Schedule Of Events

September 20, 2024: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM and  September 21, 2024: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Helga Watkins: Design for Landscape Painting

COST: $180 /  Maximum of 8; Minimum of 4 / All ability levels

It is convenient at times to think of composition as equivalent to design in representative painting.

While composition is a critical factor, there is also a range of other substantial design factors that determine a painting’s final impact. In this workshop, we will examine the elements of design (of which composition is one) and how to apply these effectively in landscape subjects.

Plein Air painting, as anyone who’s ever tried it knows, is an especially challenging form of artmaking. It requires the artist to improvise upon and organize the chaos of the natural world, while painting confidently and efficiently within tight time constraints and subject to the vagaries of the outdoors.

To produce effective work under these circumstances, you need really a solid framework and strategy.

During the first morning, we will formally examine the elements of design as they relate to landscape painting. We will paint outdoors in the afternoon, and then continue through the second day.  Participants will remain in general proximity, to make sure there is time for plenty of individual feedback from Helga and to provide opportunity to learn from one another. To conclude we will reconvene with our work indoors to enjoy and discuss our work.

September 21, 2024

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm - Kevin Berend and Grace Welker: "Where I’m From"Poetry Session

Cost: Free /  Minimum 2, Maximum of 20 / All ability levels

Escalante Town Park Pavilion

Like visual art, writing offers a window into our relationship with the land. Poetry provides a unique perspective to reflect on those relationships. In this session, we’ll read and analyze George Ella Lyon’s famous poem "Where I’m From", then use it as a template to create our own versions from our own life experiences. Participants will be invited to share their work and engage in discussion about process, style, and technique.

7:30 am - 4pm - Deb Harwick: Group Painting Excursions

Meet at Escalante Town Park Pavilion

If you are new to the festival and looking to meet up with fellow artists, or you just enjoy painting with others, then please join Deb Harwick on her daily excursions. You will be traveling together as a group to each destination in your own, capable vehicles (although car-pooling is encouraged where possible). Location of set up at each destination and length and of stay will be decided by each individual artist.

Excursion sign-up sheets will be available at Sign-in/Stamp-in.

Devil’s Garden – so worth it!

Drive time: 30-40 minutes on a washboard road

Subject: Hoodoos and Vistas

Shade: Hard to come by

Amenities: Bathrooms and Picnic Tables

September 22,2024 – Spencer Flat/Escalante River – vistas and water!

Drive time: 20-30 minutes – Spencer Flat requires a high clearance car
The Escalante River will be an alternative to Spencer Flat and has plenty of parking

Subject: Amazing vistas at Spencer Flat. Trees, water and foliage at the Escalante River

Shade: Limited on the flats and plenty at the river

No amenities at either location but the river is below Kiva Koffee House

September 23,2024 – Burr Trail / Long Canyon (spoiler – a very nice slot!)

Drive time: 40-45 minutes on a paved road

Subject: Slot Canyon, High walls, and a variety of Rock Formations

Shade: Shade can be found but can be lost or found due to high canyon walls

Amenities: Bathrooms at Deer Creek Campground

Deb has been flying out from Philadelphia and participating in the festival since the second year of commencement. In the past 2 decades she has painted and hiked from Capital Reef to Zion. She has won multiple awards at the Festival and has also sold much of her artwork at the festival.

Deb has fallen in love with Escalante and considers it a family reunion each year. She looks forward to meeting with artists each year who want to join the Festival Family.

Sep 22,2024

3:00 pm - 7:00 pm - Lonny Granston: Up Close and Personal with the Great White Shark Fin

No Cost/ Minimum 1; Maximum  20/ All ability Levels

Meet at Spencer Flat road off HW 12 (mile post 70)

Great White Shark Fin

The Great White Shark Fin (not an official USGS designation) is a big triangular hunk of petrified sand dune that transitions from sparkling white to shades of pink, blue and yellow as the sun gets lower. It’s various geometric shapes and patterns make it a delight to paint.

Meet 10 miles east of Escalante at the hairpin turn-out on the right (just as 12 starts it’s drop to the east) and carpool 2 1/2 miles to the location on Spencer Flat road.

Bring whatever you need to complete an image of the Great White Shark Fin –  Lonny will provide ice cold beverages.

Sep 23,2024

7:00 am - 4:00 pm - Lydia Joukowsky: Low-tech Process-based

Limited to 10 people

Meet in Escalante Interagency Visitor Center Parking Lot 755 West Main Street, ESCALANTE, UT, United States
NOTE: Limited to 10 people. To RSVP,  please sign up here. Carpool from Escalante Visitor Center/Agency. No pets please. In this roving talk, Lydia will show off a river system that has undergone natural renovations by two unique terra-reformers on our planet: humans and beavers. Process-based restoration is all about sending a ‘pulse’ of natural  processes (chemical, physical, and biological) into a watershed basin. Using a suite of well-established scientific principles as defined by Wheaton et al. (2019), Low-tech Process-based Restoration (LTPBR) calls to action an ecological restoration approach that lets the river system do the work. Come roving to discuss riverscape evolution and geomorphic influences on headwater streams.

September 23, 2024 - 7:00 am - September 24, 2024 - 7:00 pm - Bill Cramer: Canyons and Colors, Escalante en Plein Air

Escalante Town Park Pavilion

Monday and Tuesday, September 23 and 24, 2024 (7 am - dusk), Location - Meet at Escalante Town Park Pavilion COST: $250 /  Maximum of 12; Minimum of 6 / All ability levels This will be an enjoyable and intense two-day plein air workshop painting at scenic locations around Escalante, Utah. Emphasis will be placed on how to effectively translate the often complex three-dimensional landscape onto a two-dimensional plane through the careful use of composition, colors, values, shapes, edges, and textures. Taking and using reference photos will also be discussed.

Further emphasis will be placed on the creative process, with the aim of creating paintings that go beyond strict representations of the landscape. Multiple demonstrations will be provided, complemented by individual attention and group learning.

Sep 24,2024

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

Note: Limited to 12 people.

Meet at Anasazi State Park Museum 460 HWY 12, Boulder, Utah, United States

Backcountry Park Ranger Bob Stevenson will explore what happens when personal stories are sandwiched between geological stories and the geopolitics of the cold war.
 
What ideas and stories connect these words?  Anticline, Yellow Jacket, remote desert, Shinarump, Zelda, ambition, paleoenvironment, Blue Goose, family, Hot Shot, petrified wood, atomic, lightbulb.  If you’re curious, join Ranger Bob for a hike into the stark and wildly beautiful Circle Cliffs region of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.   
 
Hike Info:

Roads in the Circle Cliffs can be rough so high clearance vehicles are required (four-wheel drive recommended).
Two-miles round-trip - hike is not universally accessible.

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm - Lonny Granston: Battle of the Hemispheres

Escalante Heritage Center Escalante, UT, United States

In a never-before-attempted neuroscience experiment, Lonny Granston, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument 2024 Artist in Residence, will attempt to do a pastel painting (using the ‘right’ aka creative brain/cerebral hemisphere) and deliver a lecture on a primary care-focused medical topic (calling on the ‘left’ aka logical brain/cerebral hemisphere) simultaneously.

Sep 25,2024

9:00 am - 1:00 pm - Bob Stevenson: Tracks Across Time
Meet in Escalante Interagency Visitor Center Parking Lot 755 West Main Street

Note: Limited to 12 people. To RSVP, please sign up here. Caravan from visitor center to the track site.  Through science and imagination, you will travel across time, where present and past converge to cross paths with a dinosaur.  We will caravan from the Visitor Center parking lot to the track site.

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm - Paint-Around - September 26, 2024 - 12:30 pm

Slot Canyons Inn

A Paint-Around is an event where teams of 5 artists each "paint-around" to create paintings. Teams have two hours to finish their painting, each member taking 15 minute turns. Each artist will add to and modify the piece under development, according to their vision of the piece’s required direction, providing commentary as they think their way through the task at hand. A blending of unique visions and styles will provide a truly singular result. Come watch this fun activity as the artists take turns putting their unique spin on a painting!

9:30 am - Pam Haunschild: Landscape Textures in Watermedia

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

Cost: $175 / Maximum of 12:Minimum of 4 / All abilities, all levels

In this fun and exciting workshop, we will create textures for nature-inspired paintings using the watermedia of your choice. Textures create excitement and a sense of depth in paintings and help viewers emotionally connect with your work. They are also a wonderful way to rework and revitalize paintings you are not happy with. We will use various texturing materials and tools (provided), including sand, palette knives, tissue paper and various texturing mediums. We will focus on creating textures that work well with natural subjects like rocks, mountains, trees, and water. This workshop will be held indoors the first day, but we will cover how to use textures "en plein air". Our goal is to create 3-5 painting starts and work toward finishing 1-2 of these starts the first day. The second morning you have a choice of taking your texturing skills outside (I will provide texturing materials for you) or continue your starts indoors with me. Both groups will gather for a wrap-up session indoors at the end of the morning.

Sep 26,2024

9:30 am - 10:30 am Escalante Historic District Walking Tour

Escalante Historic Walking Tour - Thursday

Meet at 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. Escalante

10:00 am - 4:00 pm - Serenidad Studio - Gallery

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.

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm - Melody Greenlief: Landscape Watercolor Painting from Start to Varnish

Escalante Town Park Pavilion

I will paint a landscape watercolor painting from start to finish and varnish it while discussing techniques and materials, including how to mount watercolor paper, varnishing watercolor paintings and supplies.

I will be happy to answer any questions that attendees may have.

Melody Greenlief is a passionate artist who finds joy in the world of paint. Her preferred medium is watercolor, which allows her to explore textures using layers of color. Her artistic journey is driven by her desire to share the same enjoyment she experiences while painting with those who view her artwork. She believes that art should, uplift the heart, and bring a smile to people’s faces. With this philosophy in mind, Melody paints people and animals, that are filled with character as well as serene and harmonious landscapes.

8:00 pm - 11:00 pm - Artists' Jam Session

Escalante Town Park Pavilion

Stay around after the Artists’ Reception for a Jam Session.

All artists are welcome – bring your instruments

Sep 27,2024

9:00 am - 11:00 am - Suzanne Gibson: Plein Air and Alla Prima - Composition Light and Shadows

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

Cost :$25 /  Minimum 5: Maximum of 20 / All ability levels

This Hands-on Art mini workshop will be taught in oil, but is adaptable to all mediums.  From thumbnail sketches, students will bring a composition to life!  Outdoor painting of a still life is an ideal exercise to become familiar and comfortable with the elements of plein air, and not have the objects get up and walk away (such as a cow or deer).

Suzanne works from a primary color palette and will sketch in pencil or direct thin paint washes, including "blocking in" and "underpainting," to details and final canvas.

Attendees will meet at the Hands-on Art Tent and then walk to a nearby location to position themselves to paint plein air.

Suzanne will provide sketchbooks and aqua pencils.

Attendees are encouraged to bring easel or board, chair, umbrella (if needed) sunscreen, snacks, paints, paper, canvas and choice of tools.

9:00 am - 1:00 pm - Constance Lynn: Medicine at our Feet

Meet at Escalante River (Bridge) Trailhead Escalante, Utah

Note :Minimum 3 / Maximum 13

Meet at the Escalante River Trailhead at the Bridge (Hwy 12).On this walk along the Escalante River we will open our awareness to the plants as our relatives and allies in healing and discover what it means to truly have medicine at our feet.
This will be an easy river walk with maybe a crossing or two. Please bring something to sit upon, water, sunhat.

Constance Lynn was born with a soul fire in her heart, a passion for healing and a love for wild nature…threads that have braided together in service of life. Herbalist, farmer, yoga teacher, soul guide, seed keeper, water guardian, community activist and nature mystic are names for the stars that create her constellation.

10:00 am - 12:00 pm - Wayne Geary: Natural Pigments Watercolor

Escalante Town Park Pavilion

Natural Pigments is a small, California-based art supply company that makes paints, mediums and other painting supplies that are of exceptional quality. The company uses naturally occurring materials for their pigments, and they are advocates for traditional painting practices going back to the Old Masters.

The demonstration will show the range and strength of Natural Pigments watercolors. Of special interest to artists, and others as well, is Natural Pigments amazing variety of earth colors, all perfectly suited for use while painting Southwestern landscapes.

10:00 am - 6:00 pm - Art Exhibit and Sale - Friday

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, Drawing and Junior Competitions.  The show typically includes more than 200 entries in oil, pastel, watercolor, and other mixed media, some of which have been produced during the days leading up to the show, by artists of all levels of experience.

10:00 am - 6:00 pm - David Hauze and Shannon Ullman

David Hauze and Shannon Ullmann offer a captivating blend of harmony and acoustic artistry. Their voices and instruments blend effortlessly, creating sounds that resonate with life. Their melodies are painted with influences drawn from the wisdom of nature, the insight of poets and the simple joy of sharing beauty with others. Each song is a brush-stroke of inspiration, filled with highlights of style, familiarity and light. Their eclectic variety of folk, rock and bluegrass selections will surely brighten your soul!

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Raymond King Shurtz: Short Fiction using Landscape Paintings

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

Cost :$25 /  Minimum of 3 / Maximum of 12 / All ability levels
In this session, we will be using a plein air painting of your choice from the festival to write a short fiction story. The first hour we will talk about short fiction and choose the painting we will write from. The second hour we will write our story, integrating character, setting, conflict, plot and theme from our painting. The last hour we will read our stories and talk about the readings. This is a magical way to work!

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm - Keynote Speaker: Frederick Swanson

Escalante High School Auditorium

Before There Were Roads: Dave Rust’s Canyon Country Adventures Portrait of David D. Rust. David D. Rust Photographs PH2009, Church History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

8:00 pm - 9:30 pm - Dr. Jackie Grant: Bats of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (Night Walk)

Meet at Escalante River (Bridge) Trailhead Escalante, Utah

Note :Limited to 12 people.
Did you know that at least 14 bat species make their home on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument? Bats navigate and find food with their very loud "shouts." Each type of bat has its own special shout, which, despite being very loud, is not heard by humans. However, we can use special microphones to hear the bats then identify each bat by the sound it makes. Join Dr. Grant to learn about the variety of bats in the area and maybe even record some as they fly overhead to look for their insect dinners.

Sep 27,2024-9:00 am - Arts and Crafts Fair September 28, 2024 - 5:00 pm

Escalante Town Park
Artisans, artists and crafters from around the region come to Escalante each year to share their unique products with festival attendees. The Arts & Crafts Fair is great for finding regionally made items that have a story to tell about the area and those who live and work here. Jewelry, ceramics, photography, wooden crafts, fiber goods and an array of items can be found.

Sep 27,2024-10:00 am - Quilt Exhibit September 28, 2024 - 4:00 pm
Every quilt has a story. Visit the Quilt Exhibit and enjoy the art, workmanship, and history of these beautiful quilts.

Also on display are some of the Best of Show winning artwork from across the years since the festival began.

Sep 28,2024

8:00 am - 10:00 am - Hope Ricciardi: Painting Vistas

Head of the Rocks Overlook

Join me in painting the vista of Escalante Grand Staircase, as seen in my 2023 ECAF purchase prize winning painting, First Impression (above).

I will do step by step demo of how to simplify a vast landscape and create the atmosphere and distance of this image. Attendees are welcome to set up painting gear and work along side me, or just bring a chair and observe.

9:00 am - 1:00 pm - Althea Neustaedter: Painting Escalante’s Birds

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

Cost: $25 /  Minimum 15; Maximum of 30 / All ability levels
Join Professor Althea Neustaedter, an experienced art teacher from Southern Utah University, for a session focused on painting the majestic birds of Escalante, Utah. Participants of all skill levels will explore color theory and painting techniques to create stunning artworks featuring iconic bird species such as eagles, falcons, ravens and more.

Under Professor Neustaedter’s guidance, you’ll learn to use watercolor or acrylic to capture the unique characteristics of these birds in their natural habitats. The workshop covers color mixing, composition, and medium-specific techniques. All materials and references are provided.

10:00 am - 5:00 pm - Art Exhibit and Sale - Saturday

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, Drawing and Junior Competitions.  The show typically includes more than 200 entries in oil, pastel, watercolor, and other mixed media, some of which have been produced during the days leading up to the show, by artists of all levels of experience.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm - Sculptured Furniture / Primitive Pottery Gallery

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

David and Brigitte moved to Escalante in 1996 from Berlin, Germany.  David’s Sculptured Furniture echoes the organic forms of the Red Rock Country while Brigitte’s Primitive Pottery is inspired by prehistoric cultures of the Colorado Plateau, and after recent trips to Sri Lanka, Brigitte has also resumed painting.

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm - Kenny Hall

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. Kenny is a popular entertainer and has a great arsenal of songs that cross many western genres. His rich cowboy heritage connects with his songs and music that he performs.

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Margie Lopez Read: Plein Air 4 U

Escalante Town Park Pavilion

No Cost / 2 Sessions / Maximum of 10 concurrent / Ages 5 and up
he focus of Plein Air 4 U in a special environment such as Grand Staircase Escalante is on the visitors and helping them use art to experience it more deeply. For this reason, one might call it a public art project, or Art at the Monument.  By painting plein air in these very special environments, individuals can learn to see what is before them in a deeper, more meaningful way. The use of paint and brush to put those visions down and by taking home something they have created, they are very unlikely to forget their experiences. They will always remember Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

1:30 pm - 5:00 pm - Jill Simkins: Mosaic Wall Art

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

Cost: $20 /  Minimum 10, Maximum of 25 / All ability levels

A mosaic expresses form in basic organic shapes and designs. Hanging on a wall they sparkle and reflect light from the colors of broken glass and tile. This class is for ages 12 and up, minors should be accompanied by an adult. Join me in creating a mosaic in the “Pique Assiette" tradition by using recycled broken plates, ceramic figurines, sparkly costume jewelry, and other found objects. This class will be a fun, innovative and creative experience. We will get our hands messy and we’ll smash and break things!

Jill will provide a 7"x9" board with a wall-mount bracket, plates, tiles, adhesive, grout, and nitrate gloves.

Please bring a pair of safety glasses, hammer, tile nippers (a few will be available to share) an old towel, and a sponge. Also bring miscellaneous plates, tile, broken vases, and ceramic pieces if available, and a sketch of your desired design.

2:00 pm - 3:30 pm - Pasos Gigantes

Escalante Town Park - Festival Stage

Pasos Gigantes are veteran explorers of the world of vibration. With roots in the Sonoran lowlands, these harmonic artisans have long wandered the waveform Universe, decanting sweet melody and extracting deep groove from the sonic landscape. They have recently settled in Canyon Country, eager to share their musical curios with the unsuspecting populace.

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm - Sihasin

Escalante Town Park - Festival Stage

For 3 decades, brother and sister Jeneda and Clayson Benally have been recording and touring, bringing their empowering organic conscious raising charged music to communities throughout Europe and North America.
Multi-award-winning musicians Jeneda and Clayson Benally from the (Dine) Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona create an explosive duo of just bass, drums and vocals with a traditional Navajo backbone bridging folk, rock, world, pop and a little punk.
As brother and sister they grew up protesting the environmental degradation and inhumane acts of cultural genocide against their traditional way of life. Sihasins music reflects hope for equality, healthy and respectful communities and social and environmental justice.

Sep 29,2024

9:00 am - 11:00 am - Festival Finale Breakfast

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

Date : Sep 20-29,2024

Location :Various Venues In Escalante, UT

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