Friday, April 13th, 2018 at 6pm
BUFFET DINNER to support Art Around the Corner
AN EVENING OF CELEBRATION
Featuring:
25 New Sculptures in Historic Downtown St. George
2018 Sculpture Artists
2018 Patron of the Arts
2018 Young Creators Artists & Sculptures
Purchase tickets online by Wednesday, April 4th
www.artaroundthecorner.org
$30 per person
Transformative Cowboy Sculptor
I will always have a deep emotional connection to Art Around the Corner because this program introduced me to Matt Clark. In the 12 years since, my life has been immeasurably enriched by the friendship we have forged. Matt is a master artist, enlightened philosopher, wise councilor, and one of my most treasured friends.
He is also the most genuine person I know, without a smidge of pretension. Matt certainly is not concerned with what others think of him, and sometimes can be brutally honest. But even in those moments there is a natural compassion that flows freely from him. I have learned more spiritual truths in Matt’s presence then I have anywhere else.
People say suffering is the gateway to enlightenment. Perhaps this is why Matt is such a sage. He knows heartache. As a young man, he was paralyzed when a vehicle he was working under fell on him. He has been in a wheelchair ever since. But this is not the story I want to tell about Matt. It is only the backdrop for an incredible life, still unfolding.
Matt once explained the personal importance of his work. He related how, when his injury first occurred, the medical professionals saw him as broken. They advised his parents to put him in an institution since the burden of caring for him would be too great. Basically, they were ready to throw him away. Fortunately for all of us, Matt’s parents didn’t listen and later he decided to become a sculptor, creating art for his own spiritual healing and for uplifting others.
Today, Matt uses recycled items to create his art. He finds scraps discarded as no longer useful—rusted, broken, and tossed aside. Matt asks himself, “What is the best purpose for this object.” He searches for each piece’s innate power and gives it a new reason to be. For him, the transformation is symbolic of his own journey.
As a teenager he dreamed of becoming a world champion cowboy. Now he expresses that dream by creating majestic horses. Although minimal in execution, they convey power and personality. Standing next to one the other day I thought, “If only I could win your trust, I bet you could take me to magical places full of wonder and awe.”
If you visit Matt’s work shop, you’ll see on the wall this saying from the book, As A Man Thinketh by James Allen, “Composer, sculptor, painter, poet, prophet, sage, these are the makers of the after-world, the architects of heaven. The world is beautiful because they have lived. Dream lofty dreams and as you dream so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be. Your ideal is the prophesy of what you shall at last unveil”. We anxiously await the unveiling of your next dream, Matt.
Art Around the Corner is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the arts and enriching our community. AAC’s annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit features sculptures by nationally renowned artists on public display in the downtown area of St. George, Utah. If you’re interested in sponsoring or purchasing a piece or want to be involved, please contact Cindy Trueblood.
Cindy Trueblood
Art Around the Corner
Director of Sales & Community Relations
www.artaroundthecorner.org
Chris Coleman and the Magic of Art
What makes art good? It’s a deceptively simple question. Art is supposed to be subjective. The value lies in the eyes of the beholder. On the other hand, it seems there should be some way to measure it, some kind of standards. Pondering this question, I found a couple of responses that ring true to me:
“Good art is timeless”, says Robert Shimshak, Chair of Collections for the Berkeley Art Museum. “It has a simple and rigorous beauty that commands your gaze and thought whenever you look at it. You know it when you see it. It’s personal. You will not have to be convinced to acquire it. It will be something you simply must have.”
Alan Bamberger, an artist from San Francisco says, “At its most fundamental level, good art is an effective combination of concept, vision, and mastery of the medium. Good art is also uncompromisingly honest, unselfconscious, bold, ambitious, enlightening, original, challenging, and a feast for the senses.”
If you take these definitions of “good art” and add a pinch of magic, you’ll know how I felt as I delved into Chris Coleman’s art this week. It is exhilarating, courageous, aspiring and intriguing. I felt moved by its beauty and originality.
Chris doesn’t have the typical artist’s background. He grew up at the base of the Wasatch Mountains and says, “I’ve always loved Utah’s mountains and deserts as well as its remarkably rich art culture.” He spent his youth pursuing athletic endeavors as a professional snowboarder, avid rock climber, and biker.
He graduated from the University of Utah with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Urban Planning in 1993. Surprisingly, however, immediately after graduating he launched his art career, incorporating those disciplines into the meaning of his art and sculptures.
For several years he had his studio in downtown Salt Lake City, which doubled as a shared workspace and creative hub for local artists. Today he has relocated to Marysvale in the mountains of Central Utah, where he works on “inclusive, visionary projects to invigorate art in our rural communities”.
Chris works in a variety of media, with cast metal and welded metal being his most prolific sculpture medium. His art tends towards the large scale and draws inspiration from nature’s sublime shapes and lines, rendered in an industrial or mechanical way affecting a unique juxtaposition and harmony. He also builds exhibits that inspire viewers to interact within and respond to them, becoming a part of the art themselves. His artwork often features flowing, natural aspects of light, wind, water, or fire so there are perpetually changing viewing possibilities.
His piece, The Tilled Field, can be seen in front of Wells Fargo Bank on the corner of Tabernacle and Main. This piece manifests natural curves in polished, stainless steel. Its reflective surfaces change with the environment and encourages viewers to see themselves in the art. You can see more of Chris’ art at chriscolemanstudio.com
Art Around the Corner is a non-profit foundation working to enhance downtown St. George with captivating outdoor art. The Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit is the foundation’s flagship project, which each year selects around two dozen sculptures for a temporary installation. Organizations and individuals can buy pieces for public or private installation. The foundation retains a portion of the proceeds, which in turn funds expansion of the city’s permanent sculpture collection.
Cindy Trueblood
Director of Sales & Community Relations
In early 1990, Scott Rogers was selling oil and gas wells in Texas. Six months later, he decided to become a sculptor and never looked back. The catalyst was a piece of art that totally captured his imagination. It was his first purchase of sculpture and he was entranced by it. He spent months studying it, even taking it outside to look at it in the moonlight. One day he came home from work, and the thought struck him with force, “I can do that.” Rogers says of that moment, “I had this gnawing, this prompting.” That day he went down to his local art supply store, cleaned them out of clay, and started sculpting that night.
In the ensuing years Rogers has hardly slowed down, becoming one of Utah’s most prolific sculptors. While his creative focus and artistic reputation centers on the “old west”, his subjects range from rugged mountain men to wondering conquistadors, to old-time sports teams, and from majestic animals to pensive mothers to gushing oil rigs. His studio in Paradise, Utah is replete with ongoing projects, and he is especially known for his group compositions. All of them have one unifying element, emotion.
“When beginning a piece, the first thing I do is isolate an emotion I know intimately. Something that pulls at my heart. In fact, to me the words ‘sculpture’ and ‘feelings’ are synonymous. I love it when someone views one of my pieces and says, ‘I feel like I’m on the back of the bucking horse’ or ‘I can hear the roar of the stampede’. I know art uplifts the spirit, it makes one want to be better, to reach out for that which is good in life.”
Part of Roger’s mastery is found in the geometry of his compositions, and how the inherent shapes build emotional impact. “Humanity has specific responses to certain shapes”, he explains. “If I sit and draw an ‘s’ shape, it gives a certain feeling. If I draw lightning bolts, that gives a different feeling. Composition is so important. I’ve learned that people feel great composition, rather than see it.”
For the 2016/2017 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, Scott Rogers’ piece “All Her Chicks” is on display along the sidewalk in downtown St. George, just in front of the Main Street Plaza. The bronze depicts an expectant mother, her heart full of love and anticipation, feeding a brood of baby chicks in the barnyard. For her, serving is a joy and her home is where all are made to feel welcome.
As with all sculptures in the exhibit, “All Her Chicks” can be purchased or leased-to-own by interested organizations or individuals. Art Around the Corner is a non-profit foundation, and all purchases from are tax deductible. The work of the foundation has been a highly effective collaboration between the arts and city planners. The resulting works of art enhance our public spaces, lift our spirits and elevate our quality of life.
Cindy Trueblood
Director of Community Relations & Sales
Last month I wrote about the new Young Creators Program that Art Around the Corner is launching this year, helping new student-sculptors get a headstart in the arts. We’re excited about the program’s potential, and the positive impact it will have down the road on young people’s lives. To highlight that potential, I present the example of a talented (and still young) artist with a fast-growing reputation who has graced public and private spaces in St. George with his wonderful creations.
As a teenager in California, Deveren Farley encountered an inspired teacher who opened up a whole new world for him, setting his feet on the artist’s path. Farley’s high school metal shop teacher, Mr. Hamilton, was clearly an educator that went beyond the call. He didn’t just teach students how to weld and bend metal, but introduced them to the finer points of design, how to blend form and function. Empowered by Mr. Hamilton’s encouragement, Farley created his first welded sculpture, a 7-foot metal alligator, and entered it into competition at the California State Fair where it won Best of Show in 2000.
Since that formative experience, Farley has forged a unique career blending the technical skill of a functional welder with the creative eye and sense of wonder of the fine art sculptor. After moving to Orem, UT, he opened a business building custom railings and home decor, while also creating a line of artistic pieces, welded from metal remnants and scraps. The popularity of his work began to grow, and his first exhibition was for the Parade of Homes in St. George, which further enhanced his reputation and connections to southern Utah.
For the past several years, Deveren Farley has submitted works to Art Around the Corner for the annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, and two of his large-format pieces have featured prominently in the show. Farley’s 21-foot sculpture Silly Symphony is a visual celebration of music, a dynamic whirlwind of instruments and notes, currently installed in the North Main roundabout. And recently, The Band Concert, depicting a giant guitar with complex inner workings, was purchased by St. George City and installed in the Town Centre, between the library and the carousel.
And here’s where Farley’s story relates with the Young Creators Program that we’re just beginning here in Washington County. Young Deveren’s creative impulses were jump-started by a dedicated teacher who gave him an outlet for his artistic vision. Here’s what Farley says about that vision: “As an artist, I strive to take what others imagine and bring it to life for them by creating a piece that is as unique and beautiful as the idea itself.” Today his sculptures are inspiring others and some have become landmarks in our downtown. So what other young student artists are out there, waiting to be jump-started? Let’s find out, shall we?
Art Around the Corner is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the arts and enriching the community. AAC’s annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit features sculptures by nationally renowned artists on public display in the downtown area of St. George. All purchases from Art Around the Corner are tax deductible. For those interested in Deveren Farley’s work, the Young Creators Program, or in supporting Art Around the Corner, see www.artaroundthecorner.org.
Cindy Trueblood
Art Around the Corner
Director of Sales & Community Relations
www.artaroundthecorner.org
Almost every professional artist I’ve ever spoken with knew at a young age they were destined to walk the creative path. But often, that path is not a straight one, but meanders with lots of twists and turns. James G. Moore is one example.
Born in Fort Collins, Colorado, Jim grew up in a family of six children. His parents were mindful to expose their kids to the wonders of the world surrounding them. They took regular trips to the mountains, libraries, museums, churches, and other places of learning. He recalls spending countless hours together with his father in the woodshop where his creative inclinations were encouraged and flourished. Art was his favorite subject in school.
Jim was heavily influenced in his high school years by what was happening in the neighboring town of Loveland, Colorado. In the early 80s, Loveland experienced a boom in sculpture sales and manufacturing due to it’s “Sculpture in the Park” show. This show started in 1984 with fifty local artists participating and an estimated 2,000 people attending. Today, Loveland hosts the largest juried sculpture show in the country with over 160 artists, tens of thousands in visitors and sales over $1 million in one weekend! Loveland has been described as a “city which has a love affair with the arts”.
Knowing this, perhaps it is not surprising that Jim produced his first bronze edition when he was just 16 years old. After graduating high school, Jim joined the Navy Reserves, went to boot camp and then entered his freshman year of college at the University of New Mexico where he studied art. He returned to Colorado and worked for a small bronze foundry in his hometown. This period of his life was spent learning and improving his skill in all aspects of the bronze casting process.
In 1990, Jim put his art on hold as his Naval Reserve unit was recalled to active duty, and deployed in support of Desert Storm. While his creative career was interrupted, this experience proved to be highly influential. “After the war ended our ship traveled to the South Pacific so I was provided the opportunity to see parts of Thailand, Hong Kong, The Philippines and Japan” he recalls. “I was exposed to arts and crafts that have strongly influenced my style. I was especially enamored by the huge temples and beautiful, serene Zen gardens of Japan”.
Jim taught middle and high school art for 15 years before taking the leap of faith and making his sideline passion for sculpting into his full-time work. He describes his last few years as rewarding and full of adventure. Jim’s faith plays a
Jim’s piece “Blue Heron Though the Ages” is part of the Art Around the Corner exhibit for this
Art Around the Corner is a non-profit foundation working to enhance downtown St. George with captivating outdoor art. The Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit is the foundation’s flagship project, which each year selects around two dozen sculptures for a temporary installation. Organizations and individuals can buy pieces for public or private installation. The foundation retains a portion of the proceeds, which in turn funds expansion of the city’s permanent sculpture collection.
Cindy Trueblood
Art Around the Corner Foundation
The Art Around the Corner Foundation is excited to announce a new initiative to encourage young artists of high school age who live in Washington County. We’re calling it the “Young Creators Program”. We know there are wonderfully talented artists among our young people, and are looking for ways to discover and foster their creativity.
The Young Creators Program is a sculpture/three–dimensional art contest which will launch this fall, to be completed in the spring of 2017. The contest will involve a juried process, ultimately nominating up to 12 student artists. The selected young artists will then present their pieces at the opening Gala Dinner for Art Around the Corner’s annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on April 7, 2017.
The young artists will be invited to attend the Gala, where their pieces will be available for purchase by interested buyers. All the proceeds from the sales go directly to the student artists, in order to encourage their creative development. Additionally, Art Around the Corner will award cash prizes at the Gala. There are three categories: Award of Outstanding Achievement ($500), Award of Excellence ($300), and Award of Merit ($200).
The program’s purpose is to provide a platform for young emerging artists to gain exposure and confidence. They will be exposed to successful professional artists and gain a real-world opportunity to publicly display their art for purchase.
The key guidelines for program participants include:
The deadline for entry is March 1st. All pieces are judged in the blind according to the same criteria used for the Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit; concept, composition, design, movement, balance, creativity and presentation. The selected student artists will be notified and invitations extended for the Gala. For additional information or questions, students should talk to the art teacher of their school.
We hope you and your students will be excited about the program, and consider working it into your plans for the 2016/17 school year.
The Art Around the Corner Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the arts, enriching the community, and bringing fine arts to the heart of historic St. George. The foundation’s flagship project is the Art Around the corner Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, a collection of sculptures from -nationally renowned artists. The show changes each spring with approximately two dozen pieces installed annually. The Foundation also provides educational tours to students in the Washington County School District, showing and discussing the current sculpture gallery and explaining the casting process. The Young Creators Program was developed to encourage and support secondary students in connecting their art with the community.
Cindy Trueblood
Director of Sales & Community Relations
Look closely at one of Patrick Sullivan’s intricate works of carved stone, and you can start to sense movement and warmth emanating from within the rock. Observers often describe the “flow” inherent in his sculptures. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, and now a dual-citizen living in Pine Valley, Utah, Sullivan talks openly about the living nature of the stone he loves to work with. “You have to get a feel for each one”, he says, “especially the big ones. There has to be an intimate connection between the stone and my own consciousness, my spirit, for the piece to really come alive.”
Sullivan prefers to do much of his work with hammer and chisel, just as sculptors have done for centuries. “I love to work directly with the stone to capture the essence of feeling from the moment of creation.” But electric or pneumatic tools have their place as well, particularly when working in the harder materials that he prefers, such as granite, basalt, and marble. For several of his public art projects, Sullivan has set up his workbench outdoors, in full public view. “That’s a really engaging way to sculpt,” he says. “People get involved and feel like they’re a part of it. It’s not just something that was dropped in. They’re a part of the creative process.”
One of Patrick Sullivan’s pieces, “O’Keeffe 5”, was jury selected for St. George’s 2015 Art Around the Corner Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, and is currently on display in front of the Main Street Plaza between the Boulevard and Tabernacle. The sculpture is part of a series honoring the great American artist, Georgia O’Keeffe. Carved from white, Carrara marble, the smooth, evocative shapes form an excellent example of Sullivan’s trademark style, his own blending of abstract and representational styles which he terms “lyrical symbolism”.
Sullivan has been commissioned to create large pieces for multiple communities, with over 20 public art projects installed in the United States, Canada, and Germany. Tulsa, Oklahoma selected his 10-foot, 10-ton sculpture in Indiana limestone, “Last Love 7” for display in Guthrie Green Park. The 8-ton piece “Motion” is permanently installed at the Centennial Hills Transit Center in Las Vegas. And Vandalia, Ohio chose his 6-ton “Vandalia Chiseled” for public display. The artist carved each of these on-site, allowing people to watch as he worked. “I see public art as a healing thing,” says Sullivan. “As I’m creating, I do think about people and how they will interact with my work.”
For the 2015 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit, “O’Keeffe 5” is sponsored by the Utah Division of Arts and Museums. As with many of the pieces in the exhibit, this beautifully carved stone sculpture can be purchased, or leased-to-own by interested organizations or individuals. Art Around the Corner is a non-profit foundation, dedicated to enhancing the community and elevating the quality of life through public works of art. All purchases from the foundation are tax deductible. For those interested in Patrick Sullivan’s work, or in supporting Art Around the Corner, see www.artaroundthecorner.org.
Cindy Trueblood
Director of Sales and Community Relations
Amid red rocks and blue sage, an amazing transformation has been unfolding in southern Utah that highlights the power of visual art. Today the city of St. George, Utah hosts one of the West’s most dynamic outdoor sculpture exhibits, known as Art Around the Corner. “It’s the shared vision that makes this work,” says Susan Jarvis, current Chair of the Art Around the Corner Foundation. “The outdoor show involves civic leaders, business owners, patrons, citizens, dedicated volunteers and of course artists, collaborating to uplift our community.”
St. George lies in the southwest corner of Utah, an area known for outdoor recreation and fantastic scenery, within easy driving distance to three national parks, Zion, Bryce and the Grand Canyon. And now, thanks largely to Art Around the Corner (AAC), the city has a growing reputation for publicly-displayed sculpture and a bubbling art scene.
AAC’s first sculpture exhibit was held in 2004, and the show has steadily grown since. Entries are jury-selected and each April around 20 pieces from well-known sculptors are chosen for installation, primarily along Main Street and in the historic Town Square.
Larger works are mounted in the center of traffic circles while others line pedestrian areas. By agreement with participating artists, sculptures remain in place throughout the year for everyone’s enjoyment. During those 12 months, businesses, institutions and individual collectors can purchase pieces. Part of the proceeds are retained by AAC, a registered non-profit organization.
When an exhibit closes, buyers can move their chosen sculpture to an office building, home or selected location. But many choose to keep it on permanent display in the downtown area, enabling St. George’s collection to grow to over 40 pieces. “It’s been really effective,” says Shawn Guzman, City Attorney and member of the AAC board. “Essentially, we’ve created an open-air gallery that helps artists sell their work, and benefits sponsors and buyers, the city, and of course our residents. It’s been a great catalyst in so many ways.”
City leaders have seen how public art improves the sense of community, instills a sense of pride and ownership, and raises property values as well as people’s spirits. “It has clearly played a key role in revitalizing our historic downtown.” says St. George Mayor, John Pike. “Visitors and locals enjoy the growing collection, and we’ve created vibrant spaces around the pieces. There’s also a definite ripple effect. Art Around the Corner fosters a frame of mind that I believe has had substantial positive effects in our local economy and civic life.”
City Councilwoman Bette Arial has similar sentiments. “You know, I love the sculptures in our downtown, but they’re much more than art for art’s sake. We see real positive impact on the city’s economy. These artworks bring people, foot traffic and economic activity. It’s a material investment in our city.”
This year’s exhibit includes an engaging cross-section of works, representing various genres and artists from several states. There’s a dramatic car-and-driver piece by internationally-known automotive sculptor Stan Wanlass, a life-sized George Washington by Gary Price, and a huge, imposing bison made from recycled metal by Tim Little. There are entries from Colorado, Washington and Texas, though most are from Utah sculptors. Other artists on display are Doug Adams, Matt Clark, Chris Coleman, Karen Crain, Mont Crossland, Annette Everett, Deveren Farley, Dan Hill, Ben Hammond, Franz Johansen and his son Nate Johansen, Jack Morford, Scott Rogers, Patrick Sullivan, Dan Toone, Josh Toone, and L’Deane Trueblood.
So, if you find yourself
Cindy Trueblood
The Art Around the Corner outdoor sculpture exhibit for 2015/2016 is about to conclude, and pieces currently on display will soon be replaced by a new collection of works. Since last spring, the current 24 pieces have beautified the St. George downtown area, lifted people’s spirits and intrigued our imaginations. But the first week in April, most of those pieces will leave to make way for a new collection. The 2016/2017 exhibit will debut on April 8, with the annual Artists’ Reception dinner.
This means there’s still time to get out and see the current pieces. Anyone can contact Art Around the Corner (AAC) to arrange a free tour of the exhibit. We’re happy to provide that service. Or, if you’d like a self-guided tour, download the map of sculpture locations at www.artaroundthecorner.org. It also means that art lovers and collectors can still purchase one of these wonderful pieces, either for display here in the community or to grace your home or business.
One of my great memories came the first year we were taking down the show, in preparation for installing the new sculptures. We were removing a life-sized bronze of a darling little girl (I can’t recall the title of the piece), taking her down from the pedestal where she’d been on display for the past year. Just then an older gentleman pulled up in a pick-up truck and exclaimed “Where are you taking my little girl?”. He was visibly concerned, even a little agitated.
When we explained that the piece would be returned to the artist, he was crestfallen. “Oh no, you can’t take her away. I say hello to her every morning. She belongs here.” He and his wife had developed a real connection with the piece on an emotional level. For them, that sculpture represented something that had won a place in their hearts.
The story has a happy ending. Once the man discovered that he could purchase the piece, he jumped at the opportunity. Now he and his wife enjoy their special little girl every day, and share her with family and friends. That’s the power of art in our lives, and the positive influence it can have.
Accordingly, I sincerely hope more people realize and consider that most of the sculptures in the annual outdoor exhibit are available for purchase by individuals, companies and organizations. Some of the current pieces already have buyers, but if there’s a piece you’re personally drawn to, or you feel it needs to stay in our community, now’s the time to seriously consider purchasing it.
Art Around the Corner is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the arts and enriching our community. AAC’s annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit features sculptures by nationally renowned artists on public display in the downtown area of St. George. If you’re interested in sponsoring or purchasing a piece or want to be involved, please contact Cindy Trueblood.
Cindy Trueblood
Director of Sales & Community Relations