Elevating the art scene in Park City
Relévant Galleries takes Park City’s fine-art world up a notch
Summer/Fall 2024
Written By: Michael Heil | Images: Courtesy Relévant Galleries
Relévant Galleries, the newest gallery on the scene in Park City, has been taking the art community by storm. Their innovative and interactive approach to art is about more than just hanging photographs on a wall and beckoning people to come look.
In fact, one of the first things they did upon opening was to fly fine-art photographer David Yarrow out to do a local photoshoot. “David Yarrow is a superstar,” Justin Montgomery, the director of the gallery, says. “He’s one of the hottest artists on the market. His work has a lot of appreciation in value and collectability.”
While most of David’s photoshoots include a cast of characters, ranging from famous actors to crews of ragtag misfits, this one featured a special guest: a wolf.
“David’s work is almost like a movie set for a still photograph. It’s more than an image,” says Justin. Each piece tells its own story, and when you look at them together, a dynamic narrative forms.
This particular narrative features a wolf clambering across a bar with a recognizable wooden sign in the background that reads “No Name Saloon.” The local bar, which has been a barroom since 1959, is where the photoshoot took place. The images take viewers through a story reminiscent of the past, bringing to mind the old mining days and the deserted small town that was once a slow-paced refuge for creatures of every kind.
“Relévant Galleries is David Yarrow’s largest dealer. We have five galleries that showcase his work. We provide collectors with first releases, first allocation, rare pieces and access to his complete library. We are the exclusive representation of him in Utah,” Justin says.
Relévant Galleries is the newest branch of AD Galleries, which has 50 years of history in the art world and 10 galleries across Aspen, Denver, Vail, Beaver Creek, Scottsdale, Santa Fe, and now, Park City. In addition to featuring some of the hottest artists on the market, AD Galleries has been intentional about championing the careers of new and emerging artists. They represent the work of over 100 different artists, including creatives like Hamilton Aguiar, Anton Arkhipov, Earl Biss, Geoffrey Gersten, James Jensen, Paul Rousso and Gib Singleton.
Relévant Galleries has experienced a warm welcome since opening in Park City. “The gallery elevates the presentation of the art market in Park City. People come in saying we needed a space like this, or we needed a collection like this,” Justin says, noting that every few weeks the gallery rotates the work it showcases so that there is always something new to experience.
Since Relévant does a lot of the buyer installations, Justin gets to see how each piece of art makes an impact in people’s homes. He says it’s amazing how much a piece can transform someone’s living space and elevate the look of their home.
“We brought the game up a little bit,” Justin says with a grin. “We’re happy to be here and happy to be part of the community. We’re happy to contribute to the elevation of fine art in Park City.”
