2023 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art Catalog

GRAND CANYON

CELEBRATION OF ART 2023

cover art

Emery Kolb

Plateau Point, 1960

Hand-tinted photograph

Collection of Jennifer Draper

GRAND CANYON CONSERVANCY

Post Office Box 399, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 (800) 858-2808 grandcanyon.org

copyright © 2023 by Grand Canyon Conservancy

All Rights Reserved. Published 2023. All artworks are the property of their respective artists and are protected by copyright law.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in whole or in part, by any means (except for short quotes for the purpose of review), without permission of the publisher.

Designed and Printed in the United States of America by Prisma.

Edited by Mindy

Riesenberg.

Photography by Fresh Focuses Photography, Lear Miller, NPS, Off Madison Ave, and Deb Weinkauff.

ISBN: 978-0-938216-11-7

Grand Canyon Conservancy inspires generations of park champions to cherish and support the natural and cultural wonder of Grand Canyon. Proceeds from the sale of this book directly support the mission of Grand Canyon National Park.

FOREWORD

By Alan Petersen , Curator of Fine Arts, Museum of Northern Arizona

Emery Kolb’s hand-tinted photograph from Plateau Point has its origin in a funny story involving his friend, the Swedish-American painter Gunnar Widforss. One of Widforss’ Grand Canyon masterpieces is Plateau Point, most likely painted in 1930. Plateau Point is a 6 ½ mile walk down the Bright Angel Trail, which, according to Kolb, Widforss did each morning for ten days while he worked on the painting. He would work on it for a couple of hours in the morning and then wrap it in a waterproof canvas, put it under overhanging rocks, and leave it until he returned the following day to continue work on it.

While he was a great photographer, Emery Kolb was an amateur oil painter of average ability. Widforss once told him, “If you practice, you will be a good painter.” In 2015 I interviewed Emery Lehnert, Kolb’s grandson, who recounted the story of Kolb’s photograph. When Widforss had completed his watercolor, Kolb told him it was a fine painting, but he thought the composition could use a little improvement. Kolb found a dead agave stalk nearby, stuck it between some rocks, and adjusted it. He then set up a camera and took a photograph from the same spot where Widforss had been working on his painting with precisely the same view. This is all ironically humorous as Widforss was a master of composition, and Kolb’s addition of the agave stalk is a distracting, stereotypical device. Kolb then made a large print of the image and hand-colored it. He later made an original oil painting from his photograph. You can see from Kolb’s photograph just how accurate Widforss’ drawing and painting are and how he adjusted the distant skyline slightly to tighten his composition. A funny story of two masters at work deep in Grand Canyon. Wouldn’t you love to have been there?

Gunnar Widforss

Plateau Point, c. 1930

20x25, watercolor on paper Collection of Jennifer Draper

Black and white photograph of Emery Kolb, date unknown, posing with painting supplies next to a painting with a sign that states, “Painted for the Grand Canyon Hospital in memory of my dear wife, Blanche M. Kolb.” A message on the photograph states, “Holiday Greetings.” The entry for this photograph in the 1993 inventory of the Ethel Moore Cole collection states it was produced circa 1960. Grand Canyon Historical Society

INTRODUCTION

Theresa McMullan , Chief Executive Officer Grand Canyon Conservancy

Welcome to the 15th annual Celebration of Art! This extraordinary gathering brings together artists, art collectors, park enthusiasts, and art aficionados from all corners of the globe. This year, we’re proud to present works by 24 talented artists from eight different states.

These artists have the majestic Grand Canyon as their backdrop—from the soft, delicate shadows of the early morning to the resplendent golden glow of sunset, the artworks they create before and during the sale and exhibition perfectly capture the breathtaking essence of Grand Canyon.

Within these pages, you’ll discover a collection of studio-produced paintings showcasing stunning vistas and personal impressions of the canyon. These artworks, alongside the plein air creations crafted during the 2023 Celebration of Art, will be available for purchase both online and in-person at historic Kolb Studio from September 17, 2023, to January 15, 2024. Proceeds from the sale contribute to a future art venue to showcase the art and other collections of Grand Canyon Conservancy and the National Park Service.

The board of directors and staff of Grand Canyon Conservancy wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to the generous sponsors, dedicated volunteers, passionate art patrons, hard-working National Park Service staff, and most of all, the talented artists who participate in and support this unique event. It is through these artists’ creativity that Celebration of Art continues to flourish, captivating hearts and minds with the beauty of Grand Canyon and celebrating the profound connection between human expression and the majesty of our natural world.

GRAND CANYON CONSERVANCY

Grand Canyon Conservancy is the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, raising private funds, operating retail shops within the park, and providing premier guided educational programs about the natural and cultural history of the region. Our supporters fund projects including trails and historic building preservation, educational programs for the public, and the protection of wildlife and their natural habitat. Grand Canyon Conservancy inspires generations of park champions to cherish and support the natural and cultural wonder of Grand Canyon. For more information, visit grandcanyon.org.

You can help by becoming a member today! Join at grandcanyon.org, any Grand Canyon Conservancy park store, or call (800) 858-2808. If you are already a member, we thank you!

SUZIE BAKER

Shenandoah, Texas

Suzie Baker’s paintings are regularly displayed in magazines, prestigious national shows, and plein-air events. She has served on the Oil Painters of America board since 2014, including presiding as president from 2020–22. Suzie holds signature status in that distinguished organization as well as the American Impressionist Society, American Women Artists, and others. In addition to being a still life and portrait artist, Suzie has been painting en plein air since she was a teenager. A sought-after instructor, Suzie teaches through videos, virtual classes, and workshops around the United States, Europe, and close to her home in the Houston, Texas, area.

Transcendent light and the canyon go hand-in-hand, making the canyon awe-inspiring and challenging to paint. Visiting the canyon in my studio for this painting allowed me to study and record this briefest of light effects as the morning sun broke through a curtain of clouds to illuminate a sliver of the canyon below. As the sun rose, a shaft of morning light cut through the thick layer of clouds lingering above the Grand Canyon. The ray of light pierced through, creating a pathway of light that illuminated the magnificent landscape below. The canyon colors were brought to life in the sunlight as the light danced upon the rocks, painting the walls with warm shades of red, orange, and gold.

In contrast, the canyon in shadow retained the cool colors of morning. The entire scene was breathtaking, as if nature was putting on a show just for those early risers lucky enough to witness it. The beam of light seemed to stretch on for miles, casting a warm glow over the vast canyon and reminding us of the sheer beauty and power of the natural world.

Passing Through | 24x30, oil on canvas

JOSHUA BEEN

Salida, Colorado

Joshua Been has been drawing since he could manage a pencil. Initially captivated by animation and cartooning, Joshua was also active in theater, performing arts, and earth sciences, an interdisciplinary foundation evident in his work. He worked for several years as a character animator and visual development artist for Cartoon Network, Disney, and other studios. Joshua has a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, where he graduated magna cum laude. He won the People’s Choice and Artist’s Choice Awards at the 10th annual Celebration of Art.

The inner gorge of the canyon is divine.

Riparian areas leapfrog divides in the undulating form.

Under heavy redrock cliffs, we find nearly tropical conditions which inspire us all. Mapping these areas out and finding them in reality always excites me.

Past, present, and future folks have found shade and fresh water here. We should always seek the protection of these special places. On occasion, I recommend finding your own way to these magical areas. Never miss an opportunity to take a river trip through the canyon.

Deer Creek Falls | 48x16, oil on linen

ELIZABETH BLACK

Boulder, Colorado

Elizabeth Black worked as a river guide in Grand Canyon for many years. She first painted watercolors on a raft trip in the canyon in 1975. When the boat carrying her sketches flipped, all her paintings got soaked, and about half were improved immensely by their swim. That incident gave her a tiny glimpse of the exciting potential ahead. She and her husband, landscape photographer Christopher Brown, explore the West together, carrying their art-making equipment to the most scenic spots they can find. Elizabeth has won numerous awards, including Best of Show at Grand Canyon Celebration of Art (most recently in 2020), and her work may be found in many private and public collections. She is represented by Mary Williams Fine Arts in Boulder, Colorado, and the Sugarman-Peterson Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Black Rock Camp lies in the heart of Upper Granite Gorge, just downstream from Hermit Rapids. After the adrenaline-filled waves of Sockdolager, Grapevine, Granite, and Hermit, the camp’s still waters offer a welcome relief, despite its confining dark cliffs and oily schist. Still waters brew quiet dreams, undisturbed by the roar of Crystal Rapid two miles downstream. Quiet dreams infuse the sunrise with peace, at least for a little while. But the morning’s peace is slowly shredded by coffee call and nervous boatmen ricocheting across their loads, checking and rechecking straps, pumping tubes rock-hard, and performing their good-luck rituals. The first upstream breeze brings the distant growl of the dreaded Crystal as they push off from shore. They leave behind the peace that passes all understanding and head off to their fate.

Sunrise at Black Rock Camp, Mile 96, On the Grand | 40x30, oil on board

PHILIP CARLTON

Fruita, Colorado

Philip Carlton is a self-taught plein-air painter who travels extensively to capture the natural and urban worlds’ visual splendor and intrigue. He participated in his first plein air competition in 2015 following the encouragement of close friends. One year later, he embarked on a road trip that would reshape his artistic path. In 2016 he packed his easel for the first time on a solo trip to Grand Teton National Park, spending nine days painting along the way. After returning home, he was hooked on painting as a form of adventure and was on the road again just a month later, painting Canyonlands, Arches, and Yosemite National Parks. In 2018, he painted at the rim of the Grand Canyon for the first time and has returned frequently since.

Shadow and Flame was painted in response to a beautiful evening spent at Lipan Point. Over the course of an evening working on a small 9” x 12” painting at last year’s Celebration of Art, I observed spectacular clouds, areas of passing illumination in the canyon, and a deep range of color as the sun descended to the horizon. Lipan Point features multiple views of the Colorado River, which shimmers with reflected light from a mile below in the deepest, darkest parts of the canyon.

My original plein air piece featured vivid, experimental color with a fiery yellow sky to contrast the subtle hues of the canyon cast in shadow. I attempted to capture that palette and use it throughout the wider view of the studio piece it inspired. This energized sky naturally paired with fleeting crepuscular rays created by passing storms. I let those rays become a gateway into a further abstraction of the scene rather than just a subtle addition to the sky. The painting serves as a reminder that stormy days at the Grand Canyon are anything but gray.

Shadow and Flame | 24x36, oil on canvas

JOHN D. COGAN

Farmington, New Mexico

John D. Cogan has participated in the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art since 2009, winning Best of Show in 2015, the People’s Choice Award in 2021, and the Artist’s Choice Award in 2022. In 2012, his painting Out of the Depths won the Jack Dudley Memorial Purchase Award and is now in Grand Canyon National Park’s collection. John has spent time on the North and South Rims as Artist in Residence. He has won numerous awards, and his paintings are part of the permanent collections of Citizens Bank, Conoco Phillips, McGraw Hill, San Juan College, Eastern New Mexico University, Raymond James Financial, Xanterra Corporation, Zion National Park, and the Sultanate of Oman, among others. In 2019, John was designated an Associate Living Master™ at the Art Renewal Center, an honor that places him among the best representational artists of this century.

Painting Brahma and Zoroaster Temples is always a joy for me as these two landmarks are iconic formations recognized and viewed by nearly every visitor to the Grand Canyon. Their contours tell the viewer, “We are the Grand Canyon!” One of my favorite (and often-painted) views is in the afternoon, looking along the rim from the outcrop just east of Hopi Point. The late afternoon and early evening light present the artist with shadows that creep along the cliffs and outcrops, slowly moving the canyon into the late evening and then into the quiet of the night. The colors are drawn from every part of the spectrum, from the cool shadows of blue and purple to the glowing peaks and cliffs of reds, oranges, yellows, and even the Tonto Plateau’s greens. In the distance, a thunderstorm spreads a bit of much-needed rain onto the deserts east and north of the canyon.

Creeping Shadows of Evening | 30x24, acrylic on canvas

MICHELLE CONDRAT

Salt Lake City, Utah

Michelle Condrat is a native of Utah and has lived there for almost her entire life. After earning her art and art history degrees from the University of Utah in 2007, she continued with her artistic journey, painting the unique landscape of Utah and the Southwest. When not working in the studio, she spends her time outdoors, driving through mountain ranges, fishing lakes and streams, and hiking through canyons, gathering inspiration and subject matter for her paintings. Michelle is known for her unique “digital” or “architectural” style of intense color choices and linear blended strokes, giving motion and depth to her paintings. Michelle won the People’s Choice Award at the 2022 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art, Best of Show at the 2021 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art, and the People’s Choice Award at the 2019 Zion National Park Invitational.

I still remember that evening at Mohave Point when I watched a thunderstorm rolling over the canyon in the distance. I could see the rain falling in sheets and wondered what it would be like to be on that side of the canyon. It looked dark and ominous on that far side, but then the sun suddenly broke through the clouds revealing a blinding glow upon the horizon. The contrast between the dramatic sunset and the storm clouds reminded me of how the forces of nature, both strong and beautiful, can complement each other and magnify the majestic landscape we have come to know as the Grand Canyon. It is a place comprised of unique elements, whether they are the characteristics of the canyon, such as the layers of rock, water, and plants. These chemical elements create the atmosphere and color, or even the element of surprise to see a lightning strike upon the distant mesa. All these things came together at once and left me with an experience I will never forget and that I am thankful to carry with me forever!

Elements | 24x36, oil on canvas

BILL CRAMER

Prescott, Arizona

Bill Cramer is best known for his striking oil paintings of the American West. He uses strong brushwork and colors to express the vitality and beauty of the natural world. As a longtime rock climber, he spent much of his youth enjoying the more vertical aspects of the western landscape. After receiving his degree in fine arts from Cal State Long Beach, he moved to Arizona to be closer to the scenery he most enjoyed. There, he discovered the delight and challenges of plein-air painting, with his outdoor experiences providing inspiration. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the Artists’ Choice Award at the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art (2020 and 2022) and Best of Show at Prescott Plein Air (2020). “I truly enjoy the essential act of painting, especially on location. I look for a balance between the actual scene and my reaction to it—not to paint exactly what I see, but what I want the viewer to see. Every landscape is greater than the obvious visual elements.”

Have you ever noticed how a river will become incredibly smooth, almost glassy, just before it enters a rapid? This mesmerizing calm lies in direct contrast to what follows. The tranquil appearance distracts from the real powers involved—the volume of water and the increasing speed and downward slope of the river. Only when it runs into the rocks, do these forces reveal themselves as they transform the river into powerful rapids. The effect is seen in my depiction of the area above Lava Falls, one of the Colorado River’s most formidable rapids. It’s a true “calm before the storm.” And like the clearing after a storm, the river becomes calm again. The Colorado has been busy carving the Grand Canyon for the past five or six million years. It’s always at work, even when it seems calm on the surface.

Calm Before the Storm | 24x36, oil on linen panel

CHRIS FANNING

Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Chris Fanning has been dedicated to his artistic ability from a young age. A primarily self-taught artist from Arizona, his work is characterized as expressive palette knife landscape painting with a fresh and modern vision. As a plein-air painter, he has been wandering the West for over 20 years, learning to capture the essence of the landscape. The bold textures of paint applied solely with palette knives add a truly unique abstract and expressive quality.

Since the first time I painted the Grand Canyon, I have been captivated by Moran Point. Named after the artist Thomas Moran, this area carries great sentiment for me as an artist. I journeyed to the location one cold winter morning and eagerly awaited the sun’s arrival on the scene. As the first light peeked over the top of the mountains, they immediately soaked up the sun’s warmth. I rushed to my easel and began to apply color to the canvas with all the energy I could gather. The result is this painting.

Rise and Shine | 20x30, oil on linen panel

SUSIE HYER

Evergreen, Colorado

Susie Hyer is an award-winning artist who has been working professionally since 1976. Her work has appeared in numerous galleries, national exhibitions, and private and corporate collections. Susie was honored with an award from her alma mater, Moravian College, for achievement in art. Her work has appeared in numerous books and publications, including Art of the West Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur, Plein Air Magazine, and Southwest Art. She is represented by several galleries along Colorado’s Front Range and the Southwest.

The mule deer are among my favorite canyon inhabitants, quietly perusing the landscape, abiding in the shadows of the forested areas, oversized ears finely tuned to the many voices of the canyon . . . of wind, of rain, of birds and other creatures, of hikers and tourists. Antlers pointing skyward, it’s as though they have antennae to pick up the signals broadcast from Radio Spirit World. For me, the deer are the canyon’s good “medicine,” reminding me to stop my mind chatter and just listen.

In 1989 I received a medicine name in a Lakota purification ceremony, Silent Medicine Deer. I asked a wise elder of that community what it might mean. She replied, “Silence is the medicine, dear.” “Mitákuye Oyás’in.” (“All are related” in Lakota.)

Among the Shadows | 24x30, oil on canvas

PEGGY IMMEL

Taos, New Mexico

Peggy Immel is an award-winning artist whose works have been featured in national exhibitions. Her educational background includes architectural studies at Arizona State University and classes at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the DeCordova Museum School; and the Silvermine Arts Center. She is a Master Signature member of Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, a Signature Member of Plein Air Artists Colorado, and a Signature Member of American Women Artists. Most recently, Peggy’s work received the Best of Show Trustees Award at the 2022 Millicent Rogers Museum Annual Miniature Exhibition in Taos, NM, and First Place in the 2021 Sedona Plein Air Festival. Her work has been showcased in Santa Fean Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, Southwest Art, and Art of the West.

It is hard to imagine anything more awe-inspiring than the view of the Grand Canyon from the site of Kolb Studio as it clings to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. This beautiful building was built in stages by two creative and adventurous brothers from Pittsburgh, Ellsworth and Emery Kolb. In 1903 they established a photography business near the Bright Angel Trailhead with the idea of selling photographs of the mule rides and views of the canyon not seen by the average visitor to tourists. In the beginning, the Kolbs ran their business out of a small tent right on the rim of the canyon. Then, after three years of living and working out of their tent, they built the first section of Kolb Studio in the spectacular location where it stands today.

Last winter, after a record snowfall, I watched the early light near Kolb Studio. It was a silent, cold morning crowned with a stunning sunrise. The studio seemed to float above the canyon as it hung over the vast space below. Is it any wonder that the Kolb brothers made photographing and portraying the canyon their life’s work? Kolb’s Cradle was painted in 2023 from my photographs and treasured memories of that morning.

Kolb’s Cradle | 20x36, oil on canvas

RUSSELL JOHNSON

Prescott Valley, Arizona

Russell Johnson was born and raised in Arizona, enjoying the closeness of the outdoors growing up in Prescott. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Arizona and a Master of Arts from Prescott College. He regularly participates in Prescott art events, including the Phippen Museum Western Show and Sale, Prescott Area Studio Tour, and the Prescott Plein Air Festival. Russell has always been captivated by the Grand Canyon and strongly felt the place inspired him to become an artist. His first backpacking trip was on the South Bass Trail at age 13 during a warm June weekend. Russell was hooked and returned for annual multi-day hiking trips in the Grand Canyon. In recent years, he has packed in an oil painting set to capture the hiking experience in plein air from around the campsites inside the Grand Canyon. Russell lives just a couple of hours from the South Rim. This closeness has its advantages, which he fully uses to view the Grand Canyon in all kinds of lighting and weather.

Dramatic lighting pierces through the inner canyon walls and illuminates the Colorado River in gem tones of turquoise and green. I am endlessly inspired by what I see during backpacking trips in the Grand Canyon! This was day three of a trip that began from Grandview Trail. We took a day hike from our campsite near New Hance Rapids and found amazing vantage points to view the river. It was a cool autumn morning, and the lower canyon walls were finally getting hit by the sun. The dagger of light slicing into the river captivated me to paint this scene. I used a photo reference for this piece and other plein air studies from that day for color notes. The painting exhibits energetic texture and is entirely done with a palette knife.

Daybreak Deliberation | 24x41, oil on canvas

MARGARET LARLHAM

San Diego, California

Drawn primarily to the landscapes of the American Southwest, Margaret Larlham regularly paints in the chaparral and deserts near her home in San Diego or on her travels through the United States, England, Tanzania, and her homeland of South Africa. She is a multi-disciplinary artist and has enjoyed a productive career as a professor of theater and dance, first at the University of Natal in Durban, South Africa, and later at San Diego State University, while constantly practicing as an outdoor painter.

She was honored to achieve Eminent Pastel Artist status in the International Association of Pastel Societies this past year. She received the Gold Award at the IAPS Master Circle Exhibition 2022, the Best of Show Award at 2022’s Grand Canyon Celebration of Art, and First Place and Artist’s Choice Awards at the Borrego Springs Invitational Plein Air 2023 Festival.

While painting the Grand Canyon last year, the dramatic oscillation of sun, storm, and rain proved an exciting challenge. Rapidly changing conditions throughout the days and hours, with exaggerated contrasts of darkness and light and warm and cool colors, sharpened the necessity to work quickly and purposefully in windows of opportunity.

My studio painting is a fusion of the many unusual weather and weathering states of this time in my memory. The melding of a molten sun with a shower of rain is a phenomenon that has given rise to folkloric expressions in many cultures around the world. In South Africa, where I grew up, it was commonly called a monkey’s wedding, hence the title.

Monkey’s Wedding | 18x24, pastel

JOHN LASATER

Siloam Springs, Arkansas

John P. Lasater IV is an award-winning representational artist who has been a mainstay on the plein air scene for over ten years. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, he now lives, paints, and teaches in the beautiful hill country of Northwest Arkansas. John has won numerous awards, including top honors from Door County Plein Air, Easels in Frederick, Plein Air Southwest Salon, Olmsted Plein Air, Sedona Plein Air, Plein Air Rockies, Maui Plein Air, and Telluride Plein Air.

As a representational painter, John is attracted to the variety of formal possibilities in a motif, such as the shapes of shadows or the colors of forms. He gives back by writing and teaching, sharing his knowledge and passion with others. Through a life dedicated to artistry, John hopes to continue inspiring others and creating beautiful works of art.

The Grand Canyon’s rugged terrain is awe-inspiring and humbling from any angle; however, as the morning sun cast its warm glow on Mather Point, I was captivated. The layers of shadowed rock formations created a stunning contrast against the intensely lit sky. In making this painting, I was reminded of the immense power and beauty of the Grand Canyon and the importance of preserving and protecting our planet’s natural wonders for generations to come.

Mather’s Spectacle | 24x36, oil on linen panel

DEBORAH McALLISTER

Cottonwood, Arizona

Deborah McAllister has been creating art since childhood and decided by age 13 to be a professional artist. After high school, she attended the Colorado Institute of Art and worked in graphic design and illustration before pursuing a fine art career. Inspired by the landscape, she especially enjoys traveling and plein air painting. After a period of full-time RV travel between 2019 and 2020, she settled in the Verde Valley of Arizona, which allows easy access to some of America’s most dramatic landscapes, including the Grand Canyon. She is inspired by the beauty of God’s creation and the effects of weather and light on the landscape.

Deborah has exhibited with Women Artists of the West and Oil Painters of America and is represented by galleries in Colorado and Arizona.

Experiencing the beauty of the Grand Canyon through plein-air painting is a pleasure. In the time it takes me to complete a painting on location, the experience is locked in my memory. Looking at the painting later brings back the sensations of the day—the breeze, warm sunlight, sounds, clouds, or passing showers. I remember seeing birds gliding and seeing the shifting layers of shadows on the canyon walls in my mind. One of my favorite times of day is late afternoon when the colors of the canyon come to life. This painting is a representation of one of those times.

Soaring View | 24x30, oil on canvas

BONNIE McGEE

St. George, Utah

Although Bonnie McGee attended summer classes at the Art Institute of Chicago as a child, she followed a circuitous path to becoming an artist. A love of writing and literature led to a 13-year teaching career. She left that secure life to follow a different dream—exploring the world on her 33-foot sailboat, completing a 4-and-a-half-year world circumnavigation via Panama and the Cape of Good Hope. In 2009, her book “Voices on the Wind” was published, featuring photos and stories of islanders and their influence on her cultural perspective.

Bonnie circled back to painting after attending a Plein Air Painters of America workshop. Since then, she has studied with major plein air artists and has won awards in various events, including Estes Park, Telluride, Moab, and Steamboat Springs. In 2014, the Plein Air Artists of Colorado awarded her Best of Show. Bonnie is a passionate powder skier, fly-fisher, and former horse endurance rider. She has summited 28 of Colorado’s “Fourteeners” and run 12 half marathons after age 60. She is represented exclusively by Wild Horse in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Sweet Harmony of Sunset captures a view from the Rim Trail near Hermit’s Rest. Long shadows define eroded sediments while the sinewy ribbon of river glides silently below, cutting through the overburden of time. Appearing permanent yet mutable, immense yet accessible, the canyon summons vertigo as we look down at peaks and ridges from dizzying cliffs better suited to condors and ravens. Humbled by this grandness, our egos melt into awe.

Sweet Harmony of Sunset | 36x24, oil on canvas

JAMES McGREW

Lake Oswego, Oregon

James McGrew’s strong background in natural sciences (degrees in biology, chemistry, and geology) helps him understand his natural subjects and carry on the tradition of 19th-century artists whose images helped establish the first national parks. He also lends his art background to his work as a summer seasonal Yosemite ranger/naturalist, as he has for the past 25 summers. His paintings hang in collections worldwide, and he has received numerous awards, including Best of Show and five consecutive People’s Choice Awards at the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art, and four People’s Choice Awards at Zion Plein Air Invitational. James is featured in several films, including “Yosemite Lightdances,” “Yosemite Peregrines: A Story of Hope,” and “Where Forever is Now,” the new Zion visitor center and festival film. His work has been featured in Fine Art Connoisseur, Plein Air Magazine, Southwest Art, and Western Art Collector.

One of my first vivid memories of the Grand Canyon includes a thrilling close encounter with a pair of peregrines 20 years ago. I have been fortunate to encounter these magnificent birds on nearly every trip to the canyon and almost daily while painting in recent years. This painting depicts a scene I witnessed early one September morning shortly after sunrise as a resident peregrine took off from its perch to hunt, patrol the territory surrounding its eyrie, or simply play with acrobatic skill and lightning speed among the cliffs.

In 2023 we celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the 1973 Endangered Species Act (ESA), possibly the most powerful legislation for saving imperiled species and their habitat. The peregrine falcon is a quintessential success symbol of the ESA. Despite their elite hunting abilities, incredible speed, and intelligence, their numbers catastrophically crashed towards extinction as they disappeared from much of their range by the mid-20th century. Federal endangered status listing, intensive management, education, habitat protection, and banning DDT enabled their rebound and subsequent delisting in 1999. Today, the largest natural population in the world thrives among the hundreds of miles of sheer vertical cliffs in the Grand Canyon.

Peregrine Takes Flight | 36x18, oil on linen on birch ply

BETSY MENAND

Gunnison, Colorado

Betsy Menand’s first Grand Canyon adventure was a hike to Horseshoe Mesa on the Grandview Trail in 1980. In 1984, she was invited to hike down the Nankoweap Trail to join a research river trip on the Colorado River. This turned into 40 years of exploring the Colorado Plateau through hiking, boating, and art. Betsy earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drawing and painting from the University of Denver and has participated in the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art since 2020.

A late December morning

We walk along the River Trail— light packs, full bellies, rested legs, friends old and new Surrounded in Beauty

Trail carved out—billion-year-old granite and schist—

Pink and Black

Sun angle low beams thru puffy white clouds

Light reflected off the Water dazzles our eyes. Down the South Kaibab—Snow-covered mountain elevation at 7260 feet.

Quick and steep descent two days earlier—6.5 miles to the river.

Phantom Ranch—Cabin 3 our Home for two nights

Sleeping in Beauty

Yellow leaves still cling on at 2546 feet.

Rare Desert Retreat on Winter’s Edge

Extra Day at the Bottom of Grand Canyon spent Walking in Beauty.

We choose the long way out just downriver from Silver Bridge along the River Trail Bright Angel Trail—All up from Pipe Springs Beach a classic loop—10 miles from Phantom to the Rim Distance is marked in Geologic Layers

Vishnu Schist

Tapeats Sandstone

Bright Angel Shale

Muav Limestone

Redwall Limestone

Supai Group

Hermit Shale

AAAHHH, Coconino Sandstone—nearly out!

Toroweap Limestone

Kaibab Limestone

Raven, Pine, and Pinyons welcome us back.

Until next time

Live in Beauty.

River Trail | 36x18, acrylic on panel

MARCIA MOLNAR

Prescott, Arizona

Marcia Molnar’s life is one of contrasts. In summer, she camps and paints en plein air on the rim of the Grand Canyon. At other times, she’s in New York City, wandering the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MOMA, and Central Park. “Having the opportunity to spend time in two different places during the year has encouraged me to try new things,” she says.

Marcia lives in Prescott, Arizona, with her artist husband, George Molnar. Together they explore and paint Arizona ranch life and the Grand Canyon. Marcia’s formative years were spent in her father’s gallery in Carmel, California. She moved on to do commissioned portraiture for many years and then landscape. Marcia was awarded the Patron’s Award at the 2018 “Cowgirl Up! Art from the Other Half of the West” show at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona, and won Best of Show at the 2016 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art. Her works are shown at Mountain Trails Gallery in Sedona, Arizona, and the King Galleries in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

If you spend much time at the canyon, you will know that magical, unexpected things happen all the time.

These are the things that inspire me to paint.

MARK MONSARRAT

Redwood City, California

Mark Monsarrat, a long-time plein-air and studio painter of traditional oil landscapes, lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, he travels widely, painting and showing his evocative landscapes.

Mark has a technical and business background in addition to his art, spanning five college degrees. He paints en plein-air and in his Redwood City studio and has won many awards for his work. He also conducts classes, demonstrations & workshops.

My goal is to evoke an emotional response to the Glories of God, Nature, and Humankind, whether through the sublime of the grand view or the picturesque of more intimate scenes, often depicting evidence of human presence through the interposition of architectural elements.

Scenes of the Grand Canyon afford the opportunity to portray through paint its many and varied rugged peaks and valleys within our gigantic expanse, with their multiple striations, textures, and colors. The light and shadows per time of day and the atmospheric effects of the passing weather always loom large across the canyon, variously highlighting and obscuring its many fascinating features to our endless delight. The artist must observe and record, often in blustery, quickly changing weather, the shapes and degrees of light sides and dark sides of the countless faceted geological features and their undulating cast shadows, along with the meandering, enveloping, unifying, form-defining cloud shadows superimposed thereon.

Mather Point, Grand Canyon | 18x24, oil

JOSE LUIS NUNEZ

San Diego, California

Jose Luis Nunez was born in Mexico City, where he began painting at 13. He studied art and philosophy in Spain, Italy, and Mexico and did his graduate studies in painting and metal engraving at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (San Carlos Art Academy). His work has been on view in more than 50 exhibitions worldwide and has won awards in the United States and Brazil, where he lived for three years. A U.S. resident since 2002, José takes regular plein air painting trips to Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Europe. He has participated in the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art since 2020.

Like a Queen’s chest of jewels, the Grand Canyon holds some of the most precious gemstones in America. And just like precious stones get their most splendor by the light they receive, so does the Grand Canyon before sunset, when the warm light of sunset shines on the buttes and mesas, our most precious stones glow in their entire splendor.

America’s Gemstones | 36x36, acrylic on canvas

JULIA SEELOS

Redwood City, California

Julia Seelos is a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society and the Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters Association. Her list of plein air events includes Sonoma, Zion, Easton, Telluride, Sedona, Laguna Plein Air, the Carmel Art Festival, and the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art.

Julia grew up in Kentucky and attended the Rhode Island School of Design on a merit scholarship. She furthered her studies at the University of Cincinnati, majoring in industrial design. She continued her art studies and graduated with honors from San Jose State University with a degree in design and illustration. Julia has participated in many prestigious plein-air events, including the Carmel Art Festival, Los Gatos, Sedona, Zion, and the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art. One of her paintings is in the permanent collection at El Tovar on the South Rim.

It takes a few days on the river to unwind and start to let the motion of the current control you. You finally give in to the mellow quiet as you float through the towering ancient canyons. The colors of the water and sky are a stark contrast to the Redwall limestone. The excitement of the rapids interrupts your thoughts and punctuates the journey while the clouds pass overhead with your troubles.

Angels Above Redwall | 28x22, oil

MATT STERBENZ

Chandler, Arizona

Matt Sterbenz was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. He received a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Arizona State University. Matt is the former president of Arizona Plein Air Painters and has participated in some of the nation’s top plein air invitational events, including the Sedona Plein Air Festival and the Pacific Northwest Plein Air Event. He was an invited member of the teaching faculty at the 2016 Plein Air Convention and Expo in Tucson, Arizona. He received the People’s Choice Award at the 2020 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art, and his work has appeared in numerous publications, including Plein Air Magazine and Southwest Art Magazine.

Awaiting the sunrise on a bitterly cold, windy morning, the canyon loomed quietly in shades of blue. Clouds from a passing storm blocked the first rays of sunlight, and it appeared that my hopes of painting a dazzling Grand Canyon sunrise were dashed. I packed up my painting gear but kept my camera at hand, just in case. The sun broke through the clouds for a brief moment, like a spotlight, and illuminated the foreground and clouds. This fleeting sight left a lasting memory, and Canyon Renewal is my interpretation of that experience.

Canyon Renewal | 32x38, oil on canvas

DAWN SUTHERLAND

Flagstaff, Arizona

Dawn Sutherland is a painter of Southwest landscapes. A teacher in her first life, and a counselor in her second, Dawn began her third life as a painter in 2001. A move from Wisconsin to Arizona in 2004 immersed her in the spectacular and diverse scenery of the Southwest. Dawn, her husband Stan, and their two cats live in Flagstaff, Arizona. A founding member of Arizona Plein Air Painters, Dawn is also a member of The Nature Conservancy, Grand Canyon Conservancy, Best Friends Animal Society, and Morris Animal Foundation. She teaches fundamentals of landscape painting at NAU and is represented by Arizona Handmade Gallery in Flagstaff and Jane Hamilton Fine Art in Tucson. Her work is also on display at El Portal Hacienda in Sedona. She received the Best Body of Work award at the 2022 Prescott Plein Air Festival and the Award of Excellence at the 2022 Tubac Center for the Arts Show.

Just below O’Neill Saddle, as the South Kaibab Trail descends like a twisting artery into the canyon’s heart, rises a plume of red dust from a switchback far below. Supai dust—once a muddy shoreline, hardened by passing eons, now ground to powder and liberated into the warm morning air by the passing of iron-clad hooves.

Hikers step aside as this parade of canyon veterans passes by. First one, then two, then three strings of sure-footed mules approach, leaning hard into the grade, focused on their task, rhythmically making their way upward through Watahomigi, Manakacha, and Wescogame. Leather creaking, trickles of sweat seeping from under their heavy cargo load, the dusty air filled with their signature equine scent.

Mules care not for names ascribed by geologists nor the number of miles on their shoes. What they know are the towering rock walls on one side of the trail and the abyss on the other. Their feet find the sweet spot in between. And they know they have a purpose. Just one more uphill trudge to the corral, where they’ll be relieved of their heavy load and rewarded with a fine supper and a good night’s rest.

PAULA SWAIN

Salt Lake City, Utah

I grew up in an artistic, musical family. My father had an MFA, and my mother taught elementary school art; she was also a draftsman at Boeing. Many weekends our family would go plein-air painting in the Pacific Northwest. When painting, I hunt for a view that thrills me with interesting shapes, light and shadow patterns, colors, and textures. I’m thankful for my parents, who taught me how to really “see” color. Many people are curious and ask how long it takes to do a painting. I think becoming an artist is learned by taking workshops, reading, experimenting, and studying paintings in museums. Also, making many less favorable paintings! My father used to say, “You have to do 100 crappy paintings before you get one good one.” I think serendipity is also a big part of painting plein-air. Each day’s weather, light, mood, and energy are also a big part. It seems that a million little experiences go into each work. I wish to share with the viewer the exuberant joy of the fabulous landscapes around us.

I love to paint nocturns, and nighttime in the canyon is magical. When painting at night, I remove my glasses, memorize where the colors are on my palette, and wait for my eyes to adjust to the evening light and colors. Often these works are a loose representation of the landscape. These plein-air works are valuable information gathered for the studio piece. I guess I’ve painted plein-air at the Grand Canyon 40 to 50 times. Each time I return, I feel like I’m seeing the canyon for the first time. It is always breathtaking. To quote Hawthorne, “Get excited about it (painting) . . . paint the thing that makes you all a-tremble with its beauty.”

Indigo Nights | 36x36, oil on linen

Grand Canyon Conservancy’s Celebration of Art is a wonderful tradition at Grand Canyon National Park, providing a vibrant experience for visitors, a venue for artists inspired by the canyon, and a successful fundraiser to benefit an art venue at the South Rim. Art plays a critical role in the appreciation of our national parks, and this event helps to keep the artistic tradition part of the Grand Canyon experience.

Since its inception in 2009, Celebration of Art has invited participating artists to paint “en plein air” (outside on location) for a week at Grand Canyon. The works produced during this time are shown alongside studio-produced pieces at the historic Kolb Studio in an exhibition and sale for four months, both in-person and online.

Visitors can watch the artists paint along the South Rim as they interpret this vast landscape’s ever-shifting light and shadow, striking landforms, and vibrant colors. In addition, there are free artist demonstrations scheduled at various locations at the canyon during the week.

Celebration of Art is a singular event. No studios, no special lighting, no photographs pinned to a concept wall—just an easel, an artist, and the Grand Canyon stretched out across the horizon as far as the eye can see.

SUZIE BAKER

Passing Through, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches, $6,300

JOSHUA BEEN

Deer Creek Falls, oil on linen, 48 x 16 inches, $4,000

ELIZABETH BLACK

Sunrise at Black Rock Camp, Mile 96, On the Grand, oil on board, 40 x 30 inches, $6,500

PHILIP CARLTON

Shadow and Flame, oil on canvas, 24 x 36 inches, $5,600

JOHN D. COGAN

Creeping Shadows of Evening, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 24 inches, $6,400

MICHELLE CONDRAT

Elements, oil on canvas, 24 x 36 inches, $6,800

BILL CRAMER

Calm Before the Storm, oil on linen panel, 24 x 36 inches, $6,900

CHRIS FANNING

Rise and Shine, oil on linen panel, 20 x 30 inches, $4,800

SUSIE HYER

Among the Shadows, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches, $5,100

PEGGY IMMEL

Kolb’s Cradle, oil on canvas, 20 x 36 inches, $3,700

RUSSELL JOHNSON

Daybreak Deliberation, oil on canvas, 24 x 41 inches, $6,200

MARGARET LARLHAM

Monkey’s Wedding, pastel, 18 x 24 inches, $2,500

JOHN LASATER

Mather’s Spectacle, oil on linen panel, 24 x 36 inches, $9,500

DEBORAH MCALLISTER

Soaring View, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches, $2,500

BONNIE MCGEE

Sweet Harmony of Sunset, oil on canvas, 36 x 24 inches, $7,300

JAMES MCGREW

Peregrine Takes Flight, oil on linen on birch ply, 36 x 18 inches, $8,500

BETSY MENAND

River Trail, acrylic on panel, 36 x 18 inches, $2,800

MARCIA MOLNAR

A World Within, oil, 36 x 24 inches, $7,500

MARK MONSARRAT

Mather Point, Grand Canyon, oil, 18 x 24 inches, $1,950

JOSE LUIS NUNEZ

America’s Gemstones, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36 inches, $4,400

JULIA SEELOS

Angels Above Redwall, oil, 28 x 22 inches, $3,000

MATT STERBENZ

Canyon Renewal, oil on canvas, 32 x 38 inches, $4,900

DAWN SUTHERLAND

Heavy Traffic on the Outbound, oil, 24 x 30 inches, $5,000

PAULA SWAIN

Indigo Nights, oil on linen, 36 x 36 inches, $4,800

2023 CELEBRATION OF ART SPONSORS

The 15th annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art is presented by Grand Canyon Conservancy on behalf of Grand Canyon National Park. Our sponsors provide significant support. We thank them for their generous contributions.

COCONINO SPONSORS

Jeanne and Nigel Finney

Terri Kline

Picerne Fine Art Collection Courtesy of Doreen, David, and Danielle Picerne

Amy and Mark Schiavoni

Elizabeth and Stephen Watson

VISHNU SPONSORS

Teresa Gavigan and Larry Besnoff

Andrew and Pamela Kerr

Loven Contracting

Tyson Winarski

WE THANK OUR MEDIA SPONSORS: Fine Art Connoisseur and Plein Air Magazine

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