Come celebrate the stunning public lands of Utah’s canyon country. Hosted in Escalante, Utah – along Scenic Byway 12 – between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks, in the heart of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Plein air and studio competitions, art exhibits, on-site sales, workshops, demonstrations, arts and crafts fair, live music, guided walks, and much more.

Schedule

September 15, 2023

9:00 am - 4:00 pm: Michael Keyes: Lively Woodcut Printmaking, en Plein Air

Location: Escalante Town Park Pavilion

9:00  AM to 4:00 PM: COST: $130 -  Maximum of 10; Minimum of 4 - All ability levels Participants will be introduced to wood and paper types, carving tools, inks, brayers, and printing tools used in making woodcut prints.

$130

September 16, 2023

9:00 am - 12:00 pm: Margie Lopez Read: Patterns from Nature

Location: Escalante Town Park Pavilion

9:00 AM to noon  -  COST: $60  -  Maximum of 15 - All ability levels and ages With this workshop we will explore the value of 'knowing' your subject matter as a means to improve the quality of your art.

$125

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Helga Watkins: Landscape Drawing for Better Landscape Painting

Location: Escalante Innovation Center 100 West 100 North, Escalante, UT, United States

Do you jump right in to paint alla prima, painting in the moment to record an immediate impression? Or instead, after examining plein air potential at a roadside stop, you pull out your sketchbook to thumbnail some compositional studies or even go so far as to make a notan study?

September 17, 2023

10:00 am - 10:45 am: Sean Duffy: Dinosaurs – With a Couple of New Twists

Location: Escalante Interagency Visitor Center 755 West Main Street, Escalante

There is a lot of misinformation and confusion about dinosaurs and fossils in general out there. While the media constantly showers the public with new finds, there seems to be a disconnect about what we actually know about these finds.

September 18, 2023

9:00 am - 12:00 pm: Bryce Canyon: Paint with the GSENM Artist in Residence

Location: Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon

Celebrate Bryce Canyon's centennial year by joining Melody Greenlief, the 2023 Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Artist in Residence, for an inspiring morning of painting together at Sunset Point in spectacular Bryce Canyon.

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Kadi Franson: Linocut Workshop for Bryce Canyon Centennial Celebration

Location: High Plateaus Institute, Bryce Canyon

$46

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Cindy Calbaum: Identifying Conifers of the Escalante Mountains

Location: Escalante Interagency Visitor Center Parking Lot 755 West Main Street, ESCALANTE, UT, United States

September 19, 2023

9:00 am - 2:00 pm: Bob Stevenson: Lightbulb Moments in the Circle Cliffs

Location: Anasazi State Park Museum 460 HWY 12, Boulder, Utah, United States

9:30 am: Sue Martin: Experiments with Mixed Water Media

Location: Escalante Innovation Center 100 West 100 North, Escalante, UT, United States

$200

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm: Peggy Marlatt: Explore Painting the Canyons in Pastel

Location: Escalante Town Park Pavilion

Peggy Marlatt has been coming to the Escalante Canyons Art Festival for the past 10 years and would love to share with you her approach using pastels. She especially loves the arches and walls of the canyons and will share with you a demonstration painting of one of her favorite subjects.

September 20, 2023

9:00 am - 11:00 am: Jennifer Gubler: Mixed Media- Watercolor on Bisque

Location: Escalante Town Park Pavilion

Learn the unique process of how Jennifer Gubler, Best in Show category winner of the 2022 Escalante Canyons Art Festival Everett, creates her art.

12:30 pm: Sue Martin: Experiments with Mixed Water Media

Location: Escalante Innovation Center 100 West 100 North, Escalante, UT,

9:00 am - 1:00 pm: Bob Stevenson: 20 Mile Dinosaur Track Site - Tracks Across Time

Location: Escalante Interagency Visitor Center Parking Lot 755 West Main Street, ESCALANTE, UT

10:00 am: Serenidad Studio - Gallery

Location: 170 South 100 West

Watercolors of the surrounding area by Harriet Priska. Navajo and antique jewelry, local rocks, pioneer soap, books about the west, and antiques.

September 21, 2023

9:00 am - 10:00 am  Escalante Historic District Walking Tour

Escalante Historic Walking Tour - Thursday

Location: People's Exchange 100 North Center Street, Escalante, United States

9:00 am - 11:00 am: Eileen Guernsey Brown: Keeping it Simple!

Location: Meet at Escalante Town Park Pavilion

6:00 pm: Serenidad Studio - Gallery

Location: 170 South 100 West

9:00 am" Roland Lee: Getting the Most from Plein Air Painting

Escalante Innovation Center 100 West 100 North, Escalante, UT, United States

$200

September 22, 2023

9:00 am - 11:00 am: Louise Sackett and Günther Haidenthaller: A Dual (Duel ??) Approach to Plein Air

Location: Slot Canyons Inn

Louise Sackett Günther Haidenthaller This demo will approach plein air from two vastly different styles, accommodations and personal preferences.

9:00 am - 5:00 pm: Arts & Crafts Fair

Location: Escalante Town Park

Artisans, artists and crafters from around the region come to Escalante each year to share their unique products with festival attendees.

4:00 pm: Roland Lee: Getting the Most from Plein Air Painting

Location: Escalante Innovation Center 100 West 100 North, Escalante, UT

10:00 am - 12:30 pm: Jill Simkins: Coptic Stitch Art Journal

Escalante Town Park - Hands on Art Tent North 100 West, Escalante, UT, United States

COST: $25 -  Maximum of 25 - All ability levels <!-- To RSVP, please sign up here.   --> A hand-made journal is a place to doodle, paint, collage, nature

10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Art Exhibit and Sale - Friday

Location: Escalante Town Park - Exhibit Tent

Quilts

10:00 am

Quilt Exhibition

Location: Escalante Community Center

10:00 am

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Artist in Residence Exhibit

Location: Escalante Town Park

10:00 am 6:00 pm

Featured Artist: Coco Kishi

Location: Escalante Town Park

Coco Kishi grew up working with a variety of arts and crafts including jewelry, ceramics, textiles, painting, and sculpture.  

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Turnup Truck

Location: Escalante Town Park - Festival Stage

Turnup Truck is an eclectic group of local musicians performing Rock and Blues from the 60s  thru 2000's.

1:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Raymond King Shurtz: Astonish Me - Using Photos with Poetry

Location: Escalante Town Park - Hands on Art Tent North 100 West, Escalante, UT, United States

COST: $25 -  Minimum of 3 - Maximum of 12

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Pasos Gigantes

Location: Escalante Town Park - Festival Stage

Pasos Gigantes are veteran explorers of the world of vibration.

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Runaway Fire

Location: Escalante Town Park - Festival Stage

The world’s new original rock and roll band, Runaway Fire, is creating waves in the unisphere with vocal melodies and stylish guitar tones soaring through tube amps so beautiful

September 23, 2023

9:00 am - 10:00 am  Escalante Historic District Walking Tour

Escalante Historic Walking Tour - Saturday

Location: People's Exchange 100 North Center Street, Escalante, United States

No RSVP needed. Tour begins at the Peoples Exchange, one of Escalante's most photographed historic buildings.  Come along to learn more about many of the historic structures throughout town.

5:00 pm

Arts & Crafts Fair

Location: Escalante Town Park

Artisans, artists and crafters from around the region come to Escalante each year to share their unique products with festival attendees.

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Lonny Granston: Pastels - Crayons for Grown-ups

Location: Escalante Heritage Center Escalante, UT, United States

10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Anna Vanmeter: Watching the Clouds

Location: Escalante Town Park - Hands on Art Tent North 100 West, Escalante, UT, United States

6:00 pm

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Artist in Residence Exhibit

Location: Escalante Town Park

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Art Exhibit and Sale

Location: Escalante Town Park - Exhibit Tent

The Art Exhibit and Sale is the highlight of the festival and showcases artwork submitted for the Plein Air, Studio Work, Nocturne, Miniature and Junior Competitions.  

10:30 am - 11:30 am

John Hewitt

Location: Escalante Town Park - Festival Stage

John Hewitt is a Canadian touring singer/songwriter whose songs are inspired by the great writers before him.

1:30 pm

Turnup Truck

Location: Escalante Town Park - Festival Stage

Turnup Truck is an eclectic group of local musicians performing Rock and Blues from the 60s  thru 2000's.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Sculptured Furniture -  Primitive Pottery Gallery

Location: Sculptured Furniture Primitive Pottery Gallery 1540 West HWY 12, Escalante, UT, United States

1540 West HWY 12 - 1/4 mile west of Escalante, opposite Milepost 58 David and Brigitte moved to Escalante in 1996 from Berlin, Germany.  David’s

Sculptured Furniture

echoes the organic forms

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Kenny Hall

Location: Escalante Town Park - Festival Stage

Kenny Hall is a singer of western ballads and songs. He resides in the beautiful Bryce Canyon area of Southern Utah.

4:00 pm

Quilt Exhibition

Location: Escalante Community Center

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Margie Lopez Read: Plein Air 4 U

Location: Escalante Town Park - Hands on Art Tent North 100 West, Escalante, UT, United States

No Cost - 2 Sessions - Maximum of 10 concurrent - Ages 5 and up

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

Mel Soul

Location: Escalante Town Park - Festival Stage

Created during the summer of 22’, Mel Soul and the Heartbeat provides the heart and soul to every performance. Notable performances include the Utah Arts Festival 2022. Opening for Robby

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Matt Burke

Location: Escalante Town Park - Festival Stage

Matt Burke is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter whose soulful voice and powerful songwriting have earned him critical acclaim. His music draws from a wide range of influences, including 1970s’ outlaw country

September 24, 2023

9:00 am - 11:00 am

Festival Finale Breakfast

Location: Escalante Outfitters 310 West Main Street, Escalante, Utah, United States

This no-host breakfast at the close out the festival on Sunday is the last opportunity to purchase art from festival artists.

Date: September 15-24, 2023

Location:

Various Venues, UT

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