The Art of Park City
That Inexpressible Something
Spring 2019
Written By: Evie Carrick
Art does something that's hard to put your finger on. A piece of music can bring you to tears, a painting can take you to another world, and a line of poetry can transport you back to a place in time. But for something that does so much, it's still hard to explain. Even the leaders of Park City's biggest arts organizations struggle to express the often-felt, but indescribable power of art.
As the adage goes, “actions speak louder than words” and that inexpressible something is the reason why Jory Macomber (page 23) often spends his lunch break in front of paintings in the Kimball Art Center’s gallery
or why Kathryn Burns (page 27) left her career for one that revolved around music.
While not always expressible, and rarely quantifiable, art has a vital role in making Park City a sustainable, enjoyable place to live. Every night of the week there’s live music, gallery receptions, workshops, and events that encourage Parkites and visitors to question, think, explore, and act. The arts are what make Park City so much more than just a beautiful mountain town with world-class skiing. Without artists creating and sharing, Park City would be a shell of what it is today.
To add depth, Park City needs people like Briar Handly, Handle’s chef and owner (page 81), who puts art on a plate–inviting guests to feast their eyes before allowing their taste buds to do the same. People like Juanita Marshall (page 46), who creates pottery as perfect as it is imperfect, and Emily Quinn Loughlin (page 36) who takes trash and transforms it into wearable art.
“ART TAKES US AWAY FROM THE DAY-TO-DAY AND ENCOURAGES US TO LOOK DEEPER.”
If you look, artists are every-where; they create beauty with their hands, bodies, and minds, inspiring the rest of us to notice, question, think, and consider. Art takes us away from the day-to-day and encourages us to look deeper. But as powerful as their creations are, artists need a platform; they need the space to share their work, the support to create it, and the inspiration to stay motivated. This is where Park City’s arts organizations come in. Each of the arts organizations and venues in Summit County do their part to foster, encourage, and promote art in our community.
• Park City Institute programs thought provoking performances that spark conversations in safe spaces.
• Park City Summit County Arts Council connects artists to residencies and funding, visitors to art showings and performances, and arts organizations to helpful resources.
• Park City Film creates community through film by presenting independent documentaries, feature films, and local cinema.
• Park City Live hosts big name acts in diverse genres to bring people together.
• Egyptian Theatre is a historical venue that consistently showcases comedy acts, theatre, and music, while also hosting community functions and special events.
• Kimball Art Center makes art accessible and sustainable, bringing a level of depth to the community.
• Park City’s Public Art Advisory Board creates collaborations between artists and community members to pepper the city with free, public art.
• Sundance Institute provides the space and resources for artists in film, theatre, and digital media to thrive.
Without organizations and venues like these, the artists who are so integral to the vibrancy of the Park City community would lose a vital source of support. As Jocelyn Scudder, managing director of Park City Summit County Arts Council (page 24) said so perfectly, “When the arts are prioritized magical things happen.”
Park City, let’s keep it that way.
