave the first recorded definition of the golden ratio, which he called, as translated into English, “extreme and mean ratio”.
St. Hildegard (1098-1179) Hildegard paints the Universal Man, describes the human body in the cosmos and cosmos in the human body. “Now God has built the human form into the world structure, indeed even the cosmos, just an artist would use a particular pattern in his or her work.”
Leonardo of Pisa a.k.a. Fibonacci (1170-1250) mentioned the numerical series and is now famously named after him in his Liber Abaci; the ratio of sequential elements of the Fibonacci sequence approaches the golden ratio asymptotically.
“Universal Man” illumination from Hildegard’s Liber Divinorum Operum, 1165
philosophy on systems of harmony and proportion. His faith in the mathematical order of the universe was closely bound to the golden ratio and the Fibonacci series, which he describes as “rhythms apparent to the eye and clear in their relations with one another… rhythms at the very root of human activities. They resound in man by an organic inevitability.” In philosophy, especially in teachings of Aristotle, the golden mean is the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency. For example, in the Aristotelian view, courage is a virtue, but if taken to excess would manifest as recklessness, and if deficient as cowardice. To the Greek mentality, it was an attribute of beauty, that there is a close association in mathematics between beauty
Luca Pacioli (1445-1517) In Divina proportione, Pacioli gives reasons why the Golden Ration should be called the Divine Proportion.
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535) was a German magician, occult writer, theologian, astrologer, and alchemist.
and truth. French composer Erik Satie used the golden ration in several of his pieces, including Sonneries de la Rose + Croix. The golden ratio is also apparent in the organization of the sections in the music Debussy’s Reflets dans l’eau (Reflections in the Water), from Images (1st series, 1905), in which “the sequence of keys is marked out by the intervals 34, 21, 13 and 8, and the main climax sits at the phi position.” Since 1991, several researchers have proposed connections between the golden ratio and human genome DNA. In 2010, the journal of Science reported that the golden ratio is present at the atomic scale in the magnetic resonance of spins in cobalt niobate crystals. n
Charles Bonnet (1720–1793) points out that in the spiral phyllotaxis of plants going clockwise and counter-clockwise were frequently two successive Fibonacci series.
Roger Penrose (b.1931) discovered a symmetrical pattern that uses the golden ratio in the field of aperiodic tilings, which led to new discoveries about quasicrystals.
Edouard Lucas (18421891) Lucas oficailly dubbed the numerical sequence now known as the Fibonacci sequence with its present name.
Martin Ohm (early 19th century) Ohm is believed by many to have been the first to formally use the words “golden section” to describe the Divine Proportion. Leonardo da Vinci (1445-1517) draws in pen and ink on paper, the Vitruvian Man, depicting a nude male figure in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and simultaneously inscribed in a circle and square. The drawing and text are sometimes called the Canon of Proportions or, less often, Proportions of Man.
Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) proves that the golden ratio is the limit of the ratio of consecutive Fibonacci numbers, and describes the golden ratio as a “precious jewel”: “Geometry has two great treasures: one is the Theorem of Pythagoras, and the other the division of a line into extreme and mean ratio; the first we may compare to a measure of gold, the second we may name a precious jewel.” These two treasures are combined in the Kepler triangle.
Mark Barr (20th century) suggests the Greek letter Phi, the initial letter of the Greek sculptor Phidias, as a symbol for the Golden Ratio (1.618…). Mark Barr was an American mathematician who, according to Theodore Andrea Cook (a British art critic and writer), in about 1909, gave the Golden Ratio its name – “Phi“.
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How and Why to Collect Art by Nathan Bowen PhD
H
ave you ever come to know a painting mostly through pictures of it, and then see it in real life? This has happened to me multiple times, but there is only one instance I remember as being an experience. It occurred when I saw Van Gogh’s Café Terrace at Night at the Seattle Art Museum. It was part of a travelling exhibition. If you do a Google image search on the painting you’ll quickly see that even if you haven’t seen this particular work in person, the differences from photo to photo make it obvious that the true colors get lost in translation. What immediately struck me when seeing the painting in the flesh was, yes, the vibrancy of its colors, but also its three-dimensionality. In a flat image, whether viewed on print or on a computer screen, you don’t get any sense of how much oil Van Gogh slathered on the canvas. For instance, up until that point the stars were never memorable
to me, but in real life they are multi-colored globs protruding, almost exploding off the surface. There is no print I’ve seen that captures the deep richness of the green tree on the right side of the painting, nor does a flat image convey the hastiness of the brushstrokes the way those large swaths of oil do. Seeing the masterpiece in person got me thinking about the act of painting, and the stark contrast between facsimile reproductions and the real thing. I found myself suddenly pondering why Van Gogh would take such an excessive approach to painting, to pouring it on so thick. Did any of the oil spill off the canvas out of shear gravitational force? What angle did he have his canvas set at anyway? Did he have to time his approach by letting some of the oil dry so that he could add a little more onto an already thick cluster? Did he
Two different images of Van Gogn’s “Café Terrace at Night” found online.
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Sunday Dinner by Zachary Proctor 72 x 72 Oil on Canvas
ever take it too far? Were there failed attempts where gravity took hold and caused a star to slide down the canvas and spoil his sky? I also began to think about how stars really can seem larger than life at times, that in the vast expanse of space those stars are gloriously three dimensional. Van Gogh was able to capture elements of life that I also experience, bring them to the foreground, and somehow manage to communicate that to a random observer like me 115 years later. Great art has a way of creating conduits between viewers that outpace common perceptions of time and space to form visceral human-to-human connections. I marvel far more about that than the fact that this was a Van Gogh. Subsequently I have been able to repeat this kind of connection with other, less famous artworks, perhaps rendering the notion that reputation and all the appertaining social baggage are irrelevant. So when I find beauty in the way sprinkler droplets capture the sunlight on a neighbor’s otherwise unremarkable lawn, or when I locate Mars in the night sky and marvel at its distance and eerie red hue, or when I notice myself being impacted emotionally by the busyness of a crowded marketplace, I feel like a painter must feel when he or she focuses on a subject and sets up that blank canvas. The difference between the artist and me is the craft: the ability he or she possesses to portray that ephemeral moment and freeze it in time, and to preserve the essence of a split-second throughout a creation process that takes hours upon hours to complete (and by extension, a lifetime of practice to achieve). Perhaps it is even more difficult to add layers of social commentary, to send warnings, or to instantiate conversations with an unknown audience. The expertise required to put all of that together is something worth validating and encouraging, and that is why I believe in collecting art. *** For the general populace, there is a preconAndy Warhol by Zachary Proctor 24 x 24 Oil on Canvas
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ceived notion that art placement, procurement, and collection is a passion that only the avid pursue. Even for those who fancy themselves to be arts inclined —perhaps those who keep up on the latest indie films, or will make a trip to go to a concert — the concept of collecting art may not have yet taken shape. I know many would love to be in a position to be able to collect art, but all too often that desire falls more into the category of wishful thinking than a reasonable inclination. This attitude stems from the false premise that art collecting requires disposable income, therefore creating a high barrier for entry. The benefits of capital investment and the ever-rising value of collectibles—both monetarily and for posterity—are not always immediately apparent. From an historical standpoint, this logic is perfectly reasonable. After all, for centuries painting and sculpture has flourished primarily at centers of power and wealth. The vast majority of art that endures from the Renaissance, for example, came from church and court sponsorship. Over time, it was the emergence of wealthy aristocrats and the bourgeoisie that provided the financial backbone for art trade. This patronage system—where private collectors carefully select specific works by artists they know—is pretty similar to a significant sector of today’s art commerce. For living artists who have the reputation to earn their keep with the brush fulltime,
they too rely on an upper class interested in sponsoring and commissioning reputable art. At the same time, a vital component contributing to the health and perpetual growth of this system—keep in mind, this is a system that has been around for hundreds of years—is the influx of new investors. The longevity and vitality of the arts depends on bringing in a younger generation that recognizes both the value of the players involved—the curators, galleries, staple art collectors, and the artists themselves—as well as the reasons for getting involved in the first place. Investing in original art can be a tremendous asset for businesses and collectors, signaling one’s commitment to community, eye for quality, and financial stability. The Medici dynasty and their tremendous sponsorship of the arts not only established the careers of masters such as Michelangelo and Da Vinci, but their backing of the arts functioned as a vital advertising tool for their business as bankers. So what makes art collecting doable for a younger generation that doesn’t identify with experienced traders, and is unfamiliar with the ecosystem? How does one get started? If you’re willing to do a little hunting, you can acquire works by artists—especially living artists—with modest investments. A good place to start is with up-and-coming artists whose work is likely to appreciate over time as their career trajectory unfolds. Young notable artists are generally going to produce affordable art early on. They cannot command higher fees for their output until they have established a reputation for their work. They rely on future connoisseurs—even those without disposable income—to take an interest in their work early on and give them a reason to keep pushing to improve. Purchasing miniatures and smaller works is another great way to get started, and as the art appreciates, one’s ability to buy and sell works increases. Art collecting is just as much about value assessment as it is about coming to know the artists and developing a desire to champion their work. When you commit to filling your home with original art rather than mass-produced works, or as one invests in opening a gallery, Far West Motel by Angela Bentley Fife Oil on Canvas
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Salt Lake City 1870 by Kent Christensen 40 x 24 Oil on Panel
it can be a dramatic lifestyle upgrade that positively impacts all parties involved: the artists, the visitors or patrons, and the person who facilitates these connections. Galleries play a vital role in promoting and facilitating art collecting. Curators can help the layman gain a sense for what is worth collecting, which pieces might appreciate in value, and provide the right arena for bringing interested buyers together with legitimate work. As with any product, there is a flood of content available, and curators serve as the filter to assist in creating a value perspective. If you are an interested buyer wanting to make your first foray into acquiring pieces, it is worthwhile to build relationships with dealers to get a sense of what to look for in a purchase, how to gauge your own interest level, and how to navigate the negotiation process. Although some might worry that rise of the internet poses a threat to the distribution model and the vitality of original art collection, it is really just the opposite. In many ways, in spite of the digital revolution and our ever-expanding reliance on manufactured digital devices, the internet has ironically given handmade art a new lease on life. In a post-industrial modern world filled with mass-produced goods, personalization and the art of selection has proven to be a deeply embedded cultural value. Having original work not only provides the aforementioned benefits to the community, but it also ensures your neighbor didn’t buy the same thing! The rise of blogging, Pinterest, and other social media platforms has only increased the ability for artists to market their works, provide images of their works, and directed interested collectors to the right venues to see the works in person. Regardless of your income, it so happens that we are currently experiencing a period of positive growth and momentum in the arts in the Mountain West. Many homegrown artists are gaining notoriety not just locally, but also in major metropolitan circuits. Among many that deserve to be featured, here are three notable local painters to watch: Kent Christensen, based primarily in Sundance, is represented by the London gallery Eleven and has his work displayed routinely in New York. He satirically investigates our modern lifestyle, with all its obsessions, addictions, and pleasures. Christensen manages to blend religious symbolism with ice cream cones, In-n-Out drinks, and Pez dispensers in way that is simultaneously playful and provocative. Up-and-coming Salt Lake City painter Zachary Proctor has
been extremely prolific ever since his exhibition debut at the Springville Art Museum in 2006, with his art having been displayed consistently in shows and galleries across the Western U.S. He uses eye-popping color and contemporary realistic detail to capture moments of everyday experiences, like a Norman Rockwell for the modern day. His work is represented at Terzian Gallery in Park City, Fibonacci’s Haven Gallery in St. George, and the Coda Gallery in Palm Springs. Angela Bentley Fife, whose work is likewise available at Terzian Gallery and Fibonacci’s Haven Gallery, and also at the Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, TX, uses imagery as a medium to express her struggles, emotions, and frustrations and joys. Her subject matter ranges from hypnotizing portrayals of vintage Western gas stations, old Las Vegas marquee signs, to subtle raw commentaries on motherhood and feminism. At the end of the day, if we as a culture desire to foster new great art, and to reap the benefits of a healthy artistic community, we must collectively decide to facilitate the economy that supports artists. Collecting art, even on the smallest scale, provides artists the incentive to perfect their craft and produce enduring, high quality work. n
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Contextual Reconstructions The Defining Elements of Contemporary Art by Steven Stradley MFA
T
o answer, “What is contemporary art?” takes a careful investigation of the function of art today. Perhaps we might be tempted to say that all art created today is contemporary because it was made in the recent past. But the dictionary definition of the word does not seem to reflect the way that global contemporary art is seen and collected institutionally. In reality, art that emerges from a continuous tradition without effecting any thought or change cannot be contemporary – it is an extension of a long-lasting style. Instead, contemporary art responds to and makes one aware of our present-day context of being in the world. To the dismay of some traditional
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art lovers, contemporary art may transcend traditional aesthetics in favor of philosophical and social contexts as means to greater contextual understanding of our global present state. In other words, it privileges concept over beauty. There are only two ways to create a work of contemporary art. One, acknowledge art’s historical context and add to it. Two, acknowledge art’s historical context and make a move against it. By doing this, the artist positions himself, and in turn, positions the viewer, in a contextual dialogue ready for unpacking.
Above: Judy’s Bedroom Installatio by David Reed. Shown at the Hanover, Germany, 2002
Haji-Malij by Hyunmee Lee 72 x 72 Phillips Gallery in Salt Lake City, UT Ai Weiwei - From top to bottom: Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, 1995/2009; Colored Vases, 2007-2010. - Installation view of Ai Weiwei: According to What? at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C., 2012. - Photo by Cathy Carver
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Dancing Reeds by Connie Borup 42 x 42 Phillips Gallery in Salt Lake City, UT
In the former camp, we can turn to the artist David Reed. His work builds a dialogue between art and media cultures, especially film and our interaction with the screen. To look at a David Reed painting recalls the history of expressive modernist painting, Baroque drama, and the action of the brushstroke. However, upon closer observation, it is impossible to determine the method of Reed’s brushwork. It identifies with the history of expression while simultaneously possesses careful configuration, thus dislodging our perception of a particular art history. This careful positioning of ideas plays out in his work through references to not only art history, but also film history. In his work titled Judy’s Bedroom, Reed utilizes a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s classic “Vertigo.” We see Judy in her bedroom but Reed has taken the liberty of inserting his painting above the bed in the scene. He even goes as far as recreating the room in a gallery space, with a replica of the bed, bedspread, and lamp, above which he hangs his painting. Pushing things Geometric Series #112 by Cordell Taylor 9 x 12 x 3 Phillips Gallery in Salt Lake City, UT
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further, he adds a television, playing the reconstructed segment of Judy’s bedroom, where we can again see Reed’s painting hanging on the wall. Reed reflects and adds upon multiple historical art references, commenting on ideas of artifice and illusion in painting, but also on something that
is a normal and everyday part of our lives. He is asking us to think through the historical reconstructions, the artiface of painting, as a way to fully understand our own sense of reality in a constructed world. While David Reed adds to his referents, Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei literally destroys his. In his piece titled Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn, Weiwei drops and, therefore shatters an authentic – and, needless to say, extremely valuable – urn. In other pieces from this same body of work, he dips vases from the Neolithic age into industrial paint or paints the Coca-Cola logo on the vase. His work has been contested as destruction of cultural artifacts, but Weiwei sees them as ready-mades, thus stripping them of their preciousness. Through a process of destruction, or alteration, Weiwei generates new context from a shared understanding of cultural history. In doing so, he uses art to address social concerns particular to being Chinese. During the Cultural Revolution in China, government forces caused major damage to national heritage sites and relics, as the Communist party sought to change hundreds of years of Chinese culture. This kind of government power over culture and society continues. Weiwei wields his art as a tool of social activism to make us aware of issues of the contemporary world. In his words, “The so-called contemporary art is not a form but a philosophy of society.” By dropping the urn, he communicates about the shattering of traditional Chinese cultures, a broken history that has been, and is being, re-contextualized through the cultural revolution and censorship today in China. Weiwei has been imprisoned for what many see as work that is counter-cultural and threatening to the Chinese government. Contemporary art often enlightens the viewer through a social platform, even that which threatens and makes one uncomfortable. Much of the power in contemporary art is its ability to effect change. It gives greater context and awareness to our nuanced, globalized world, a place where we can exchange cultural ideas with the touch of a screen or click of a mouse. The best contemporary art is challenging and poetic, and when one takes the time to dissect it, can alter our own perceptions of being in the world. As an artist, I revel in the rupture of the traditional, the familiar, and the acceptable. When confronted with something new and challenging I must slow down to understand it. Taking that time helps expand my own sense of reality. n
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Mountain West Art & Events Mykola Suk takes a bow after his Beethoven Concert on March 1, 2014
Conn Curran & Rob Bennion perform a Jazz Concert to close Stewart Seidman’s solo show on April 12, 2014
Virtuosi West with Sandra Rivers perform at the Fibonacci Fine Arts Center on March 22, 2014
Josh Wright performing Rachmaninoff at the Fibonaci Fine Arts Center on May 3, 2014
Plein Air at the Haven 10 Painters, 3 Hours, First Look Saturday, May 3, 2014 Detail of Rebecca Hartvigsen’s work at Plein Air
Kimbal Warren focuses on completing a study.
Two Roses by Susette Billedaux Steve Stauffer highlights sagebrush with accent colors.
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Kimbal Warren
Steve Stauffer working with his pallette knife.
Guests listening to a discussion during the Gary & Cheryl Collins Meet the Artist Event at the Haven Gallery Thursday, March 13, 2014
Fibonacci Haven founder Robert T. Benson with artist Gary Collins
Utah Opera’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot from March 15-23, 2014
Utah Opera’s Abduction From the Seraglio at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City, UT. Joseph Gaines, Julius Ahn and Daniel Belcher during rehearsal for Utah Opera’s Turandot. Photos: Kelli Nakagama www.RandomActsOfKelliness.com
Photos: Dana Sohm
Julie and Randy Fields enjoyed the Stewart Seidman: New York State of Mind, Subway Series show on Saturday, April 5, 2014.
A bit of Jazz to add to the ambiance at the Stewart Seidman showing.
They took home not one, but several pieces that now adorn their beautiful home in Entrada.
Patrons of the show enjoying refreshments ar the bar of the Haven Gallery.
Artist Stewart Seidman and his wife Diane DeAngelus. When Haven Gallery owner initially approached Seidman about doing the show, “I said to him, ‘I think you’re nuts,’” said Stewart. “I don’t think people out here are going to want a New York Subway scene in their house. He said ‘You’ll be surprised.’”
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Couture in Motion
Combining Music, Dance, Fine Art & Fashion Friday, May 9, 2014
Ballet West held its third annual fundraising fashion show at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts in Salt Lake City. From Balanchine to Bournonville and Petipa to Tharp, Ballet West boasts a rich and varied repertoire, elegant and versatile artists and an American style and legacy that is as dynamic, expansive and unexpected as the Rocky Mountain region it represents. Ballet West has toured the world several times over presenting the very best in American classical ballet. With 40 company members, 10 second company members, and a thriving academy that trains dancers of all ages, many of whom have gone on to professional careers with Ballet West and companies around the world, Ballet West ranks among the top professional ballet companies in America. Since 2007, Artistic Director Adam Sklute, former dancer, Ballet Master and Associate Director of The Joffrey Ballet has further energized and expanded Ballet West’s remarkable repertoire with works by the most renowned choreographers of today such as Ulysses Dove, Jiri Kylian, Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, and Stanton Welch. Sklute has also introduced the elegant historical masterpieces from the great Ballets Russes of the early 20th Century and continues to preserve Ballet West’s classical legacy. Sklute has further strengthened Ballet West’s heritage by introducing new creations by local, national and international choreographers. For 50 years, founder Willam Christensen and Ballet West have developed and influenced innumerable great artists in the ballet world. Some notable figures include Bart Cook, Finis Jhung, Jay Jolley, Victoria Morgan, Tomm Ruud, Michael Smuin, Richard Tanner, and Kent Stowell. Text: Ballet West
Photos by Beau Pearson
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Art of the National Parks Art Show & Book Signing at Split Rock Gallery Friday, April 23, 2014
Artist Roland Lee’s devotion to Zion National Park is evident in his many landscape paintings featuring the subject. He also sits on the board of the Zion Natural History Association.
Artists featured in the Zion National Park portion of the book Art of the National Parks Back row: Kathryn Stats, Royden Card, Roland Lee, Joshua Been, Linda Glover Gooch. Front row: Ron Rencher, Arlene Braithwaite, John Cogan
Artist Royden Card speaking with St. George Mayor Jon Pike
Gallery director Sheri Taylor (Split Rock) and gallery owner Jane Bell Meyer (Illume, Mission, & Authentique) share a moment to celebrate the evening.
Jill Burt, the director of Operations and Fundraising for the Zion Natural History Foundation, speaks with painter and book author Terry Lawson Dunn. Stephen Wade catching up wtih Jane Bell Meyer
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S O U T H E R N U TA H ’ S P R E M I E R F I N E A R T S C E N T E R
summer series June Events
Sat., June 14th
Wed., June 25th
Sat., June 28th
8:30pm
7:30pm
7:30pm
Art is the Tree of Life
Two Pianos and a Violin
DOCUTAH Film Screening
Faculty Chamber Concert
The Lambert Sisters Concert
July Events Sat., July 12th
Fri., July 25th
8:30pm
Fri. - Sat. July 18-19th
Cello Tales
Frank Huff
New West Guitar Group
DOCUTAH Film Screening
7:30pm
Jazz Guitar Concert
Artist Workshop
August Events Thur. - Sat. Aug. 14-16th
Fri., Aug. 22nd
El Sistema
Jason Bowen
A Musical Revue
DOCUTAH Film Screening
Artist Workshop
Sat., Aug. 9th 8:30pm
7:30pm
Brandon Lee (Piano) & Friends
Call or visit website for event details and ticket information.
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435.656.3377 • FibonacciFineArts.com • 1495 S. Black Ridge Drive • St. George, UT
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Editor’s Choice
Jeffery R Pugh -- “Spring Cleaning” 20 x 14, Oil on Canvas Sold Spring of 2014 via Evergreen Gallery, Salt Lake City Kenn & Allison Dayton Collection
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Beauty & Balance The Art of Angela Bentley Fife by Carmen Stenholm PhD
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oised and talented, Angela Fife embodies the best of a modern woman who wants it all and gets it. In many ways, describing Fife and her art seem interchangeable. One cannot exist without the other. As I drive up to Fife’s house, children’s furniture waits in the driveway for the youngest of three girls. The oldest has seen fifteen years while a fourth baby waits to be born in just a few months. They are clearly the center of this family’s life. At the door, the renowned artist greets me and welcomes me past a wall of art and into a high ceilinged living room abutting a well-appointed kitchen. We sit facing each other on leather couches and I look into the eyes of a woman who is clearly more complex than my expectations. She pauses thoughtfully when I ask her, “What do you want the world to know about you?” Her lips twitch into a near smile as she ponders. “Balance. That’s important to me. A sense that my roles as artist, mother and wife, even though they are different, are not in conflict with one another but equally central to my life”. Viewers who see Fife’s work without knowing her personally might be tempted to consider her only in the context of her excellence as an award winning artist. This is far from the truth since the other “roles” she plays are critical to her art and her art informs the more private expressions of her life. Her American Mormon heritage of passion and commitment has been strengthened by world travels and studies abroad where she found inspiration for her work and the husband who now shares her life. So I wonder, “What is the secret to achieving this balance?”
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“Not feeling guilty when one urge surpasses the others and I am compelled to give my attention where my heart and mind and soul demand.” Really, it’s all about “flow” vs. “control,” she tells me. We talk further about this age-old human dilemma and agree that there is no easy way to balance what
“Fife’s work contrasts feminine charm with the inner warrior of girls and women of all ages.” often seem like conflicting demands in our lives. Still, it is clear that Angela Fife is equally accomplished in the most important and demanding aspects of the life she lives. When true balance fails her, the woman and artist knows how to
make corrections in her life and on her canvases. She gives herself one day a week to focus exclusively on her art. The first floor studio is bright and filled with inspirational pieces. In addition to paintings, Fife has set aside a portion of her studio and filled it with a collection of objets d’art that includes frilly dresses, seamstress “figures” clothed in vintage pieces and jewelry scattered in clusters everywhere I look. They bear testimony to Angela’s passion for painting these gems and baubles in much of her work. This space exudes femininity and softness broken only by splashes of brilliant color here and there. They’re like the canvas on her easel, half finished but already full of color, bursting with life. While “technique is just a tool” to Fife, her newest pieces incorporate a process that divides her painting into squares, proportionately reflecting similar squares on her photo subject. It allows her to work in defined sections that will eventually mimic the original, or Fifes’ interpretation of the original. This is a fine example of Fife’s control of her subject and process. While her process can be viewed in three distinct steps, first dividing her canvas into a mathematically precise grid, then filling in each grid with the colors and forms of her vision and, finally, allowing the viewer to interpret his or her own vision from her work, it is this final step that speaks to Fife’s greatness as an artist. She never demands her viewer to share her vision but provides the visual motivation for each of us to awaken our own memories and passions. The balance that is
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Modern Jackpot 30 x 30 Oill on Canvas Haven Gallery, St George, UT
so important to Fife then becomes a goal as well as a process for the artist and viewer alike. Perhaps most importantly, Fife’s work contrasts feminine charm with the inner warrior of girls and women of all ages. A wonderful example is her painting Alter Ego. On one side a preteen girl is dressed in a delicately ruffled dress, dainty slippers clothing her feet and shining hair falling in ringlets past her shoulders and sweet smile. On the other side of the painting is the same girl in pigtails wearing an Indian feather headdress. No smile, just a calm intensity and enigmatic look in eyes that stare directly into the heart of the beholder. “I like to paint the eyes of my subjects looking directly out of my canvases. Some people don’t like that because it makes them uncomfortable. I prefer the intimacy that allows the person looking at my work to fill in the gap between my vision and what that image might mean to them.” There is more to women than the obedient girl. Fife doesn’t say this outright, but she doesn’t have to. The perceptive viewer sees it in her painting. While many women don’t recognize or express their inner warrior, Fife reminds us that it’s always there. Her paintings remind their viewers of what is often hidden or veiled by charm and sweetness. This artist is all about balance. It is the timeless quest of women and while Fife’s paintings show us that, the act of painting gives the same to her. Again we are reminded of the relationship between the artistic vision Fife brings to her understanding of human complexity, and the capacity of the public to relate their own ideas Alter Ego 30 x 30 Oil on Canvas Haven Gallery, St George, UT
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allows herself to compartmentalize and focus on details that best serve her needs in manageable bites. Eventually, however, this tapestry of a million tasks and chores morphs into a portrait of her life as a balanced whole. While her paintings translate her emotions and reactions to the world, she never demands that those who appreciate her work agree with her interpretations. In fact, what she values most is that those who spend time with her work find a place for their own experiences in them. And when their interpretation of her work is different from her own, she celebrates the ability to touch another human being who sees a value in her canvases beyond what she intended.
to hers, when she claims that the “disconnect between [art] buyers and me inspires me.” While the difference in understanding between the artist and the world she paints for may discourage some artists, Angela Fife uses her art to bridge the gap in understanding experiences that, in some way or another, touch all our lives. In fact, she counts on her galleries to translate what is, essentially, her soul’s expression to potential buyers. She no longer participates in festivals but “feeds the galleries” so that a third party can add an additional perspective to her work. “Boredom is a facilitator of change” for Fife, and has prompted her to explore numerous styles and techniques in painting. These are indeed the expression of her soul. Her latest technique of compartmentalizing her paintings into squares that can be worked individually, while eventually producing a superbly defined “whole”, is a reflection of how this artist defines and lives her life. While yearning for and producing balance, Angela Fife
You can see it perfectly in the painting of the girl whose outer reality is a conforming one, while her inner perspective includes an Indian feathered headdress. Fife painted the “Indian” girl of her own daughter wearing a costume that she, Fife, had worn for Halloween for years as a child. “It always gave me a sense of personal strength” she confides. The first time I saw the painting I had not met the artist. But the painting brought a wave of memories of myself as an immigrant girl to America wearing home-made Indian headdresses that always gave me a sense of strength to face my new world and its challenges. So here we have completely different experiences of something that is a public image and has vastly different meanings to the two of us - except for one element. For both Fife and me, her painting recalls one common and powerful feeling of strength. With humility that belies her status as a celebrated artist, Fife never mentioned to me that she has been featured in Southwest Art Magazine and juried into Springville Salon, winning an honorable mention award. And when she mentions, almost as an aside, that she now only works exclusively for galleries, she fails to mention that they include Terzian Gallery in Park City, Wally Workman in Austin and Fibonacci Haven in St. George. It seems that her efforts to balance her life and her art are working well for Fife. And especially so for her fans and colletors. n
Angela Bentley Fife Photos by C. Darling
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Chinese Watercolor Technique Spotlight of Skylar Chang by Kathleen Benson
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rom Chengdu, China to Zion’s heartland, Liu Chang, known by his American associates as Skylar, came to study at Dixie State University and to teach painting classes in the evening school. He possesses talents well in excess of his 28 years of age. Chang is an only child born to traditional Chinese parents. He studied watercolor from an early age with encouragement from parents who sacrificed for his education in art. His technique, a bamboo Chinese brush on rice paper, is a 2000-yearold Chinese art form. Two different types of brushes are used in this technique: one for outlines and another for filling in and blending colors. These two main types of brushes come
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in different shapes and sizes, but they all fall under the two basic types. After a light drawing in pencil, the first brush is applied to the rice paper, forming the outlines. Afterwards the second brush is applied, brushing color repeatedly across the paper, thereby increasing the depth and quality of the color tones, and adding dynamic life to the composition. Techniques in Chinese watercolor vary, but some elements of composition are common. The overall organization of the painting and the direction of the subject are important in conveying meaning. Another key aspect in the composition is the presence of negative space. This essential element is used to lead the viewer into a world in the painting where
Early in the Morning 34 x 18 Watercolor Haven Gallery St George, UT
Skylar Chang demonstrating his technique with two brushes in one hand.
“I feel I can paint with imagination from my heart...”
Blue Flowers 25 x 52 Watercolor
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Pink Flower on Blue 25 x 25 Watercolor Photo by Skylar Chang
Bottom: Butterflies Watercolor Photo by Skylar Chang
there is room for him to imagine and contemplate. In line with Taoist philosophy, the focus of Chinese brush painting is to capture the imaginative essence of the object rather than its visual reality. Skylar strives to paint his flowers with texture, soul and energy. This method is more labor intensive than western watercolor and takes a great deal of time and patience. The flowers and butterflies present in many of Chang’s paintings come from his numerous photographs of nature. He shoots and then goes to work with the Chinese brush. “I feel I can paint with imagination from my heart to capture the inherent beauty of my photos.” n
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The Arts Advocate Q & A with Bobbi Wan-kier by Kamron Braunberger
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obbi Wan-kier is a certified Change Leader through the Utah Division of Arts and Museums and the primary organizer of the Arts to Zion tour. The tour is in its third year and has attracted thousands of people to Washington County, Utah to visit artists’ studios and galleries. In 2014, 47 studios participated and more than 1,000 people visited locations on the tour. Its ultimate goal is to “create synergistic, year-round promotion for Washington County, UT artists, galleries, art associations, museums and sponsors.” How has the tour impacted the art community? The events we create and the others we promote are intended to bring together people who are interested in artwork, the artists and the galleries. I see Arts to Zion acting as ’glue’ connecting the artists, galleries and museums, for the world to see. This ‘glue’ effect has improved crossover for artists and cohesion among our Arts to Zion county hubs, Kayenta in the west, Springdale in the east and St George being the central hub. One of the aims of the Arts to Zion tour is to get more people from all over the world to stop in and notice the fabulous talent that exists here. We want to help them to recognize St. George for the art community that it is. The Arts to Zion tour is already progressively accomplishing this. This year, we had over 10,000 people talking about the tour on Facebook, and two thirds of the Arts to Zion visitors were nonlocals. Before this project I think that events of this sort were more confined, and artists were more isolated. Four years ago, things were just not the same. It really helps to have the artists, musicians and galleries work together on the Arts to Zion tour. It has made a big impact on the community for the better. I have been around the country and I haven’t seen this effect happening anywhere else in the country like it is here. Are you an artist? If so, what is your preferred medium? I am definitely a Creative and I’m also a promoter. I like to
say I “paint with people.” I enjoy creating “multi-media”, in my artwork (mosaic mostly), in marketing and in building my teams. I was an interior designer and shop owner, as well as a Realtor and planning commissioner, in my “real” career in Chicago. Now that I’m semi-retired, I like to use the skills that I’ve developed over the years to continue to connect people. I own and operate a company called Art ESCAPES-3D and we currently have been building dinosaurs for St George Dinosaur Site at Johnson Farms and other large 3D creations, such as a dragon for the St George Children’s Museum. My husband, and several other Arts to Zion artists form the “creative team” at Art ESCAPES-3D. What do you think other cities can learn from Chicago when it comes to the arts? I think what Chicago does is really interesting in that it embraces its artistic and cultural diversity and brings it together by creating art events that get the world to participate. The Chicago area places a high priority on recognizing, promoting and funding their art and cultural events as assets to their community. I think that St George, and the surrounding Southern Utah area, has great historic value, recreational value and the artistic and cultural diversity here is astounding. When I first came to southern Utah from Chicago I was shocked to find such incredible talent in the artists and musicians here. There is a lot of potential in the growth of the art and music that is already here. We just need to embrace the talent and diversity, as Chicago has already done. n
Bobbi Wan-kier Photo by C. Darling
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Making of a Monument The Public Sculptures of Edward Hlavka by Taylor Steelman
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It starts as a lump of clay. Like dry, thick dough ready for kneading, it absorbs gentle pushes from the sculptor and molds to his intention. His fingers follow familiar motions, muscle memory translating an image already in his mind. We see an amorphous beige mass; he sees figures, hands, necks, and the spaces between them. Eight months later, the rest of us will get it. We won’t be able to miss it. Five characters, facing every cardinal direction, converging in the center of the roundabout with a backdrop of assertive red mountains. Edward Hlavka will have done more than create a clever and poignant representation of this city – he will have embodied it in a beautiful monument that stops drivers in their tracks. It won’t be the first time. ***
“Cities have personalities like people do. We intend to become a destination community, and to do so, the city must distinguish itself in ways that attract people to it.” Mayor Chris Hart of Ivins, Utah, knows firsthand what it means to feel attracted to the beauty of a city. He grew up in Cache
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Valley but moved to Ivins seventeen years ago looking for opportunities in real estate development. A broker drove him down through Snow Canyon State Park, and as soon as they reached the clearing into town, he ended his search. “It took me back to when I was a small boy, and my parents took me through Bryce Canyon for the first time,” Mayor Hart recalls. “I told him to stop driving… I knew this was the place I wanted to build my home.” He has since built many more homes, having developed most of the neighborhoods around the Tuacahn Amphitheatre. The city has doubled in population since the year 2000, and now at least 8,000 residents inhabit the community for all or part of the year. Yet he is leaving his biggest mark on the town by redirecting the focus from the residential boom to the natural and man-made beauty of the area. He and Edward Hlavka have a symbiotic partnership. *** Once Hlavka learned what the city was looking for in the monument, he set out to build a model. He doesn’t recall much about imagining what each of the figures would look like. It’s as if he clearly saw them in his mind and then
worked the clay into a foregone conclusion of a sculpture. The design was ambitious, and he took a risk in building it when he did; the city had neither agreed to his concept nor to him being the sculptor. Which meant spending four months on a project that might never be paid for. In the sunny vacation town he lives in, January through April are prime selling months, so the loss would be all the more acute if his plan didn’t pan out. Fortunately, Hlavka’s gamble paid off doubly. Usually public monuments like this are put out to bid among regional artists, but once Hlavka introduced his idea, no one could get it out of their heads. The City Council selected Hlavka’s concept, having seen the sole moquette he made, making him the only choice to create the sculpture. In many ways, the process of creating the monument is an extended practice of taking risks. The gutsiness of building an unapproved model is nearly matched by the investment in a larger-than-life sculpture that barely pays for itself. The entire project will be completed on less than a quarter of a million dollars. When it all adds up, Hlavka is doing this for minimum wage. He understands that the value is largely in launching other jobs. Even when you don’t see the immediate return, he says, “You’ve got to go for it. That’s what I do every time.”
*** The reputation of Ivins as an “arts town” was first and foremost cultivated by its private businesses. The town was settled in the early twentieth century but only became a city in 1998. Tuacahn Amphitheatre opened in 1995, over a decade after Terry Marten began the neighborhood of Kayenta. The community and its heartbeat, the Coyote Gulch Art Village, has attracted artists and arts lovers who in turn built arts
In August of 2013, with a nervous trust, he sent the model off to the Alpine Foundry for scanning and enlargement. Nowadays, monumental sculptures are often enlarged using a 3-D scanner and printer, (a CNC machine). The scanner picks up every last thumbprint from the model, and outputs a proportional enlarged version made of dense foam. Hlavka has mixed feelings about the use of 3D printers for monuments. While it still takes hard work and skill to transform a foam structure into a lifelike sculpture, “It makes it easier for anyone to be a sculptor,” he says with some regret. But if he wants to do more than one monument a year, there is no other sensible or affordable way to do it. During the three months while the moquette is being enlarged, Hlavka can work on other projects. But when it comes back to him, “it’s like a siege.” In June of 2014, he is in the full throes of that siege.
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With Spanish guitar on the radio, he spends all his working hours in the studio – and most of the rest of his time thinking about the studio. He compares the process to a marinade; only after it sits there for a while, do you know what the sculpture needs.
festivals that have become major annual events in the town. Tuacahn has since opened a high school for the performing arts and high-end hotels like the Red Mountain Resort and The Biggest Loser have integrated fine art into their design and guest offerings. Mayor Hart and the city were quick to seize onto the developments they saw in the community. A prominent real estate group commissioned the first public monument Hlavka designed, which now marks the entry to the city of Ivins. Hart describes it as “the hood ornament on the city.” It makes a powerful impact to drive down Snow Canyon Parkway and to see gorgeous and powerful life-size mustangs, carrying a bare-chested Native American rider with his hair whipping behind him.
a 1930s era pioneer with a Fresno scraper (a plow used to dig trenches that brought water to the desert); a dancer beckoning out toward Tuacahn; a hiker sitting to admire the gateway to Snow Canyon ahead of him; and – Hlavka’s favorite – a painter whose brush stretches straight toward the mountain and the sky above it. Tying it all together, Hlavka has woven the landscape beautifully through the characters. A covey of quail is shown floating up from a tussle of sagebrush, which, as it winds itself toward the sky, morphs into a flame reflected in the dancer’s wild hair. It might seem curious that there should be two major commissioned monuments within a short walk from each other in a town of 8,000 people and 10 total square miles. But these are just the beginning of what Hart envisions as an arts corridor. Ivins is now applying for an “Our Town” grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, which would enhance its promotion of public art. The slogan the city adopted for the grant application is “artful living.” ***
Only half a mile down the road, the new monument to be erected in September will depict a more holistic representation of Ivins’ history. The five characters include a native American boy, who will face the present-day Shivwitz Indian reservation;
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After six to eight weeks, the larger-than-life Styrofoam mold returns from the foundry. The structure is there, but now the sculptor has to make it real. He builds the armatures for each of the characters on a worktable, attaching them oneby-one to the larger form. He shaves thickness out of the foam and sets in more clay to build out certain areas. He will tape newspaper over the foam in sections that need more heft. Layer by layer, he shapes the clay that will become the final surface. With Spanish guitar on the radio, he spends all his working hours in the studio – and most of the rest of his time thinking about the studio. He compares the process to a marinade; only after it sits there for a while, do you know what the sculpture needs.
He deals with endless details that most people will only notice when they get up close. Hlavka, however, will notice them every time he drives by. He has had to learn to be less critical of his public monuments. He might see newlyweds pose for photos in front of his sculptures, but he also sees all the things he “didn’t do right.” As we talk, he continually reaches toward the part of the sculpture nearest him, the Indian boy’s head. He paws and pinches a 2x2 inch area of clay, casting occasional glances in its direction. This doesn’t make any noticeable change in its appearance, but it does seem to calm his restless fingers. He doesn’t admit it, but Hlavka is a perfectionist. For one who is never entirely satisfied with his work, deadlines can be maddening, and he is on a deadline to complete the monument in time for an unveiling in September. There are parts of the commissioned design he doesn’t like all that much; he puts those parts off. Some days, going into the studio feels more like work than others. And earlier this year, he turned fifty.
A neighbor and collector of his work helped bring him out of that rough time. Rick Hughes retired to Ivins after a career of corporate marketing with brands like Cheerios. After buying a sculpture by Hlavka, Hughes saw a way he could help a talented struggling artist. Emotionally and professionally, Hughes whipped him into shape and started working as Hlavka’s agent. He’s helped negotiate commission jobs for Hlavka, placed his work in great galleries, and managed the finances of his business. For all of this, he has never asked for a percentage cut. If Hughes is one of Hlavka’s guardian angels, his daughter Bella is another. She and her dad share a love for classic rock music, and a quietude that belies a more precocious personality. The 15-year-old has a natural artistic talent, but she doesn’t plan on making a career out of it. When she was younger, Hlavka noticed that she could approach a sculpture and fix a detail without him even having to explain what needed to be done. In these final months of completing the monument, she will be with him in the studio helping him to grind out the finished product. You get the sense that the sculptor is as grateful for the technical support as for the company.
“You’ve got to go for it. That’s what I do every time.”
But this is better than a few years ago. Before the recession hit, he was on a fiveyear streak of success and big checks. He was getting commissions for national monuments and university statues. His work from that period is featured in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., the Statutory Hall in U.S. Capitol Building, and in a presidential museum in South Dakota. Then in 2008, the art market dried up with the rest of the economy, and Hlavka describes the time as “a sinkhole right in the middle of my life.” He had too little work, too much to drink, and virtually no control over his business.
***
Ivins may have unwittingly become an incubator for the arts by devoting resources toward health and recreation. The town has developed an extensive trail system, and has strict ordinances that require all physical development to respect their natural surroundings. There is a night sky ordinance that keeps light pollution to a minimum. City officials
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are proud residents who realize that the most valuable attraction of the town is its stunning landscape. Beyond its allure for wealthy spa-goers and retired professionals, this deliberate planning keeps residents and visitors focused on the impressive views that can be caught from any spot in Ivins. The presence of Snow Canyon, the Kayenta Range, and the Anasazi Valley make for an inspirational setting for artists and art lovers alike. As Mayor Hart said, “There’s just a feeling here that I don’t get other places. Almost like there’s a sacred character to the land.” Amid such beauty, one might wonder why the city chooses to add man-made art to the natural surroundings. Speaking to the neighbors in town, you sense at least three distinct reasons: pride, positioning, and pleasure. In the first place, monumental art is both a source and expression of pride in the community. As much as residents identify with living near a landmark like Snow Canyon, they likewise will tell you they live “next to the mustangs roundabout.” The forthcoming monument by Hlavka was designed from suggestions from community members about the stories that matter most to Ivins’ history; the completed work of art will tell that story more clearly than any hike through the canyons will.
Ivins – and its real estate – gains further value by positioning itself among cities with rich cultural offerings. It is easy for outsiders to dismiss the small town in the desert as a sleepy retirement community, but to invest in public art reveals vitality and creativity that one seeks in larger metropolises. In truth, Hlavka is only one of many talented artists living and working in this town. If an “art community” wants to nurture its artists and attract those who love art, the best way it can do so is by putting it on display. Great art is loved for the emotions it conjures in its viewers. Hlavka’s sculptures incite tremendous pleasure in those who view them. His characters are strong, his composition surprising, and his talent for representing the human spirit in bronze is absolutely magnetic. Whether or not one feels attached to the symbolism of the piece, or cares about the city that erected it, it’s hard to ignore that this monument lends new and greater beauty to its home. If the age-old quest of the artist is to bring beauty and truth into the world, it is apparent to anyone who sees his work that Hlavka succeeds in this endeavor. *** The last step is to bronze and patina. The Alpine Foundry will take the 500-pound foam-clay sculpture and turn it into one ton of hollowed-out bronze. Hlavka has asked Nathan Bennet to do the patina, an artist whose work is shown in galleries Scottsdale, Park City and Santa Fe. Hlavka calls him one of the best in the world, but only has to go as far as Mapleton, Utah to work with him. Hlavka is familiar with the processes of traditional foundries, having launched his art career in the foundries of Loveland, Colorado. Starting on the team of Fritz White, he learned how to enlarge a study to monument size. He would make molds, pour wax in molds, place the mold in a pressurized oven, and wait for the steam-blast to cook out the negative space. Lost wax casting is something of a lost art, but Hlavka remains committed to the foundries that carry it forward. In Loveland, Hlavka learned more than the technical side of the trade; he befriended the sculptors whose influence is still present in his work. Seeing his talent at the age of 21, some of the master sculptors in town, like George Lindeen, Hollis Willowford, Kent Olberg and others, took him under their wing. Hlavka will tell you, “I never doubted that I could make a career out of art,” and it seemed the old pros saw that
Edward Hlavka in studio Photos by C. Darling
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potential in this college dropout from South Dakota. They invited him to join them for breakfast every day at Josie Dillon’s restaurant. He never looked back. “Fifteen years ago I saw a job posting that said, ‘Sculptors wanted,’” Hlavka recounts, and with that, he came to southern Utah for a one-year gig building sculptures for Vegas casinos. Hating the corporate scene, he plunged back into his art, which proved to him a mantra that he keeps to this day: you should always be working on something you believe in. He tells me, “The minute you start trying to make things that will sell, they won’t.” Given the pace of development in southern Utah, and the focus on the arts by community leaders like Mayor Hart, one could imagine similar job postings going up soon: “Artful living. Sculptors wanted.” Only this time, the job description would be to make things they love and believe in, which is ultimately what improves the community and lifestyle for the rest of us. n
Allies in War, Partners in Peace on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C.
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Fine Art Bonnie Conrad
SusetteBilledeauxGertsch
The Doll Collector 16 x 20 Oil
Featured in: Haven Gallery, St. George, UT
Stars, Strips and Blazes 24 x 40 Oil
Sorrel Sky Gallery, Durango, CO
The Honeymoon 20 x 24 Oil
Mountain Trails Gallery, Sante Fe, NM & Sedona, AZ
Works of Art Featured at:
Logan Fine Art Logan, UT
Haven Gallery St. George, UT
Delta Gallery of the Arts Brentwood, CA
Member of Plein Air Painters of Utah Alderwood Fine Art, Salt Lake City, UT
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Studio/Gallery by Appointment The Midway Artist 850 Homestead Drive • Midway, Utah 84049 PleinAirParadise.com 801.755.6730
Painting the Legacy of the American West Jason Rich
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by Rebecca Stowers
he American West holds a romance and mystique that intrigues people from all over the world. For more than the pay, cowboys drive cattle and rope calves because it’s a way of life - an obsession. Jason Rich captures the subtle nuances of the American West in paint. Every stroke, edge and color, framed together, masterfully depict the modern cowboy and his horse. Raised in an agricultural community of southern Idaho, Rich spent much of his childhood on a horse, driving cattle in the summers. As early as his mother can remember, Rich was sketching horses. For a grade school talent competition, he sang Home on the Range as his horse drawings were projected on a screen. His adolescent exhibit did not win an award but significant accolades for Rich’s talent would come.
In 2011, Rich was inducted into the Cowboy Artists of America (CA), a meaningful recognition in the western fine art circle. The CA is the first Western Art show to “authentically preserve and perpetuate the culture of western life in fine art” as stated as its mission. Today, western art is a valued and competitive genre with a growing number of elite shows, like the Autry Museum in Los Angeles, and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum’s Prix de West show in Oklahoma City, championing good artists and hosting avid collectors. The CA is just one of many honors and awards Rich has earned since coming onto the art scene. But his virtuosity with the brush had its foundations from the exceptional instruction and mentoring of Glen Edwards, a remarkable artist and professor of Illustration at Utah State University. His department produced many successful commercial and fine artists, some of which have gone on to receive national recognition. Thinking that his best option for an art career would be in teaching, Rich received a bachelor degree in Art Education with an emphasis in Illustration. He returned to his hometown high school as an art teacher but soon realized that he did not have the time he wanted to paint. His former high school art teacher and earliest mentor encouraged Rich to pursue his dream as a full-time artist. Rich returned to Utah State and Edward’s department to advance his talent with a Masters of Fine Arts. In the 1990s, the fine art economy was thriving while the illustration market was shifting with computers. Edwards encouraged his students to adapt the commercial art skills of illustration into the gallery market. The educational blend of skilled fine artistry with business practicality provided the means for Rich to seek a successful painting career. Rich put together a portfolio of his work and headed to Jackson, Wyoming. He found a gallery that was willing to represent him. His foot was in the door. With a career starting at a relatively young age, it can be difficult to maintain exceptional and innovative work that keeps collectors interested. Recognizing this challenge, Rich Riverside Rider 25 x 16 Oil on Canvas
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Working Sun To Sun 25 x 30 Oil on Canvas
Under A Texas Sky 36 x 48 Oil on Canvas
painters paint from life,” he explains. Plein air forces an artist to capture what is important while the senses are heightened. Nature and its light change so quickly that an artist must rely on good editing skills. To create a concept for a painting, Rich gathers hundreds of pictures from a shoot, examines his studies and works from memory to mingle the twitch of the horses’ muscles, the dust, a horse’s gait, a cowboy’s look or posture. Each time he brings the essence of the cowboy’s lifestyle into an artistically inspiring piece.
continues to perfect techniques with his oils. He is constantly studying other artists, past and present, learning the unique touches that position their art to stand the test of time. He admires the greats like Charlie Russell, Frederic Remington and Howard Terpning who pioneered the western art movement. Frank Tenney Johnson has also been influential, especially with his color palette and night scenes. Frank McCarthy and Tom Lovell inspire him as illustrators and western artists. Among many of his contemporaries, Rich examines the work of Jim Reynolds, Bill Anton, Oleg Stavrowsky, Tibor Nagy and Don Weller for their loose abstract strokes, editing and quality of paint. “The greatest painters are the ones that can edit,” explains Rich. He values personal interpretation and believes an artist must leave something for the viewer to bring to the art because it allows for a variety of reactions. Rich’s research is mostly done on the back of a horse, although he is continually observing color values, light and movement. When describing his study process, Rich says, “You need to feel it, smell it, taste it and experience it so it will show in the painting.” On roundups, cattle drives, and trail rides, Rich takes his camera to capture the mannerisms of the cowboys and movement of the livestock. He will often paint a few studies on location to keep his painting loose and in the moment. “Most great Jason Rich riding his horse Lizzie in the Wellsville foothills..
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Like a true cowboy, Rich is passionate about horses. A cowboy’s familiarity will recognize a genuine depiction of the structure and movement of a horse. Rich admits, “if a cowboy with boots and spurs walked past my artwork and said, ‘now that guy can paint horses,’ that would be the ultimate compliment”. Whether it is depicting a cattle drive or a horse drinking in the river, Rich’s years working with horses and understanding the movements and gestures help him create it on canvas. However, as Rich pointed out, the other fundamental part of drawing is to paint what you see, not what you know. Rich looks at the negative space and draws until the horse emerges. Rich and his family have settled in Cache Valley, Utah, a landscape that offers plenty of inspiration. His ranch-style home and studio have full panoramas of the valley and opposing mountain range. Comfortable in a plaid western shirt, Levis and cowboy boots, he invited me to sit opposite of three of his paintings hanging on the wall. He casually rocked in his leather-fringed recliner and talked art and horses like old habits. With western roots, Rich naturally stepped into the genre and established his niche as a masterful western artist. He has become a trailblazer in preserving the legendary cowboy with his oils. Without artists and venues that support and encourage the tradition, it may become a forgotten age. Rich believes the times are always changing and he is painting history. The modern cowboy may look different in 30 years. Rich hopes he will pass on his artistic legacy to all who appreciate and love the American West. Rich has been awarded Western Artist of the Year - Academy
“if a cowboy with boots and spurs walked past my artwork and said, ‘now that guy can paint horses,’ that would be the ultimate compliment.”
of Western Artists 2014, Cache Valley Cowboy Rendezvous - Poster Artist 2014, Silver Medal in Oil Painting - Cowboy Artists of America Art Exhibition and Sale 2013, Jackson Hole Arts Festival Poster Artist 2013, Heber Valley Cowboy Poetry Gathering - Poster Artist 2012, Silver Medal in Oil Painting - Cowboy Artists of America Art Exhibition and Sale 2012, TCAA Award “Best Portrayal of a Cowboy Subject -” Cowboy Artists of America Art Exhibition and Sale 2012, Cowboy Artists of America Member – October 2011, “Spirit of the West Award” -Masters of the American West Invitational Art Exhibit 2008, National Cattleman’s Beef Association - Poster Artist 2002, “Founders Favorite” - Arts for the Parks 1998, “Ralph “Tuffy” Berg Award: Best New Artist” - CM Russell Auction 1998, Grand Prize - Arts for the Parks 1997 Rich’s work is represented by Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ, Jackson, WY and Bozeman, MT, Fama Fine Art in Houston, TX and Insight Gallery in Fredericksburg, TX.
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Bringing In The Stragglers 18 x 14 Oil on Canvas
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Art Lifts the Soul
The Best That Nature & Man Have to Offer by Wade Wixom
W
hen your home overlooks the 18th hole at southern Utah’s Entrada Golf Course, it isn’t easy to find something to hang on the wall that’s as interesting as the view outside. The home of Bob Weatherbee and his wife Veda Barrie-Weatherbee has a stunning view of the spectacular red cliffs and lava fields of Snow Canyon, but somehow they’ve managed to create a place so tastefully rich and beautiful that the outside setting simply enhances what is inside. Bob and Veda have enjoyed the past six winters living at Entrada, returning home to Salt Lake City for the warmer half of the year. Both homes display numerous pieces from all over the world, but their St. George residence features paintings of the American Southwest, mostly from well-known Utah artists. While many people may look for art that matches their furniture, Bob and Veda seem to have designed their home and its furnishings around their impressive collection. Veda laughs when asked if she is running out of places to put more art. “It’s becoming a consideration,” she says, but Bob insists
that they won’t be building another house for their growing collection. After Veda spent an hour showing me the artwork, Bob joined us for questions. Are you familiar with the Fibonacci Fine Arts Digest? Veda: Yes. I picked up your magazine as I was leaving the Haven Gallery, and I was flipping through it when I realized “Oh my gosh! That’s our painting! We own that one! It was one of Dennis Smith’s. It’s in our other home.” What motivated you to begin collecting art? Veda: Bob is the one that got me really interested in art. He likes to look at it and I like to own it! Bob: I think it just happened. I love to travel, and my traveling started out being dominated by wanting to see the great beauty spots of the world. I’ve been to a lot of them, but as time went on we started going to a lot of 3rd world mountainous regions for hiking treks, then Europe and the great museums. So there was this aesthetic in the real world, the natural world, the landscape, the land forms and then the museums and the artist’s rendering of these things. I guess one starts flowing into the other. We started acquiring pieces and getting them back home one way or another, and they were, in many ways, a more significant and substantial representation of the pictures we took. The art pieces bring it all back. You’re transported back to that moment, that place, that village, that workshop where you bought it, so it’s just a great way of reconnecting your travels. So we’ve surrounded ourselves with these things. Inside the home of Bob & Veda. Photos by C. Darling
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Right: Standing Firm by Gary Earnest Smith Bottom: Oak Creek Canyon by Jim Jones
Your exotic pieces are fairly eclectic and seem to be purchased in somewhat spontaneous circumstances, but your southwestern collection seems more calculated. Veda: I agonize over a painting for days and weeks making a decision. Bob can look at a painting and like it or dislike it immediately. I keep a list of 8 or 10 artists that I’m looking at seriously. I start making files. I want to see if they’re showing and if they’re really putting themselves out there so that the public can see their work. I talk to museum curators about local artists I should be watching, I talk to gallery owners, I talk to people who collect. We try to buy Utah artists who are still living and we like to get to know them. Occasionally we have one stay here and paint for a few days around southwestern Utah, and they usually enjoy that. Why is it important for you to know about the artist and not just like their work?
Veda: I want to know why the artist painted that particular painting. For example, look at these Kate Starling paintings. I know that she lives there. We went out to that little area a few weeks ago with the grandchildren and I said, “Bob, stop the car. That’s the scene from the painting!” I like to have a sense that the artist knows his subject, not just painting from his head but that he has deep feeling for it. In the laundry room I have a Joshua Baird that I just love.
“It enriches our lives. Wasn’t it Michelangelo who said that great art lifts the soul to heaven?”
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When I look at it I feel like he’s there. I feel like he must have that outside his back door. It’s just a normal little scene that you wouldn’t think someone would paint, and yet it touches me.” Once you choose an artist, what criteria do you use when choosing a painting? Veda: Subject, style, whether or not the artist is able to tell a story or get his message out. Whether it’s a landscape or not, is there something going on? When you look at a Dennis Smith painting, there’s something going on in every one. Also, I like to know that I’m going to like looking at it on a daily basis – forever. Do you always work through a gallery, or do you ever deal directly with the artist?
Veda: We usually go through a gallery. It’s just that with a gallery, you can bring things home for a week or two and live with them, which sometimes you need to, and a couple of the galleries we work with have a policy where if you’re tired of it or unhappy, they’ll give you what you paid for it towards another painting – which, I’ve only done once. I got a larger painting of the same artist, but… Bob: Honestly, I feel like we haven’t made very many mistakes. One of the things I’ve learned through the course of this is that you can buy something – like that great old painting in there on the wall that I picked up in Nepal on a trek, and one of the sherpa’s crew stayed up in his tent at night and painted that. It was a wonderful little thing, but I had it in this stupid little glass case in Salt Lake, and when our interior decorator saw it, she said, “Oh my gosh! This needs to be dressed up. It’s just so poorly presented.” So she took that and added some silk and put it in a different case and all of a sudden it just became a “wow.” How you display art in some ways is every bit as important as the artwork itself. When you buy a piece, do you think “I have just the place for that”?
Left: Low Light, Cathedral Valley by Ed Mell
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Above: Lunch by Jeff Pugh
Bob: Veda is pretty good about thinking where something is going to go, but if I buy stuff, I’m looking at whether I like it or not. I’ll worry about where it goes later on. Veda: Generally we buy it and it may get moved around and around until it finds a happy place. Bob: You’ve got to have a big place with enough walls to provide the right distance to view a piece. When you buy a piece, do you ever worry that it won’t look right in your home? Veda: If it’s a nice enough painting, you can make it work anywhere. You might have to put it in the bathroom because it needs its own space, but at least it’s in a place where it can be seen and contemplated! Do you consider art an expense or an investment? Veda: Of course, after a while you spend a lot of money on it and you’d like to feel like it’s worth something to someone someday. But, it’s just wonderful to have around. I hear people say that they like collecting art because they like to look at their money – you can’t look at it in a bank – but for me it’s personal. Bob: We feel very fortunate. We’ve done it for our own enjoyment. We’re not trying to impress anyone. We didn’t put it together to wow anyone other than ourselves, but it’s beautiful, and if others appreciate it, that’s wonderful.
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Due West by Simon Winegar
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Grand Canyon Suite by Sam Lawlor
What is it about the Gary E. Smith painting that you both like so much? Bob: It’s the pride of place. He’s this rugged farmer and he’s got a lot of pride in the farm. The faceless farmer has his back turned to a neat and tidy field. He seems to be looking at us saying, “This is my place.” Gary made his mark painting pictures like this.
Your home has several commissioned pieces. How much do you dictate to an artist when you commission a piece?
That pride of place seems to be an appropriate theme in this home.
Veda: Well, I have learned the hard way. You don’t give them too much information, because then you practically tie them up and they’re not left to create. I have given an artist way too much information and tied his hands, and had big regrets.
Veda: Art is part of the place, and we love and appreciate Utah. We’ve been all over the world. This country here is the most beautiful anywhere. We’re so fortunate to be here and no matter where we go, we’re always glad to come back. You ca see that the artists who make this work love it too.
Do you have a favorite painting?
What is it about art that you love so much?
Veda: We have several. I have a commissioned piece by Willamarie Huelskamp that has a lot of personal meaning for me, and we both love the Gary Ernest Smith.
Veda: It enriches our lives. Wasn’t it Michelangelo who said that great art lifts the soul to heaven? Bob: Art elevates the soul. That’s been a motto of mine. I really believe that. It shows us the best that nature has to offer and the best that man has to offer. n
Two Horses Too Few by Billy Schenck
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Let There Be Lilacs The Painter on Painting by Martin Ricks
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ecently, something singular and quite unexpected appeared in my life. A seemingly random event became a series of events, which, as I look back, form an obvious chain. These connected occurrences have led me to a new and exciting point in my life and career – to lilacs. Lilacs have significance in my artist family because of my father’s artistic mentor, Sergei Bongart, who often painted the subject. Born in Kiev, Ukraine, Sergei left toward the end
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of World War II, after losing his mother in Stalin’s starvation campaign. His poet father passed due to the effects of a stint in a Siberian prison camp. Sergei made his way west by drawing and painting. Eventually, in order to escape Communistcontrolled Europe, he made an appeal to a soldier’s vanity by bribing him with a self-portrait. When Sergei’s journey ended, he found himself settling in my home state of Idaho. What did he see in Idaho? Lilacs!
Several years back, I had the opportunity to go to Kiev to install mirrors in the newly constructed LDS Temple. After a brief stopover in Paris, I arrived in Kiev wanting to explore my family’s art genealogy. Just off the plane, I met my new friend and guide, Vladyslav Melnychko. We bee-lined it over to the Kiev Art Academy where,
Martin Ricks in studio. Photos by C. Darling
at 16 years old, Sergei had been the youngest admitted student as of the late 1930’s. While at the academy, I met an art professor named Ivan Pylypenko. Ivan took me to the gardens of Kiev after a rainstorm. I thought I had seen lilacs before, but until you see lilacs in full flower, at the botanical Gardens of Kiev, you haven’t truly seen them. The rest is… well… still being written. Imagine me – a slightly redneck kid from Idaho – contemplating the miracle of simply being in Kiev. I pondered how Sergei had never made it back to his beloved lilac gardens. I thought of my deceased father. Dad loved to paint lilacs. I also thought a lot about my artist brother, Douglas, who had died at the age of 49. Doug was one of Sergei’s pal-bearers. I felt a bit funny doing what I did next as I gazed at the gardens, though it seemed right. With tears in my eyes, I said aloud to Sergei, Dad, and Doug, “See this now through me.” To quote a beautiful question posed in the film, Field of Dreams, “Is
there enough magic in the moonlight?” Well, lately, in my studio, “the answer is yes.” At least there has been for me.
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Meanderings Lilac Roots
by Dennis Smith
Dennis Smith is a sculptor, painter and writer living in Alpine, Utah. This column was originally printed in The Deseret News on June 24, 1988, and subsequently compiled in his book Meanderings, a collection of musings and sketches by the artist. In June 2014, the state of Utah awarded Smith the “Best in State” award in the category of Modern Painting.
S
ome things are seasonal. When they come around they tend to trigger memories of a familiar place or emotion. Lilacs fit into this category. For Utahns they often bring back memories of grandma’s house. Often there are two lilac bushes in such a memory, one on either side of the sidewalk between the street and the house, or there might be just one, snuggled up against a living room or bedroom window. In late spring they begin to explode, their fragrance flavoring small corners of our days without our even thinking much about it. On Memorial Day lilacs show up in violet-colored clusters juxtaposed against granite headstones, their beauty held together by foil-wrapped coffee cans. In short, most of us have a personal image of lilacs, those flowers that grow large enough to fill the role of trees. But people who grew up somewhere else will remind you that lilacs are not an exclusively Utah experience. They may bring with them warm memories of another grandma’s house in Sheboygan Wisconsin, or somewhere in New Jersey, where sea breezes may actually invigorate the lilac’s hardy stocks. Whitman’s beautiful and sad elegy to Abraham Lincoln, “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d,” remind us that the historical roots of the lilac runs deep. They run wide as well. I remember being in Paris in 1964, on, my way home to Utah after being away for two and a half years. From a street vendor I bought a little flask of lilac-scented perfume to give to my girl, later to become my wife, whom I had not seen and had sorely missed in all that time. A small gift perhaps, for such an important reunion, but
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one that has heirloom potential, eight thousand miles from grandma’s house on a busy intersection in Paris. So where do we chase the lilac for its roots? Well beyond Paris. The World Book says that lilacs were brought to the west in the 15th or 16th century from southern Europe, where some lilac varieties reach twenty feet in height. Where it was before that, I haven’t found out yet, but I am curious. Imagine traders through Turkey and the Balkan countries, stopping at small streams to re-moisten the wrapped roots of lilac starts, probably the very same ritual my great-grandma Kristina experienced when she acquired a sprout or two from a friend in town a bent down to moisten them as she crossed the creek on her way back home to plant them on either side of the door of her little two-room log cabin, the same cabin where I lived until the age of four and where my memories of lilacs were probably planted. Whether we live in Madrid or Mapleton, the scent of lilacs is the same and we are bound by the universality of our senses. But since, in our emotional experience, we are each unique, our impressions of lilacs are very different. When you think of lilacs, for example, what image comes to your mind? Do you think of a park you used to pass every day on your way to school-or maybe the perfume of an aunt who used to bend over and kiss you at family reunions? With lilacs so common, surely everyone must have a start. Where are the roots to your lilac bushes? n
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• Haven Gallery
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Martin ricks Fine art
St George, UT
• Jack Meier Gallery Huston, TX
• Reflection Gallery Santa Fe, NM
• Southwest Art Gallery Dallas, TX
• Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery Park City, UT
mricks7@gmail.com martyricks.com Premier Fine Arts Digest of the Mountain West
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Spirit of Russian Art in the West Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery
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he Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery is one of the foremost dealers in the United States for Russian Impressionist art. The gallery maintains an extensive inventory of collectible works by Russia’s most respected artists during the period of 1930 to 1980. The gallery carefully selects paintings that are historically significant, original in composition, interesting in form and beautiful in their depiction of the human spirit. Many of the largest dealers of Russian art have bought all or most of their paintings from the McCarthey Gallery. The McCarthey Gallery, and its partner gallery in St. Petersburg, Dacha Art, boast close relationships with some of great masters of Russian Impressionism and their families. The late Grigory Chainikov, Vladimir Stozharov, Alexei Gritsai, and Yuri Kugach, are among the preeminent artists they represent. In a description of Russian Impressionism by Vern Swanson, a leading expert on Russian art and the former director of the Springville Art Museum, he notes that “Russian Impressionism was deeply influenced by many of the characteristics of French Impressionism, including a sense of freedom, spontaneity, and vibrant emotion, using heavy brush strokes, light palette, plein aire style and bold color, all translated into a strong, purely Russian sensibility.” The gallery also works with talented artists from other countries whose work “has the spirit of Russian art,” including Martin Ricks and Trevor Southey. Representing more than 220 artists in an 1,800 square foot space, the McCarthey Gallery is constantly installing new work from a warehouse near Park City.
444 Main St, Park City, UT 84060 435.658.1691 mccartheygallery.net See additional works included in the included gallery catalog on page 101 Above Left: Russian Birches by Valerian Mikhailovich Formozov 51 1/4 x 44 Oil on Canvas Luzhino Town by Igor Alenandrovich Popov 15 1/2 x 26 1/4 Oil on Board
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World’s Rising Piano Stars
The Bachauer Piano Competition in Salt Lake City by Aaron Christensen
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The Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition has been showcasing some of the world’s finest musical talent since 1976. Nearly four decades later, 39 competitors from 15 different countries are taking part in the 2014 competition in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Bachauer competition was originally part of the Brigham Young University Summer Piano Festival and International Competition in the late 1970s and has since relocated to the Salt Lake Valley. It was the life’s work of Paul Pollei, who founded the festival in 1976 and served as its artistic director until his passing in 2013. His successor, Douglas Humpherys, says he has “huge footsteps to try [to] follow.” Humpherys, a professor at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and an accomplished pianist
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in his own right, assumed the role of artistic director for the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation in February of 2013. Additionally, he has a unique relationship with the competition: he won first place at the inaugural event in 1976. “Bachauer has been one of the most important events and organizations in my musical life, in terms of making connections and musical networks and performing concerts and master classes,” Humpherys said. “It’s been a very important part of the development of my musical life and my feelings about music. It’s had a very profound effect.” The Bachauer competition has grown exponentially since then, Humpherys explained. It transitioned from being a BYU-sponsored event into becoming its own non-profit organization (under the new “Bachauer” name) in the mid 80s and has continued to develop up until the present day.
Alink-Argerich Announcement Celebration June 29, 2012 Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center,
“It’s more than a piano competition,” Humpherys said. “It’s really kind of a premiere arts organization, certainly in Utah and [it’s] internationally recognized, not only for competition – which it is among the most elite now – but also for the other educational work that’s associated with it.” The Bachauer Foundation also introduces fine arts in public schools through a concert series it hosts each year. A unique tradition of Bachauer that Humpherys particularly enjoys is that of housing the international competitors with Utah families for the two weeks of the competition. This year, the 39 competitors, who range in age from 19-32, arrived in Salt Lake City on June 10 and were hosted by families who have a grand piano in their homes. This allows the pianists to practice to their hearts’ content (and to the delight of their hosts) in preparation for the event. Humpherys said the families take care of the competitors, transport them to and from their competitions and provide a little bit of TLC, when necessary. “There is a tremendously welcoming presence and hospitality here in Salt Lake City,” Humpherys said. “It’s a really wonderful tradition of Bachauer that these really generous people take these competitors […] from all over the world into their homes for two weeks. Very frequently, these connections become lifelong friendships of these families who have had competitors in their homes and have them as part of their family for two weeks.” The competitors are selected from an audition process that includes more than 200 applicants, each of whom had their auditions recorded and reviewed by a panel of judges. The auditions were held in six international locations: Moscow, Russia; Hamburg, Germany; Barletta, Italy; Hong Kong, China; New York City; and Salt Lake City. The field was whittled down to 75 and eventually to 36. Three extra competitors have been added this year, due to certain tie-breaking procedures, making for a total of 39. The competition consists of three rounds. Each pianist must be prepared to perform three substantial works: a 30-minute program, a 40-minute program and an hour-long program. All 39 competitors will play through two preliminary rounds of the competition, at which point 12 semi-finalists will be
Dr. Douglas Humpherys March 23, 2013, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Salt Lake City, Utah.
selected to perform their third piece. Eventually, three finalists will be chosen to perform with the Utah Symphony in the concerto finals. Over $80,000 in prizes are awarded, including $40,000 to the event’s gold medalist. One of the three finalists is selected by the audience to receive an additional $1,000 as the “audience favorite.” Humpherys says that attending this competition is a special occasion for music lovers. “It’s like the Olympics of piano,” he said. “It’s a rare opportunity for people to hear something of this level.” Humpherys foresees a bright future for the competition and believes that the program will continue to grow and enrich the lives of its participants and its audiences. “We’re living in a world where globalization has affected piano tremendously,” he said. “It’s always a global and an international scene in the piano world, whether you’re talking about in universities or running a competition, and I foresee that that will continue well into the future. […] Music, as an art form, is something that is a shared means of expression, so it bridges gaps of culture and geography and upbringing and really is a wonderfully unifying influence in the world. I think Bachauer will always continue to do that.”n The competition ran from June 11-25 with the preliminary and semi-final rounds at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City and the final round at Abravanel Hall. The competition took place after this publication went to press, but look for news about the winners and about Bachauer’s upcoming events in our Holiday Issue. Photo inset - Prize Winners and International Jury, June 30, 2012 Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Salt Lake City, Utah Photos courtesy of The Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation
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Children & Practicing the Piano How to Motivate Your Kids by Josh Wright
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his is a question I get quite frequently, and one that I have some advice on. The first thing to realize is that when your kids start piano lessons they have to expect to work and to practice. When I was about five years old, I think I did thirty or forty-five minutes a day of practice. When I switched teachers, I was about nine and a half, and I wanted to get more serious with piano. I started studying with a university teacher at that point, and she said, “You need to be doing two and a half hours a day.” If I didn’t finish my practicing, my mom would say, “Okay, you have to make up all the practicing tomorrow that you didn’t get done today.” I never wanted to do five hours in a day, so I would always get my practicing done! It was always a rule that I had to get my homework and practicing done before I could go out and play with friends or go to a movie or anything like that. Having that disciplined regimen is extremely important.
The second thing that I would recommend is getting a good teacher. A lot of parents ask me, as a teacher, “Do you have a reward system?” A reward system works, and that’s one of the things I’ll talk about a bit later, but the right teacher is critical and makes a reward system seem quite trivial. If you have a thirteen-year old boy who wants to study jazz or blues and the neighborhood teacher is an eighty-year-old lady who only teaches classical, their personalities may not mix very well. Similarly, maybe a little six-year-old girl won’t do too well with a really stern male teacher. That might be too intimidating. You want to find a teacher whose personality lines up with what you’re looking for. Now, I’m not saying you have to have all male teachers teach boys and all female teachers teach girls. I had a female teacher nearly all of my life. I’m just saying to test out the personality of your teacher and get to know your teacher’s expectations and what your child is trying to accomplish through the lessons. The third thing is that you must go to concerts. If your kids just watch TV and don’t have any real aspirations to become great at the instrument, they won’t have very much motivation to succeed, but when they have that positive reinforcement all the time by going to concerts, they will improve dramatically. Similarly, even for pianists like myself, while I’ve been playing for over twenty years, I still get really motivated by going to concerts and it gives me so many new ideas on what to focus on in my own performing, and my own teaching. It enlivens me to go to concerts and it re-motivates me. Even though I know this is what I want to do as my career, I still need that. You can imagine how much a young child, who doesn’t know if they love music, needs a routine concert attendance.
“Finally, always have a goal in mind for a performance”.
The fourth thing is to play the music that your child wants
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to learn in the car or anytime they are at home. Let them download it on their iPod or computer or CD- I don’t care what you download it to. Just always have access to the music they are working on. When they’re constantly listening they’re going to get more ideas and they’re going to be more motivated when you get to the piano. Similarly, this is a great piece of advice for seasoned classical musicians as well. When you want to learn a new piece, really immerse yourself in the piece 24/7, especially when there’s a deadline. I remember, I was learning Polonaise-Fantasie by Chopin. It’s so incredibly beautiful, but it’s one of his more mature and denser works. It’s not like memorizing a nocturne. It took me quite a while to memorize it. But the quickest way to memorize it was to live with the piece and to always be listening to various recordings, not only to get more ideas, but also to fully immerse myself. I had a friend tell me that when he had to learn a concerto within a few weeks or a month, he’d even sleep while it was playing on his stereo at a very low level, on repeat, all night long. He said that was instrumental in him learning the piece more quickly. The next thing that I wanted to mention is how important headphones are. It seems like a strange suggestion, but listening to something in the car is different than listening to it with headphones. If you can afford a nice pair of headphones - and you don’t have to go crazy, just a good pair of Skullcandy headphones will work - then go for it! Or if you want to go crazy, you can get a pair of BeatsPro headphones. Those are amazing. You can actually hear more of what’s going on with BeatsPro than you can with any other headphones that I’ve ever tried. You can hear details and tiny, little nuances through using nice headphones that you can’t hear otherwise. Similarly, even a bad pair of headphones or a cheap pair of headphones is better than no headphones at all. It makes the experience more personal and isolated and more focused. So, encourage your kids to listen to their pieces with headphones on.
Or, if they know they get to go to a movie if they practice every day that week, they’re more likely to succeed. Sometimes that is a good catalyst for a good practice session. They’ll start to enjoy it more because they know they’re going to get something. If it’s just, “You’ve gotta get your thirty minutes in just because,” or, “You’ve gotta do your three hours because we’re paying all this money for lessons,” that’s not a very good motivator, especially if they’re discouraged. Finally, always have a goal in mind for a performance. If your teacher doesn’t do regular performances or recitals, schedule one for family and friends in your home, even if it’s just two people coming over next December to hear you play through five of your pieces that you’ve learned that year. That’s a powerful motivator to get good and stay sharp. Always have an end goal in mind. I noticed that I work better under a deadline with my repertoire as well. If I just casually learn things, I go quite a bit slower, but if I say “Okay, I’m going to have this good for this competition” or “I want to perform this for my family on this day” or “I have a concert on this day,” then I have a set goal that I’m striving towards. These are just a few of the things that you can do to motivate your kids to practice. However, they are some of the most effective ways to improve that I’ve witnessed in my own life and the lives of my students. n
“It enlivens me to go to concerts and it re-motivates me. Even though I know this is what I want to do as my career, I still need that.”
I referred to a reward system earlier. That’s a powerful way to motivate young kids, especially if they know they’re going to get a little treat or something at the end of their lesson.
Photos by C. Darling
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Friday, June 13 Friday, October 10 Friday, December 12
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On-site Art Demonstrations Live Music & Fun! Map and information at:
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El Maestro, Viva Las Vegas! Las Vegas Philharmonic by Robert T. Benson, M.D., M.B.A.
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he press describes him as, “Tall and energetic […] a passionate, heart-on-the-sleeve conductor, with eclectic musical tastes and a wealth of experience.” The Las Vegas Philharmonic has found its new Music Director. They settled on a visionary who grew up in Southern Nevada, where his grandmother instilled in him a love of music. His name is Donato Cabrera. Over the course of two seasons, the search committee (which included four orchestra members) considered several strong candidates. But Cabrera stood out, said Philharmonic president Jeri Crawford, not only for his background and
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experience but for his “strong programming ideas” aimed at “attracting new audiences.” Donato Cabrera has been the Resident Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) and the Wattis Foundation Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (SFSYO) since 2009. Cabrera has also been Music Director of the California Symphony and the New Hampshire Music Festival since 2013. Cabrera is full of enthusiasm for the work he has been doing in San Francisco. Yet, when I asked him what enticed him to return to Las Vegas, he said, “Development and expansion have defined Las Vegas these
Maestro Cabrera Photo by Anastasia Chernyavsky
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past couple of decades and there is no better way to bring together this new and diverse community than through the Arts. […] I know that the Las Vegas Philharmonic can be an integral part of this transformation, and I want to be a part of it.” He added, “The musicians of the orchestra are dedicated, talented, and strive for excellence.” He tells me this is what every director wants: a group of professionals with a high level of virtuosity and commitment. The conductor’s official debut as the Philharmonic’s music director will be Sept. 27, when he’ll conduct the orchestra’s 2014-15 season opener, a concert featuring soprano Deborah Voigt, “one of America’s greatest operatic voices,” with whom he’s worked at the San Francisco Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Cabrera has a passion for an eclectic variety of music and art. An avid art collector himself, he states, “To me, paintings and sculpture are the visual symphonies and sonatas that define and record our culture.” Asked about some of his favorites, Cabrera can hardly just name a few, “Some contemporary artists who I greatly admire are Julian Schnabel, David Hockney, Banksy, Robert Crumb, and Christo and JeanneClaude.” He continues, “I am also a big fan of Gary Bukovnik and have a few of his pieces. Gary’s watercolors have been used for San Francisco Symphony’s season posters for the last two decades.”
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His love of the contemporary is matched by his dedication to the classics. “The list of artists who I admire from the 20th Century is endless. When I’m in New York City I frequently am drawn to MoMA more than the other great museums. Kandinsky, Klee, Mondrian, Klimt, Seurat, Brancusi, Kahlo, Rivera…I almost hate to begin a list for fear that I’m excluding one of my visual artist-heros!” The list for classical artists is equally long: Bosch, Dürer, Velasquez, Goya...” As this list goes on, it is clear that Cabrera easily consumes as much art as he creates. Cabrera is a promoter of the up and comers, and he intends to bring an enthusiasm for youth development in the arts to this region. As the Music Director of the Youth Orchestra in San Francisco, he honed his skills at doing just that. Regarding his work there he has said, “You’re needed not only as a teacher but also to inspire them and to show them that this music has meaning beyond the notes.” The fine arts need an insurgence of younger blood to carry them forward with vigor into the future, while preserving what is so rich about the masterpieces that performing artists, composers, and enthusiasts have loved for generations. Donato Cabrera gets it. He is a progressive thinker who never forgets his roots. He is a conductor and musician with moxie who is all about bringing the best of every era to bear on stage. His energy and charisma on and off stage will be a huge asset,
Announcing Announcingthe the2014-2015 2014-2015Season Season with withMusic MusicDirector DirectorDonato DonatoCabrera Cabrera Saturday Saturdayperformances performancesstarting startingatat7:30 7:30p.m. p.m.ininReynolds ReynoldsHall Hall SS TION IPTI IPON CRCR BSBS SUSU W NONO!W! LELE SASA ONON
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January January 10 10 Acclaimed Acclaimed Violinist Violinist BELLA BELLA HRISTOVA HRISTOVA
April April 25 25 TCHAIKOVSKY TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony Symphony No.No. 5 5
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Call Callthe theBox BoxOffice Officeatat702.749.2847 702.749.2847and andmention mentioncode codeFST10 FST10 totosave save10% 10%ononyour yoursubscription subscriptionorder.* order.* Single SingleTickets Ticketsononsale saleAugust August15th! 15th! Performances Performances atat The The Smith Smith Center Center ● www.lvphil.org ● www.lvphil.org ● Philharmonic ● Philharmonic Office Office 702.258.5438 702.258.5438 *Offer *Offer applies applies to to subscriptions subscriptions forfor thethe 2014-15 2014-15 season season only only and and cannot cannot bebe combined combined with with any any other other discounts. discounts. Offer Offer does does notnot apply apply to to prior prior ticket ticket purchases. purchases. Offer Offer expires expires Sept. Sept. 27,27, 2014 2014 forfor Masterworks Masterworks subscriptions subscriptions and and Premier Fine Arts Digest of the Mountain West Nov., Nov., 15,15, 2014 2014 forfor Pops Pops subscriptions. subscriptions.
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not only to the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra, but also to the entire region of concert-goers and music lovers. Cabrera wants to see the arts flourish and has the chops to do it from the office or the podium. His big break with the San Francisco Symphony came when he was called in to sub on last minute notice. In an interview with Larry Rothe, he tells the story. Rothe: “In April, when you got the call to conduct the San Francisco Symphony, how did you feel? You had what—one rehearsal?” Cabrera: “Oliver Knussen was supposed to conduct that week but had canceled, and Alasdair Neale was supposed to take over but wasn’t feeling well, so I was put on call. I sat in on a rehearsal and picked up the scores, and Alasdair and I had a wonderful conversation. The next morning, I got a call from Gregg Gleasner, the Symphony’s Director of Artistic Planning. He said, “You’re on for this morning.” I got in about 15 minutes before the rehearsal began, thinking I was just going to step in for the morning session.” “But then I learned that Alasdair had canceled for the week, and that I was on. So I had ten minutes to decide what to do. The first piece on the rehearsal schedule was Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. I felt that the one thing the orchestra needed to know from me—because they didn’t know who I was—was that I could conduct it without stopping. That’s what I did. I just conducted it as if it was a concert. Afterward we fixed three things, and I said, “I’ll see you [at the matinee] tomorrow afternoon.” He doesn’t seem to tire. He admittedly has an incredibly busy schedule, but his creative spirit and love for the music are what drive him. He described to me one of many experi-
ences he cherishes where, while conducting, he and all 100 musicians in the orchestra were at their best. “It was while we were playing a particular phrase at the end of the 1st movement of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, and not only were we all completely in sync and aligned, but the audience was as well. Those are the moments that everyone is performing at the top of their game, the audience recognizes it, and I knew that we were interpreting the music as Mahler intended. That is a moment where one feels transported. Its beautiful.” After a musical education culminating at the Manhattan School of Music, Cabrera served as assistant conductor at the Ravinia, Spoleto (Italy), and Aspen Music Festivals, and as resident conductor at the Music Academy of the West. He has also been an assistant conductor for productions at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. From 2005 to 2008, he was Associate Conductor of the San Francisco Opera and in 2009, he made his debut with the San Francisco Ballet. In March 2009, Cabrera was asked to be one of eight participants in the 2009 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview, leading the Nashville Symphony over two days in a variety of works. Cabrera was the rehearsal and cover conductor for the Metropolitan Opera production and DVD release of Doctor Atomic, which won the 2012 Grammy® Award for Best Opera Recording. Cabrera has the resume, the experience, and the vision. He has an optimistic yet clear-eyed view of what he is about and what he’s up against. On whether the arts can flourish, he said, “Our country still values classical music and the arts. Many of my European friends who are soloists that perform throughout our country are continually amazed at the level of orchestral playing, even in the smallest of towns, throughout the US. What does concern me, though, is the general lack of awareness of all things that happen in our local communities. I feel like our society is beginning to collectively stare at our smartphone or computer screen, generally unaware of what’s happening right in front of us.” Nevertheless, ask Maestro Cabrera what his goal is for the Las Vegas Philharmonic, and he’ll unabashedly tell you, “I would like to see the Las Vegas Philharmonic become the premiere orchestra of the Southwestern United States. I would also like the Philharmonic and the Smith Center to be the musical hub of the community.” Welcome back Maestro! n Maestro Cabrera Photos by Kristen Loken www.kristenloken.com
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Miracles in Cache Valley Michael Ballam & The Utah Festival Opera by Paul Parkinson
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Utah Festival Opera - The Flying Dutchmen
n his quest for furs, the famous trapper Jim Bridger came across a quiet, hidden valley nestled away in the mountains of northern Utah. He pronounced it the most beautiful valley in the Rocky Mountains. The area later became known by the trappers as “Cache Valley,” after those who cached their furs and supplies there while continuing their explorations.
Utah Festival Opera - Faust
Utah Festival Opera - Fiddler on the Roof
Many years and thousands of inhabitants later, Cache Valley native Michael Ballam set out on his own quest for something he loved as much as Bridger loved his furs. Ballam loved music, and he pursued it in its finest forms.
Utah Festival Opera - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
At age 24, Ballam received a degree of Doctor of Music with Distinction from the prestigious Indiana University – becoming the youngest recipient of this degree in the school’s history. From there he set out on an illustrious career, performing on every continent. From the Vatican to the White House, and Russia to the Middle East, Ballam’s resume includes more than 600 performances of over 100 major roles. He had been performing professionally for over ten years, collecting accolades across the globe and singing with some of the most famous opera singers of our time. But it wasn’t until he’d been all over the world that he realized that, as Jim Bridger had done, he too needed to cache that which he prized most in the most beautiful valley in the Rocky Mountains. Premier Fine Arts Digest of the Mountain West
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Michael Ballam Photo courtesy of Utah Festival Opera
It was 1987. Ballam was a young 35 years old. He was performing “La Traviata” in Caracas, Venezuela when his voice disappeared – a completely traumatic experience. “I was dying, and no one could figure out what was wrong,” he said. Second and third medical opinions confirmed he was dying. And so he returned home, with barely the strength to even stand. It was almost more than he could bear. During this low point in his life, Ballam was asked to sit for a portrait by artist and local businessman Eugene Needham III. Needham mentioned to Ballam that he had recently purchased the Main Street block that included the 70-year-old historic Capitol Theater. And then he said the unmentionable: He was going to tear it down. This was the catalyst that brought Ballam back to life. With the help of a miracle and the prayers of many neighbors and
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friends, medical science finally figured out what was taking place in his body. He had a sinus infection that was working its way to his lungs. The doctors did their work, God did his, and Ballam began a road to a complete recovery. Now his focus turned to the recovery of the old Capitol Theater. Ballam reached out to hundreds of friends and community leaders. And with a generous $6.5 million gift from the Eccles Foundation, Ballam’s dream became a reality. Just over five years later, in early 1993, the Ellen Eccles Theatre was christened as a gift to the people of Cache Valley. With that came the opening of what has, 22 years later, become one of the most celebrated summer operas in America – Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre. “As I traveled the world and then came home, I always wondered why we didn’t have our own opera and musical theater. We certainly had the atmosphere, as well as the venue (Capitol Theater, now Ellen Eccles Theatre).” “There’s nothing quite like this anywhere,” says Ballam, Utah Festival’s founding director. “We attract patrons from all over the world. Those who come never want to leave. Add the inspiring art of musical theater and opera to the physical beauty of this valley, and you have level of inspiration second to none.”
Utah Festival Opera Othello
Twentieth Century novelist Thomas Wolfe was passing through Cache Valley in the early 1900s and wrote it was “the most lovely and enchanted valley I have ever seen, a valley that makes all that has gone before fade as nothing.” “As I get closer to the golden years of my life, much that has gone before me has ‘faded as nothing,’” said the 62-year-old Ballam. “What we experience here each summer as part of these world-class productions makes me believe that someone much wiser had a plan for me, and I’m just grateful I took the time to listen and to make the most of what appeared to be a dying situation.” “Nothing heals quite like the power of art and music. I have seen miracles take place through music. My whole life, in many aspects, has seemed to be one big miracle.” Maybe that’s why the Ballam family’s motto is “Expect a miracle.” Ballam and his team have created a miracle. More than 250 musicians, performers and crew members from renowned stages across the nation will showcase 128 events in 32 days from July 9-Aug. 9 in Logan, the heart of Cache Valley.
Patriots on July 22, the International Opera Finals on July 29 and the Best of Beethoven on August 6, conducted by Dr. Craig Jessop and featuring the American Festival Chorus, special soloists and the Utah Festival Orchestra. “I can’t help but think if Jim Bridger were to pass through this valley today, he’d not only recognize it for its physical beauty, but he’d be pleased to see that we’ve fulfilled our stewardship— to add more beauty to that which already existed. “ And isn’t that, after all, what this world is all about – to leave things better than we found them? Michael Ballam has done his part, and the arts now flourish in the most beautiful valley in the Rocky Mountains. n
The 2014 season premieres July 9 at 7:30 p.m. with a classic and rarely performed American opera, Vanessa, by Samuel Barber. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s wildly popular Oklahoma! opens July 10; the 1924 operetta The Student Prince, an impossible love story between a prince and a commoner, begins July 11; and the Broadway classic Les Misérables, starring MET Grammy Award winner Patrick Miller as Jean Valjean, opens July 12. Those four Mainstage Productions continue in repertory along with 29 accompanying interactive Academy classes taught by industry experts, backstage tours, breakfasts with the stars, literary seminars and six special concerts. Concerts include 8 Hands 2 Pianos on July 12, Pioneers and Utah Festival Opera Kiss Me Kate
Utah Festival Opera Tosca
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S t e v e S tau f f e r M y L i f e ’ s Pa s s i o n
“I can tell you that as an Artist his talents are endless...” - K. Potter 15th Street Gallery 1519 south 1500 east Salt Lake City, Utah 84105
Haven Gallery 1495 S Black Ridge Drive 240 St. George, Utah 84770
Slusser Gallery 447 east 100 south Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
w w w. s t e v e s tau f f e r . c o m stevestauffer@outlook.com | Steve Stauffer at Stauffer Studios | 801-330-3799
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“The only full-time, co-educational choir school in the United States.”
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Madeleine Choir School
Tomorrow’s Musicians & Ancient Music Pedagogy
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ot many eight graders can say they’ve performed in Rome, Florence, Madrid, Sevilla, Prague, Berlin, Leipzig, Munich, Vienna, the St. Peter’s Basilica, and Notre Dame de Paris. But national and international performance tours are an integral part of every student’s experience at The Madeleine Choir School. Located in downtown Salt Lake City, The Madeleine Choir School is a mission of The Cathedral of the Madeleine, serving young people in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade Eight. The Choir School opened in August of 1996 in the basement of the Cathedral with 100 students. Modeled after the historic cathedral schools in Europe, the Choir School offers a rigorous academic program in the humanities, mathemat-
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ics and sciences, and the arts, as well as strong character formation and activities designed to nurture the whole child. The school now serves 350 students on a 2 acre campus in the historic Avenues district of Salt Lake City. Every student receives an exceptional musical education, including two years of violin study, music theory and history and intensive vocal training. The Madeleine Choir School is the only full-time co-educational choir school in the United States. Alumni of the Choir School have gone on to complete graduate degrees in music from such schools as Dartmouth, Yale, The Julliard School, Manhattan School of Music, the San Francisco Conservatory, St. Olaf’s, Indiana University and more. The Choir School offers its own choral and orchestral performances of major works for the local arts community. The most recent concert season featured performances of Benjamin Britten’s St. Nicolas, J. S. Bach’s St. John Passion and F. J. Haydn’s powerful Lord Nelson Mass. In addition, the choristers sing regularly with local arts organizations, including the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, and have been featured in performances with Ballet West, Utah Chamber Artists, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Helena Symphony, and the San Francisco Opera.
Photos by C. Darling
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Recent collaboration with Utah Opera has included performances of Stephen Paulus’s Shoes for the Santo Niño and Puccini’s Turandot. In February of 2015 the Choir School will perform with the Utah Symphony in Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 under conductor Thierry Fischer. The choristers assist with the worship life of the Cathedral and participate in The Choir of the Cathedral of the Madeleine’s Annual Concert Series, performing over 9,000 hours of service annually. As it trains young people in perhaps one of the most primal forms of musical expression - the choral art - the choir school seeks to make a unique and lasting contribution to the cultural landscape of the State of Utah.
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Photo by Ari Loannides
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In the Loge by Mary Cassatt, 1879
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Disney at Tuacahn
World’s Best Entertainer Meets the Region’s Most Beautiful Stage by Karla Seamons
“Tuacahn is one reason we moved to St. George! Being this close to that atmosphere and natural beauty, that kind of family entertainment, is truly unique.” – Kevin Hadlock
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t the mouth of Padre Canyon, sheltered by 1,500–foot red cliffs, sits a magical place. Located at the edge of the small town of Ivins, the Tuacahn Center for the Arts boasts all the amenities a theatrical company could ask for: a 330 seat indoor theatre, a dance studio, costume and scene shops, and even classrooms to accommodate the Tuacahn High School for the Arts. By far the most enchanting feature, however, is the 1,920–seat outdoor Tuacahn Amphitheatre quite literally enveloped by the canyon. The theatre was originally built for the production of Utah!, a musical based on the experiences of early Utah settler Jacob Hamblin. Its builders capitalized on the natural sandstone backdrop, the deep night sky, and the ability to flood the entire stage to simulate the waters that swept away part of Hamblin’s early settlement. The unfolding of Hamblin’s story on stage during the 1995 inaugural season marked the beginning of Tuacahn’s legacy: quality productions paired with breathtaking special effects. While enjoying great success with Utah!, it became apparent that the amphitheatre could host other plays. This was well before Tuacahn became known for staging plays by one of the master story–telling entities of our time: Walt Disney. Although Tuacahn Amphitheatre quickly gained a reputation for its unusual setting and excellent programs, it had limited reach during its first decade. In 2008 Tuacahn’s Artistic Director, Scott Anderson, began to pursue a relationship with Disney Theatrical Group, the branch of Walt Disney Studios that handles stage productions. First contact proved that they had never heard of this regional theatre located, seemingly, in the middle of nowhere. During a stay in New York, Anderson was able to introduce Tuacahn to the Disney Theatrical Group Anderson piqued their interest with photographs and video clips of previous Tuacahn productions. Anderson had a plan. A production of Disney’s Tarzan, Anderson felt, could be done amazingly well at Tuacahn. At that time Tarzan had finished its Broadway run and, although it was playing for European audiences, Disney Theatrical had not yet decided the future for Tarzan in the United States. Anderson had seen productions of Tarzan on Broadway and in Europe and, as Scott Raine, the Executive Director of Marketing and Public Relations for Tuacahn comments, “He was able to present a concept to the team at Disney Theatrical that intrigued their
interest.” Anderson showed them concepts which visualized how well Tarzan could be presented in Tuacahn’s unique setting. As Raine puts it, “I think they saw they were dealing with an organization that was going to deliver.” Impressed with what they saw, Disney Theatrical Group agreed to take a chance on Tuacahn, making it the first regional theatre to be granted rights to perform Disney’s Tarzan. In June of 2010 Tarzan opened on the Tuacahn Amphitheatre stage to the amazement and delight of audiences. Scott Raine recalls, “Everyone was blown away with the quality of the show and the things we were able to do.” Such effects included a fly line stretching from the booth into the canyon where it was mounted to a large sandstone cliff. Raine continues, “When the follow spot hit [Tarzan] and he was coming forward towards the amphitheatre, the response was beyond overwhelming.” A total of 10 fly lines were used during Disney’s Tarzan. When executives from Disney Theatrical came to see a performance of Tarzan, during the afternoon of the scheduled visit, a freak windstorm came through the area, downing three high-voltage power poles in the foothills of Santa Clara. When these major transmission lines went down, most of Ivins and Santa Clara lost its power, including Tuacahn. The power company was unable to provide an exact time for service to be restored. Tuacahn decided that if power was not back on by 9 pm, that evening’s performance would need to be cancelled. Fortunately, power was rerouted through Saint George and Tuacahn’s power came back on at 8:58 pm. Not only was the general audience impressed with the production, but so were the team from Disney Theatrical, including Thomas Schumacher, President of Disney Theatrical Group, and David R. Scott, Manager of Theatrical Licensing for Disney Theatrical, whom Scott Anderson had worked with for nearly two years to bring this Disney production to Tuacahn. During 2011, Tuacahn was one of only a handful of regional theatres given the rights to Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Every one of Tuacahn’s 63 performances of The Little Mermaid were sold out and an estimated 30,000 guests were unable to secure tickets. Since then Tuacahn has presented Disney’s Aladdin in 2012 and Disney’s Mary Poppins in 2013. In each production Tuacahn dazzles audiences with cutting edge special effects, some of which would be difficult, if not
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impossible, to achieve if not for the outdoor nature of the theatre.
there. The production also featured a seventy–five foot wide by thirty–eight foot high water curtain on which fish, bubbles, and other images could be projected. Fly lines were employed again during the 2012 production of Aladdin in order to fly Aladdin and Jazmine over the crowd on a magic carpet. Even more impressive was the introduction of 3D images making the Cave of Wonders appear to emerge from the canyon behind the stage.
James Royce Edwards, who played Tarzan and who will also be seen as Prince Eric in Disney’s The Little Mermaid this season, commented that the Tuacahn Amphitheatre was able to provide effects for Tarzan that other theatres just cannot. For example, Edwards noted differences between the Tuacahn production of Tarzan and a production of the same show he performed in at an indoor regional theatre: “In Tarzan [at Tuacahn] we had ten different fly lines coming from all over the theatre and from the canyon for the monkeys, bungee lines and everything.” For the other production, he said, only one fly line was used. While the fly line at the other theatre resulted in his being able to swing from vine to vine, the indoor location did not have the capability to match the effects available in the Tuacahn setting. The spectacular use of fly lines continued the next season in The Little Mermaid. With the fly lines the actors were able to simulate swimming as they glided across the stage. The special effects for The Little Mermaid, however, didn’t stop
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This year, as The Little Mermaid takes the stage again, the audience will be treated with an even more spectacular display. “We are enhancing [. . .] what we are doing with costumes and some of the effects,” says Raine. Having used the water curtain in the first production, the crew now has the experience to further enhance the effect. Edwards, who will be Prince Eric, hinted that the projections on the water would be show–stopping, but he didn’t want to give too much away. In addition to improved special effects, the audience may notice a few other changes in the show. While normally a show would not be repeated so soon, Tuacahn was given the opportunity to present The Little Mermaid with an enhanced script for the 2014 season. After some research, polls, and considering the fact that the script was enhanced, the Tuacahn administrators came to the conclusion that they would be crazy not to bring back this extremely popular production. Bringing Disney to Tuacahn has not only added a little more sparkle to Southern Utah, but also benefited the theatre. In addition to drawing audiences from all over the world, the ability to produce Disney shows gives Tuacahn greater pull with actors. Earlier in Tuacahn’s history, national auditions
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held in Los Angeles, Salt Lake, and New York would draw a good turnout of actors, but not necessarily what could be considered a great turnout. Now auditions for Tuacahn productions draw as many as 1,400 actors. This year they saw over 500 actors audition in New York alone. The Disney label partly draws performers because of the excellence it represents. “Everything Disney gets involved in is a quality act, whether it be theme parks, their motion pictures, or their live theatre productions,” says Raine. The roles themselves also attract actors. Edwards mentioned he loved playing Tarzan because that was as close he could get to play a superhero on stage. “You’re going to get a lot more people auditioning for it,” Edwards says, referring to The Little Mermaid, “than another show like Oklahoma where people have seen it a million times.” Raine also believes Tuacahn probably gets more trade press coverage because they are doing Disney productions. The Disney label has definitely helped Tuacahn gain a reputation in the acting community, but it can’t take all the credit. Another reason Raine thinks Tuacahn is getting more attention is because of the quality experience the actors have while employed at the theatre. “There’s actually nothing like performing at Tuacahn,” says Edwards, now in his fourth year at the amphitheatre. Edwards keeps coming back because “it’s so family friendly and I have a family, and they take
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good care of us.” He is excited to have his six–year–old son on stage with him this year while his wife is busy behind the scenes helping manage the child actors. Not only does the theatre create an environment that is comfortable for families, but the performers become a tight knit group during their six month tenure in Southern Utah. Additionally Edwards notes, “There’s a sense of respect [for the actors] and there’s always a spirit of fun involved.” Edwards also notes that the nature of having three shows rotating nightly is a draw for him, “Not a lot of other theatres do shows in rep like they do here,” he says. “You keep switching things up and you never get bored with the show. It always feels fresh because you’re always back to something new.” Of course, behind the special effects and the amazing actors, there must be a moving and entertaining story. “Scott Anderson,” says Edwards, “cares first and foremost about telling a story, and if we don’t tell the story with a lot of heart and sincerity it doesn’t matter how many effects we have, it’s just not going to communicate and touch people’s hearts.” Disney’s stories are often already rooted in the hearts of audience members who come looking forward to experiencing a sense of nostalgia. Bringing beloved Disney characters and storylines to life must somehow connect with their precon-
noted that they had only the youngest children to care for on Disney nights. Ponath notes, “More kids went to the actual show on Disney nights and we had their younger siblings who weren’t allowed in the amphitheatre. Non–Disney nights we had more older kids who simply weren’t interested in the show.” The family entertainment provided by Tuacahn benefits the entire region as Tuacahn guests stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, visit stores and enjoys dozens of available recreational options. Last year Tuacahn entertained about 265,000 guests. Of those, less than twenty percent were residents of Southern Utah. Fifty percent of Tuacahn guests came from northern Utah and more than thirty percent came from all over the country and the world. Last season saw guests from all fifty states as well as thirty–four other countries.
ceived ideas while at the same time reframing something originally produced on the silver screen for the stage. The audience often picks up on changes made for the stage, especially when a new musical number is added. One audience member mentioned that she was disappointed when a new song was introduced, but only because she couldn’t sing along. Another patron, Elaine Wilson of St. George, Utah didn’t mind that things had been changed up a bit. Speaking of Disney’s Mary Poppins production at Tuacahn she said, “It was done really well and I enjoyed a slightly different take on my favorite story.” Since its inception, Tuacahn Center for the Arts has been committed to bringing world class family entertainment to Southern Utah. The first line of its vision statement reads: “To produce quality entertainment of the highest professional standards that promotes family values, uplifts the human spirit and enriches the human mind.” Raine feels that this has been achieved. “I think families know that when they come and see a show at Tuacahn,” he says “they don’t have to sit there and be ready to cover up their child’s ears or have to leave because it turned out to be something much darker, different, or inappropriate.”
The amphitheatre itself is a draw for visitors, entirely aside from its shows. The theatre reflects the natural beauty that brings visitors to southern Utah. Because Tuacahn is near other natural attractions like Zion National Park and Snow Canyon State Park, many tourists find the theatre when they are in the area doing other things, then make Tuacahn a regular part of their future plans. “It’s so fun when people come out here and see it for the first time,” says Edwards, “they never really get used to it. They look at it throughout the entire season, it’s pretty overwhelming.” Overwhelming, inspiring, magical – these words all describe Tuacahn and its productions. “None of us know what the future holds in terms of show selection, but I am extremely thankful for the opportunities we’ve had to present such wonderful entertainment,” Scott Anderson said. “I am hopeful our relationship with Disney Theatrical will continue for many years,” Anderson added. It’s difficult to find an amphitheatre as majestic as Tuacahn. The past two decades have seen Tuacahn grow from a one–show venue to presenting world– class entertainment licensed by the business’s big names. With so much accomplished in so little time, it seems that Tuacahn’s story had just begun. Walt Disney himself could hardly imagine what the future will bring. n
If demographics at the Show Care childcare service at Tuacahn are any indication, people of all ages are enjoying the shows. Member of the Show Care staff, Ashley Ponath,
Photos courtesy of Tuacahn
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The Creative Process Traveling Shoes by Janice Brooks
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hat I heard was real. It was a right-real whispering sound, but it was indecipherable. I did not recognize its genius, at first, so I tossed my pillow over my head. Years of research and last-minute preparations – scripting, staging, rewriting and restaging – had me wondering why I had ever thought my one-woman Traveling Shoes show would work. Who in their right mind would imagine that the dramatic stories of eight African-American women might cause a sizeable (predominantly Caucasian) audience to grow quiet and reflect, to laugh a bit, weep together, and to connect? What was I thinking? Three days before my performance at Dixie State University, the pressure was mounting. Ai yi yi. Sold-out seats and I am at a creative impasse. Something was seriously missing from the script. I took a few deep breaths. There it was again, that distinctive, real sound which started soft and faint and turned into a choir. Traveling shoes, traveling shoes, got on my traveling shoes. It was a simple lyric, a simple melody, and one I would incorporate into a call-and-response feature of the show. I would sing out, and the audience would sing back. It was cultural, it was creative, it called to me… and it became an identifying feature of the performance that connected me to my audience in a way I never thought possible. After years of resistance and occasional fear of my own creativity (Am I creative enough? Crazy creative? Weird?), I have learned to lean into and embrace the fact that creativity sometimes sits silent and unseen right before it hits you. “Creative Think Time” is a practice in my daily life. With methods I learned three decades ago from an Earl Nightingale cassette tape, I sit down with a yellow-ruled writing pad, set a timer for five minutes and scribble out one hundred random thoughts each morning. I then toss the
paper in the trash. For me, this continues to be a way of nurturing, strengthening, and increasing my creativity. I never know what will show up on my morning pages. Creative thoughts, yes. And a lot of stuff I can throw away, too. Spilling out each morning, thinking rapidly on paper, is a creative cleanse. It slows me down and gives me focus to follow the streams of ideas that flow from the subconscious mind. I highly recommend it, believing that we need to dedicate ourselves to our creativity, to our artistry, whatever that may be. I am, with every fiber, a storyteller. Simple or embellished in repertoire, I am drawn to stories and driven to pass along those stories. I know stories have powerful influence on our perceptions and can reach our very souls. So creating Traveling Shoes, which weaves the stories of remarkable African American women into a tapestry of strength, demanded I delve deep into my own strength and to muster up some ways to creatively connect with my audience. And there it was, that simple lyric - traveling shoes, traveling shoes, got on my traveling shoes – nearly lost in scriptwriting and choreography, lighting and costume changes. The gift of Creativity. Traveling Shoes is my creative and sacred salute to Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Jane Manning James, Biddy Mason, Cathy Williams, Rosa Parks, Shirley Chisholm and Barbara Jordan, all of them brave and creative zeitgeists for freedom, education, and social justice. The creative journey as a performing artist is a compelling and exciting pilgrimage into one’s emotional and spiritual landscapes. Owing much to the women I portray in Traveling Shoes, I kick off my own shoes of conformity to wade deep into the flowing waters of creative inspiration. n
Photo by Brandon Peterson
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On the last Friday of each month, from 6 to 9 p.m., members of the Park City Gallery Association offer a unique monthly showcase, high-lighting artists, special exhibits, and art events. The Last Friday Gallery Stroll is a free community event that gives locals and Park City visitors alike the opportunity to enjoy light refreshments, music, and fine art while exploring Park City’s exciting art scene. Premier Fine Arts Digest of the Mountain West
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ESCAPE INTO THE MUSIC 96
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2014 Deer Valley® Music Festival Summer Home of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera
KENNY ROGERS with the Utah Symphony July 5, 2014 (Sat) | 7:30 pm | Deer Valley Resort Jerry Steichen, Conductor
THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS July 11, 2014 (Fri) | 7:30 pm | Deer Valley Resort Jeff Tyzik, Conductor
MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER with the Utah Symphony July 19, 2014 (Sat) | 7:30 pm | Deer Valley Resort Vince Mendoza, Conductor
DISNEY IN CONCERT: TALE AS OLD AS TIME august 1, 2014 (Fri) | 7:30 pm | Deer Valley Resort Jerry Steichen, Conductor
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Selected Works on Display
To Advertise Your Gallery’s Selected Works in our Digest Catalog contact: 435.656.3377 info@fibonaccifinearts.com
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Moonshine by Mark Eberhard 42 x 42 Oil on Canvas MODERN WEST FINE ART
Razorback Bluff by Rob Colvin 42 x 42 Oil on Canvas MODERN WEST FINE ART
Twelve by Annette Lemieux Acrylic Silkscreen Ink on Wood Panel (2) panels at 38 x 40 MODERN WEST FINE ART
Sea Butterfly by Ario Namingha 15 x 13 x 4 Texas Shell, Bass Wood & Bronze MODERN WEST FINE ART 98
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Night Owl-Crow Indian Man byKevin Red Star 30 x 40 Acrylic on Canvas MODERN WEST FINE ART
Gibson Wilderness by Woody Shepherd 72 x 71 Oil & Acrylic on Hardwood Panel MODERN WEST FINE ART
Horses on the Hill With Cloud by Phil Epp 40 x 40 Acrylic on Board MODERN WEST FINE ART
Heat by Lenka Konopasek 30 x 40 Oill on Canvaas MODERN WEST FINE ART
Into the Glittery World by Shonto Begay 48 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas MODERN WEST FINE ART
Filtered Sun by Dan Namingha 40 x 30 Acrylic on Canvas MODERN WEST FINE ART
Warrior on Horse by Ben Steele 90 x 80 Oil on (3) Panels MODERN WEST FINE ART
Mountain Storm by David Jonason 36 x 48 Oill on Canvas MODERN WEST FINE ART
Nude 1 by Jann Hathworth 36 x 42 Oil on Canvas & Vinyl MODERN WEST FINE ART
Suzie Yazzie by Logan Maxwell Hagege 30 x 20 Oil on Linen MODERN WEST FINE ART Premier Fine Arts Digest of the Mountain West
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Red by Dave Newman 30 x 30 Mixed Media MODERN WEST FINE ART
Bladed Bloom by Ed Mell 24 x 18 Oil on Linen MODERN WEST FINE ART Grazing Under the Needle by John Berry 16 x 20 Oil on Canvas MODERN WEST FINE ART
The Grand Tetons by Tracy Felix 36 x 48 Oil on Panel MODERN WEST FINE ART 100 •
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Keokook by Stanley Natchez 40 x 46 Oil and Mixed Media on Gold Leaf MODERN WEST FINE ART
Windy Day by Igor Alenandrovich Popov 17 1/4 x 29 3/4 Oil on Board McCARTHEY GALLERY
Sasha Komarov by Alexandra Feliksovna Torkreva 30 1/2 x 39 1/2 Oil on Canvas McCARTHEY GALLERY
Spring on Kaspean Sea by Alexei & Sergei Takchev 29 1/4 x 43 1/4 Oil on Board McCARTHEY GALLERY
Peasants at the Shed by Grigory Leontievich Chainikov 50 x 40 Oil on Canvas McCARTHEY GALLERY
First Snow by Alexei & Sergei Takchev 26 1/4 x 36 Oil on Board McCARTHEY GALLERY
Sunflowers by Vasily Kirillovich Nechitailo 40 3/4 x 32 1/4 Oil on Cardboard McCARTHEY GALLERY
The Lilac by Yuri Petrovich Kugach 5 1/4 x 9 3/4 Oil on Board McCARTHEY GALLERY Premier Fine Arts Digest of the Mountain West
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Colors of Autumn by Roland Lee 8 x 12 Watercolor HAVEN GALLERY
The Delay by Carlos Reales 40 x 30 Oil on Linen HAVEN GALLERY
Jordi Savall by Stewart Seidman 24 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas HAVEN GALLERY 102 102 •
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Fireweed and Lupine by Darrell Thomas 72 x 48 Oil on Canvaas HAVEN GALLERY
St. George Valley by David Dean 12 x 16 Oil on Board HAVEN GALLERY Draft Horse by Ron Russon 60 x 30 Oil on Canvas HAVEN GALLERY November Rain by Fredrick Stephens 20 x 30 Oil on Canvas HAVEN GALLERY
Pink by Josh Clare 19 x 20 Oil on Panel HAVEN GALLERY
In the West Field by Martin Ricks 8 x 10 Oil on Polyfax HAVEN GALLERY
A Family Portrait by Angela Bentley Fife 24 x 36 Oil on Canvas HAVEN GALLERY Premier Fine Arts Digest of the Mountain West
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Top Hat by Lonnie Clarke 11 x 14 Oil on Canvas HAVEN GALLERY
Technicolor by Diane Turner 12 x 12 Oil on Canvas HAVEN GALLERY
Flat Back Mesa by Ron Colvin 11 x 14 Oil on Panel HAVEN GALLERY
Curious by Ed Hlavka #11 of 36 Bronze Sculpture HAVEN GALLERY 104 •
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Lincoln by Zachary Proctor 24 x 24 Oil on Canvas HAVEN GALLERY
The Player by Jason Bowen 30 x 20 Oil on Canvas HAVEN GALLERY
Nyhavn, Copenhagen by Dennis Smith 30 x 40 Oil on Panel HAVEN GALLERY
Mood Lighting by Gregory Stocks 24 x 36 Oil on Canvas HAVEN GALLERY
Volga Grass Gatherer by Steve McGinty 6 x 12 Oil on Panel HAVEN GALLERY
Aspens in Spring by Gary Collins 14 x 20 Oil on Panel HAVEN GALLERY
Waiting by Carlos Reales 30 x 24 Oil on Canvas HAVEN GALLERY Premier Fine Arts Digest of the Mountain West
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Turned Wood Vase by Chris Bair 10 x 8 x8 Screwbean Mesquite Burl DeZION GALLERY
Escalante Canyon From Kiva by J. Brad Holt 24 x 30 Oil DeZION GALLERY
Wotan’s Lightning by Jason Butler/ArgoShots 24 x 48 MetalPrint DeZION GALLERY
Zion Narrows Light by Sidney Shutt 30 x 40 Oil Palette Knife DeZION GALLERY
Sterling Silver & Rare Stone Jewelry by Bruce Nell DeZION GALLERY
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Hammered Iron & Stone Jewelry by Dean Wilson DeZION GALLERY
Evening Light by Cody DeLong 12 x 20 Oil DeZION GALLERY
Free Ride by Chris Deverill 10 x 13.5 x 6 Bronze Sculpture DeZION GALLERY
Gallery Directory
Listings Throughout the Mountain West
15th Street Gallery 1519 South 1500 East Salt Lake City, UT 84105 15thstreetgallery.com
Alpine Art 430 East South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84111 alpineartinc.com
Artworks Park City 461 Main St Park City, UT 84060 artworksparkcity.com
Brushworks Gallery 160 East 800 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 brushworksgallery.com
A Gallery Allen + Alan Fine Art 1321 South 2100 East Salt Lake City, UT 84108 agalleryonline.com
Anthony’s Fine Art & Antiques 401 East 200 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 anthonysfineart.com
Astoria Fine Art 35 E Deloney Ave Jackson, WY 83001 astoriafineart.com
Charley Hafen Jewelers Gallery 900 East 1409 South Salt Lake City, UT 84105 charleyhafen.com
Al Rounds Studio 60 E South Temple St Salt Lake City, UT 84111 alrounds.com
Art Access Gallery 230 South 500 West #125 Salt Lake City, UT 84101 accessart.org
Authentique Gallery Art & Design 199 N Main St St George, UT 84770 authentiquegallery.com
Alderwood Fine Art 641 East South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84102 alderwoodfineart.com
Art at the Main 210 East 400 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 artatthemain.com
Bedard Fine Art Gallery 29 W 200 N St George, UT 84770 bedardfineart.com
Alice Gallery 617 East South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84102 alicegallery.org
ARTe Gallery and Framing 415 S Dixie Dr. St George, UT 84770
Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art 3600 Las Vegas Fwy Las Vegas, NV 89109 bellagio.com
Allen Dodworth Fine Arts 973 E South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84102 dodworthart.com
Artistic Lifestyles Las Vegas 2758 S Highland Dr Las Vegas, NV 89109 artisticlifestyles.com
Bret Webster Images 312 Main St Park City, UT 84060 bretwebsterimages.com
Coda Gallery Park City 804 Main St Park City, UT 84060 codaparkcity.com Contemporary Arts Center 1217 S Main St Las Vegas, NV 89104 lasvegascac.org Cornerstone Gallery of Fine Art 175 S. Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84111 cornerstonegalleryoffineart.com
David Ericson Fine Art 418 South 200 West Salt Lake City, UT 84101 davidericson-fineart.com
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David J. West Gallery 801 Zion Park Blvd Springdale, UT 84767 www.facebook.com /davidjwestgallery DeZion Gallery 1051 Zion Park Blvd Springdale, UT 84767 deziongallery.com District Gallery 751 Main St Park City, UT 84060 districtartgallery.com Earth & Light Gallery 847 Coyote Gulch Ct Ivins, UT 84738 cdwood.zenfolio.com Evergreen Framing Co. & Gallery, Inc. 3295 South 2000 East Salt Lake City, UT 84109 evergreengallery.com F. Weixler Gallery 132 “E” Street Salt Lake City, UT 84103 fweixlerco.com Fatali Gallery The Museum of Photography 556 Main St Park City, UT 84060 fatali.com
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Gallery 873 873 Coyote Gulch Ct Ivins, UT 84738 gallery873.com
Kayenta Art Village 851 Coyote Gulch Ct Ivins, UT 84738 coyotegulchartvillage.com
Gallery MAR 436 Main St Park City, UT 84060 gallerymar.com
Kevin Barry Fine Arts 6001 S Decatur Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89118 kevinbarryfineart.com
Lucheni Sculpture Gallery 110 Bristol Rd Logan, UT 84341 Lustre Gallery 171 S Pine St Telluride, CO 81435 lustregallery.com
Haven Gallery 1495 S Black Ridge Drive St. George, UT 84770 fibonaccifinearts.com
Kimball Art Center 638 Park Ave Park City, UT 84060 kimballartcenter.org
Mangelsen-Images of Nature Gallery 364 Main St Park City, UT 84060 mangelsen.com
Hope Gallery 268 Main St Park City, UT 84060 hopegallery.com
King’s Gallery 13 W Center St Logan, UT 84321 antiquesutah.com
Martin Lawrence Galleries 3500 S Las Vegas Blvd Paradise, NV martinlawrence.com
Hope Gallery 151 South Main Salt Lake City, UT 84111 hopegallery.com
Kush Fine Art 3500 Las Vegas Blvd S # G27 Las Vegas, NV 89109 vladimirkush.com
McMillen Fine Art Photography 1678 Redstone Center Dr #120 Park City, UT 84098 mcmillenfineart.com
Illume Gallery of Fine Art 60 E South Temple St Salt Lake City, UT 84111 illumegalleryoffineart.com
LaFave Gallery 1214 Zion Park Blvd Springdale, UT 84767 lafavegallery.com
J GO Gallery 408 Main St Park City, UT 84060 jgogallery.com
Lanny Barnard Gallery 577 Main St Park City, UT 84060 lannybarnardgallery.com
Julie Nester Gallery 1280 Iron Horse Dr Park City, UT 84060 julienestergallery.com
Logan Fine Art 60 W 100 N Logan, UT 84321 loganfineartgallery.com
Meyer Gallery 305 Main Street Park City, UT 84060 meyergallery.com Milici Studios 95 E Shelbourne Ave Las Vegas, NV 89123 milicistudios.com Mission Gallery 173 N Main St St George, UT 84770 themissiongallery.com
Modern West Fine Art 177 East 200 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 modernwestfineart.com
Rio Gallery 300 South Rio Grande Street Salt Lake City, UT 84101 riogallery.org
Stanfield Fine Art 751 Main St Park City, UT 84060 stanfieldfineart.com
Whitaker Studio 899 Coyote Gulch Ct Ivins, UT 84738 whitakerstudio.com
Montgomery-Lee Fine Art 608 Main St Park City, UT 84060 taminah.com
Sagebrush Fine Art 3065 SW Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84115 sagebrushfineart.com
Terzian Galleries 309 Main St Park City, UT 84060 terziangalleries.com
Williams Fine Art 132 E St Salt Lake City, UT 84103 williamsfineart.com
Mountain Trails Gallery 301 Main St Park City, UT 84060 mountaintrailsgalleries.com
Sean Nathan Ricks The Main Street Gallery 909 S Main St Logan, UT 84321
Thomas Anthony Gallery 340 Main St Park City, UT 84060 thomasanthonygallery.com
Willie Holdman Utah Photography Gallery 580 Main St Park City, UT 84060 willieholdman.com
Old Church Gallery 868 Zion Park Blvd Springdale, UT 84767
Sears Art Museum Gallery 225 S 700 E St George, UT 84770
Park City Fine Art 577 Main St Park City, UT 84060 parkcityfineart.com
Silver Queen Fine Art 577 Main St Park City, UT 84060 silverqueenfineart.com
Thomas Kearns McCarthey Gallery 444 Main St Park City, UT 84060 mccartheygallery.net
Phillips Gallery 444 East 200 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 phillips-gallery.com
Slusser Gallery 447 E 100 S Salt Lake City, UT 84111 slussergallery.com
Relics Framemakers & Gallery LLC 4685 S Holladay Blvd Salt Lake City, UT 84117 relicsframemakers.com
Sorella Gallery 868 Zion Park Blvd Springdale, UT 84767
Rich Haines Galleries 625 Main St Park City, UT 84060 richhainesgalleries.com
Split Rock Gallery 2 W St George Blvd St George, UT 84770 splitrockgallery.com
Utah Artist Hands 163 East 300 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 utahands.com Utah Arts Festival Gallery 230 South 500 West #120 Salt Lake City, UT 84101 uaf.org West Light Images 333 Main St Park City, UT 84060 westlightimages.com
Winborg Masterpieces Art Gallery 55 N Main St #208 Logan, UT 84321 winborg.com World Focus Gallery 20 N Main St #3 St George, UT 84770 worldfocusgallery.com Worthington Gallery Inc 789 Zion Park Blvd Springdale, UT 84767 worthingtongallery.com Wyland Galleries 3663 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 wylandgalleries.com
Wide Angle 51 N Main St St George, UT 84770 wideangleart.com
Premier Fine Arts Digest of the Mountain West
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Premier Fine Arts Digest of the Mountain West
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“New Visions of the West” Contemporary Art Show presented by Patrajdas Consulting
July 11 - Sept. 27 Whitespace 2420 Wall Ave. Ogden, UT
DANTOONE.COM
DAN TOONE FINE ART METAL SCULPTURES
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Premier Fine Arts Digest of the Mountain West
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Secret Circle by Cheryl Collins
Here’s a secrete Listen well Each of us has a story to tell And every creature great and small The Golden Mean
Is a part of it all Every action affects something else As sown the line the chain is felt Your chain reaction starts with you And travels far beyond the things you do As it relates to someone else
The Golden Section
It affects the stories they will tell The secret most of us don’t know Is that the chain comes full circle So the things that you give our Go out, around and turn about And eventually come right back to you Like stretchy, invisible, sticky glue Kindness, friendship, patience, caring Phi Angular Series
Laughter, love, joy and sharing Thankful, tolerant, helpful, thoughtful These spin back to you full circle Cheryl Collins is an award-winning artist who lives in Kayenta, Utah. Her art is represented at galleries throughout the country. This poem is an excerpt from her book The Glass Heart, a collection of poetry and art “for children of all ages.”
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LASER CATARACT SURGERY LASER CATARACT SURGERY
State-of-the State-of-the art art medical medical technology technology still still needs needs a a highly highly skilled skilled pair pair of of hands hands to to use use it. it.
Richens Richens Eye Eye Center Center is is proud proud to to introduce introduce the the first first Refractive Refractive Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (ReLACS) offered Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (ReLACS) offered in in Southern Utah. Using highly advanced technology to capture extremely precise, real-time, high resolution digital images of the eye, our team of cataract surgeons can now plan and perform cataract surgery to customized specifications that were previously unachievable. Richens Eye Center is proud to introduce the first Refractive Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (ReLACS)
• Advanced Laser Cataract Surgery • • • •
Custom iLASIK iLASIK Custom Visian ICL ICL Visian
(Implantable Contact Contact Lenses) Lenses) (Implantable
• Eyelid Eyelid & & Cosmetic Cosmetic • Facial Surgery Facial Surgery • Macular Macular Degeneration Degeneration • • • • •
Diabetic Eye Eye Care Care Diabetic Glaucoma Care Care Including Including Glaucoma Laser Surgery Surgery Laser • Dry Eyes & Allergy • Dry Eyes & Allergy • Hearing Services • Hearing Services
DOCTORS DOCTORS
offered in Southern Utah. Using highly advanced technology to capture extremely precise, real-time, high resolution digital images of the eye, our team of cataract surgeons can now plan and perform cataract surgery to customized specifications that were previously unachievable.
BO OA AR RD D B CE ER RT T II F F II E ED D ,, C FELLOWSHIP FELLOWSHIP TRAINED TRAINED
Sharon Richens, Richens, Sharon MD/FACS/FAAO MD/FACS/FAAO
Larry Gabriel, Gabriel, MD MD Larry
Michael P. P. Teske, Teske, MD MD Michael
Reed Gibb, Gibb, OD OD Reed
Rachael Jacoby, Jacoby, MD MD Rachael
Joshua Terry, Terry, OD OD Joshua
Kristin Tarbet, Tarbet, Kristin MD/FACS/FAAO MD/FACS/FAAO OCULOPLASTIC & FACIAL
Mark W. W. Nilsson, Nilsson, Mark B.S./BC–HIS B.S./BC–HIS BOARD CERTIFIED
LASIK, CATARACT CATARACT LASIK, & GENERAL OPHTHALMOLOGY & GENERAL OPHTHALMOLOGY RETINA SPECIALIST SPECIALIST RETINA RETINA SPECIALIST RETINA SPECIALIST
OCULOPLASTIC & FACIAL PLASTIC SURGEON PLASTIC SURGEON
BOARD CERTIFIED CERTIFIED BOARD CATARACTS & & GENERAL GENERAL CATARACTS OPHTHALMOLOGY OPHTHALMOLOGY
DOCTOR OF OF OPTOMETRY OPTOMETRY DOCTOR DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY
BOARD CERTIFIED HEARING SPECIALIST HEARING SPECIALIST
1 6 1 W 2 0 0 N S U I T E 2 0 0 | S T. G E O R G E , U TA H 1 6 1 W 2 0 0 N S U I T Premier E 200 | T . of Gthe E O R G EWest , U TA H Arts S 4 3 5 . 2 1 6 . 1 2 2 1 | R I C HFine EN SDigest EYE C EMountain N T E R . C •O115 M 435.216.1221 | RICHENSEYECENTER.COM
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