Have you ever seen beautiful landscape art and wondered what the artist was thinking while they created their masterpiece?
You can find out this November 4th through November 12th 2012. How? Attend the fourth annual Footsteps of Thomas Moran Plein Air Art Invitational at Zions National Park.
The Zion art show includes 25 of the best landscape artists in the west. The artists will paint in the same places the famous Thomas Moran created his artwork in Zion Canyon. The special, invited artists will paint on location at the same spots that Moran stood while creating his iconic Zion Park sketches, including plein air.
You can watch the artists while they do their thing, and even interact with them. The artists will also give daily demonstrations, lectures and workshops.
There will also be an art show in the Zion Human History Museum, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is half mile north of the park’s south entrance on the main park road, or 11 miles west from the east entrance, and is a regular stop on the free Zion Canyon Shuttle System.
This should be pretty cool, and it it’s not, no worries as you’re at Zion and can go for hike or just enjoy the scenery.
If you’re coming from out of town, stay with us at St. George Vacation Rentals. Most people that visit Zion stay in St. George, and make the quick drive to Zion.
If you’ve never heard of Thomas Moran, he was the chief illustrator of Scribner’s Monthly during the late 1860’s. He was considered one of the premier painters of the American landscape. He’s probably best known for his work of Yellowstone National Park, some of which is on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Some of his work also hangs in the White House. One of Moran’s Zion paintings was known as “Valley of Babbling Waters”. Samples of Moran’s work as well as approximately 30 other famous artists will also be shown at the Zion art show.
Roland Lee is the only St. George local artist invited this year. A favorite pastel artist of ours, Arleen Braithwaite from Cedar City, will also attend the event.
Here’s a few specific events with dates and times:
- An exhibit of the artists’ studio work will hang in the Zion Human History Museum until November 12, 2012.
- Zion Nature Center will be converted into an art gallery to display and sale the 130+ paintings created during the event on the evening of Friday, November 9th.
- Paintings not sold on the 9th will continue to be displayed during the general public wet paint sale on Saturday through Monday, November 10th – 12th, at the Nature Center.
- A “quick-draw” event will be held on the Zion Lodge lawn beneath Zion Canyon’s towers of stone on Saturday, November 10th, 1:00 – 2:30 pm. Who knew artists can be competitive?
