Local, national and international art lovers will see why Bret Webster Images was voted Park City’s Best Art Gallery of 2022, when they participate in the Park City Gallery Association’s Black Friday Gallery Stroll on Nov. 25.

Webster, a retired chemical engineer who worked in the rocket and missile industry, is honored to have received the honor in the contest that was sponsored by The Park Record.

“I was astonished and surprised and thrilled,” he said. “We have a great and loyal set of supporters and buyers, and I’m very grateful for their support.”

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While Webster’s gallery, located at 312 Main St., took top honors in the competition, Summit Gallery and Trove Gallery landed in second and third place, respectively.

Any gallery in town could have just as easily been voted as the best, because they all are wonderful and artistic creative fountains…” Bret Webster, Bret Webster Images owner

“Make no mistake, any gallery in town could have just as easily been voted as the best, because they all are wonderful and artistic creative fountains,” Webster said. “We’re all resources, and all people have to do is just walk up and down the street and step inside any gallery to end the day as better people.”

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Webster, who grew up in Kaysville, opened his shop in 2012, after paying his artistic dues in art shows and other photography exhibits.

He has made a name for himself in the fine-art photography world with images captured during excursions to Japan, England and throughout Utah.

The trick to finding that perfect photograph is to keep focused.

“I talk to myself all the time, and ask, ‘What do I see?’” he said. “I try to be like a child. I try to see things as if I am seeing them for the first time., because you need to get yourself in the right mindset or you will miss the picture you traveled around the world to find.”

Webster’s perseverance and art have reached beyond art collectors. In 2013 the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait sent a request for a piece titled “Ghost Panel Night,” which he shot at Horseshoe Canyon. 

Four years later, the U.S. Embassy in Malta asked Webster for two photographs of Moab — “Arches Symmetry” and “The Great Gallery.” In addition, Webster has works that have been installed at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

“It’s an honor that my art is asked to support diplomacy in the world,” he said. “These things won’t last, but it’s an honor to be an ambassador of our community.” 

A few years ago, Webster utilized his scientific insight to photograph macro views of snowflakes, colored water droplets and bismuth, a colorful, heavy-metal element.

“I try to stay dedicated to fun challenges that keep me in the right place,” he said. “My goal is to leave a wake of positivity and goodness.”

A few weeks ago, Webster opened the Bret Webster Factory in the Salt Lake Valley. The 10,000-square-foot facility benefits Webster’s global and domestic clients and collectors.

“We prepare and ship the orders in crates and boxes directly to our clients from the factory,” he said. “It also enables us to keep our prices down, because part of our recipe is value. We try to keep our price ranges attainable, and try to present high value.”

The factory also invigorates Webster and his crew.

“This has been a huge challenge and it’s a delicious universe of problem solving every day,” he said. “I don’t want to end up sitting on the couch sipping coffee and occasionally going to hunt for photos. I want the factory to help free me up so I can frequently go out and hunt photos.”

The factory helps secure that gallery businesswise and financially, Webster said.

“It also puts us in the right place with the community,” he said. “We talk about that in those terms with our staff, because we are representing Park City. We want to be part of the show. We want to contribute and be an attraction, and everyone is welcome. That’s what drives us.”

For information about Bret Webster and Bret Webster Images, visit bretwebsterimages.com.