Mention Park City this time of the year and people immediately think "skiing." But epicureans recall the delicious food served in Park City restaurants. And art patrons reflect on the visual feast found in the myriad of galleries.
I've visited galleries there for 15 years now. But I don't remember being as impressed with the art offerings there as I was this past Tuesday.Of course, I didn't have time to visit all of the galleries. But I checked out four:
- Old Town Gallery continues to feature art by longtime regulars Lynn Berryhill, David Chaplin, Jenni Christensen, Richard Erdman, Gunther Johannes, Trevor Southey, Richard Van Wagoner and others.
But Berryhill has departed from her very familiar style of vertical bands of Indian designs superimposed over horizontal, realistic landscapes. Although still inspired by Southern Utah landscape, she now camouflages them to the point of abstract-expressionism. And she scores with this new approach.
Also impressive are Johannes' small works painted with transparent oil on mylar. But suddenly he's working much larger oil paintings on canvas. I especially enjoyed his 45-by-59-inch "Interlude of Winter."
Anyone familiar with Van Wagoner's paintings will be surprised to see "Outfield Practice." There are no freeways or cars. Rather, the bottom three-fourths is filled with grass; the top fourth shows several baseball players.
Adding depth and variety to the exhibit are works by new artists.
Utahn Phyllis Horne shows off her realistic style, while her daughter Karen applies paint with bold, impressionistic brush strokes.
Charlotte Lees' human figures are stacked on top of each other, resembling totem poles. It's not surprising that wood is her favorite medium. "I tend to be more creative with figure shapes and compositions when working with it," she said.
Sculptor Tony Milici of Las Vegas has created some innovative, thought-provoking sculptures by exploring glass. He hand cuts pieces into desired shapes; then he bevels and polishes edges to reflect light and movement.
Three other artists whose work adds significantly to the impact of the entire exhibit are Woodward Payne, Yuji Hiratsuka and Philip Michelson. Payne's large painting "Prickly Pear" is an eye catcher; Hiratsuka combines traditional etching methods with his personal "chine colle" technique; and Michelson's monoprints show off unique techniques.
Old Town Gallery, 444 Main, 645-7724, is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.
Repartee Gallery - Park City exhibits quality art, and its owners have made a special effort to display art aesthetically.
It's an adventure to explore all four levels and see the art treasures that fill the main galleries, hallways and adjacent rooms.
If you haven't been in this gallery recently, you're in for a few surprises:
Larry Christensen modifies his style by introducing more contrast in value and color ("Twilight" and "Grazing Sheep"); G. Russell Case has moved to a larger format for his watercolors ("Across A Winter Field"); and, in addition to her watercolors, Kathleen Peterson is exploring pastels ("Her Dresser").
Work by new artists include Prismacolor drawings by Kent Goodliffe; marquetry by Ned Bullock; fantasy art by Bob DeWitt; miniature iconographic landscapes by Brad Aldredge; nonobjective paintings by Randi Wagner; colorful, image-packed paintings by Jeanne Leighton Lundberg; and figure paintings by Don Seegmiller and Mary Louise McGettigan.
Additional visual treats are paintings by James Christensen, Greg Olsen and Greg Hildebrandt. Hildebrandt and his twin brother, both of New York, have illustrated countless children's books. On display are original oil paintings of scenes from "Lord of the Rings," "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Christmas Carol."
Hours at Repartee Gallery are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The gallery's address is 592 Main. For details, call 649-4514.
- Park City is not only the home of a number of galleries, it's also "home" for a number of artists who are members of the Park City Artists Association. Their artwork is currently in the spotlight in the Main Gallery of Kimball Art Center.
Undoubtedly you'll be attracted to Marianne Cone's wall hangings in which she has combined painting, collage and sculpture; Paula Carrillo's backpacks and luggage sets; Kevin Deen's hard-edged, carefully designed paintings; Lynn Green's quilts; Clark Johnson's jewelry; Mark Johnson's painted leather drums; Jossy Lownes' abstract oil "Summer"; Briant Matheson's huge "Orange Faced Angel Fish"; Linda Myers' 3-d fiber art; Sally Rosenblatt's watercolors; James Simister's large ceramic pieces; and David Green's and David Whitten's impressive photography.
- Speaking of photography, be sure to see David C. Schultz's stunning Cibachrome prints in KAC's Badami Gallery.
This Park City photographer's work is definitely "fine art." When focusing on his pristine subject matter, he's aware of - and incorporates - all the elements of art and principles of design.
He's also sensitive to a variety of moods - from bright autumn hues to the dreary tints of winter; from faint imagery of a hazy morning to crisp edges of a clear summer day.
Schultz's secrets to great photography are planning and patience. "On location, you have to know when to wait and observe," he says.
And he has learned to work with the elements. For example, he said he carefully planned a winter trip to Prince Edward Edward Island to photograph a church, a cloudless sky, plenty of snow and a full moon. What he found was a gray, dreary day. So he adapted. "It turned out to be the prettiest and most gratifying night of the trip," Schultz said.
The two shows at Kimball Art Center (649-8882) continue through December. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. KAC is located at the bottom of Park City's historic Main Street.