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Kimball embraces the season with annual Winter Salon

Susan SwartzÕs acrylic on linen works are painted by hand. Swartz, who recently opened a new gallery on Main Street, will be among the artists participating in the Kimball Art CenterÕs Winter Salon at Montage Deer Valley from Feb. 12 to Feb. 15. (Susan Swartz Studio)
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Winter is the perfect season to enjoy art and luxury goods created by international artists, attend lectures, participate in workshops presented by artists and art-world experts.

This is the core of the Kimball Art Center’s Winter Art Salon that will be held at the Montage Deer Valley from Feb. 12 through Feb. 15. (See schedule titled Kimball Art Center Winter Salon schedule)

The four-day event kicks-off with a VIP preview party on Feb. 12, at 6 p.m. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be available while guests browse art, jewelry, exhibitions and items from luxury vendors. The VIP reception will also include performances by the Utah Symphony Youth Guild. The event will be open to the public Feb. 13 to Feb. 15 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

The Winter Salon is an annual fundraiser for the Kimball Art Center and will feature artists and vendors, including Anne F. Crumpacker Bamboo Art , Artigiani Milanesi , Barbara Arnett Cashmere, Designs by Georgina Whitford , Fairchild Baldwin , Farasha Boutique , Gina Werfel , Interior Collections Park City , Isabelle de Borchgrave , Nathan Sawaya , Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery , R. Nelson Parrish , Roberto Coin , Sibylle Szaggars Redford , Susan Swartz , Tandem Press and Toh-Atin Gallery .

"During a visit to Art Basel in Miami a few years ago many art enthusiasts told me that they ski in Park City during Presidents’ Week so we decided to merge the two concepts for the ultimate experience for the leisure and the cultural tourist alike," said Kimball Art Center Executive Director Robin Marrouche. "For skiers with an art problem, the Winter ArtSalon is the answer."

Redford, an internationally renowned visual artist and the wife of Sundance

Institute founder Robert Redford, is looking forward to participating in the salon.

"I think it will be a great opportunity to introduce new art I’m creating these days to Utah," Redford told The Park Record. "I met Robin Marrouche approximately six months ago, and she then asked me to be part of the Art Salon and I thought this was very exciting."

The works Redford will show are the visual part of her art-performance piece called "Way of the Rain," a multi-disciplined exhibit that features live music, modern dance, spoken word and watercolor art.

"It is basically all rain art for the last four years, almost five years," she said. "There will be new pieces and there will be some that may be a year old. I can only really create this art during a certain time of the year, because it depends on the rain."

Redford uses natural rainfall as a collaborator on her paintings.

"I’ve been creating these pieces in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where I have a painting studio that is mainly outside," she said. "I’m not sure if you’re aware, but in June and in some of the summer months, we have monsoon rains, which are very powerful. And when I first observed these showers, it was magical."

At that time, Redford was experimenting with watercolors and came up with the idea of using the raindrops to make the paintings.

"It was fascinating to see the first raindrop to touch the pigment on the watercolor paper," she said. "The color spreads and does its own thing."

After she created her first work, Redford decided to make a film and worked with video artist Floyd Thomas McBee.

"Then we had a little struggle for the next two years when the rain showers stayed away because we had a major drought," Redford said. "So, I thought I should focus and make it a point to raise awareness about climate change and how out of balance nature is."

After creating additional works during rainfalls in Northern California, she worked with Icelandic composer David Thor Johnson.

"We had an exhibition where I showed the rain paintings and the film on the screen and David played live on the piano," Redford said. "I was then invited to create something live on stage at Albuquerque, New Mexico, and I did that with David."

That exhibit included modern dance and spoken word script about the fragility of Earth.

Since then, Johnson signed a music contract in Europe and wasn’t able to continue to collaborate with Redford.

The YoungArts Foundation in Miami got word of the piece and introduced Redford to musicians Will Calhoun, Dave Eggar and Chuck Palmer and choreographer Desmond Richardson.

"We created a new version of ‘The Way of the Rain,’ which was much bigger than the one in Albuquerque," Redford said. "The Sundance Film Festival got word of it and asked us to perform the piece in the 2015 festival."

While Redford won’t bring her whole exhibit to the Salon, she will bring some of the large rain silks and mixed-media works.

"I will show a total of eight pieces," she said.

In addition to Redford, visual artist Susan Swartz will also be part of the salon.

Since Swartz was in Budapest finalizing the details of a new exhibit, Amy Brownstein, marketing director and gallery manager for Susan Swartz Studios, spoke with The Park Record about Swartz’s participation in the Salon.

"Susan is incredibly excited to be part of the Salon and welcomes the opportunity to show her work in a new space to a new audience," Brownstein said. "The Salon has brought in many international artists and vendors. Susan is proud to be part of it, because she has such a global presence."

Although Brownstein and Swartz haven’t finalized the pieces that will show during the Salon, they do know the works will be some of the artist’s smaller pieces.

"That’s due to the space we have available at the Salon," Brownstein said. "But we’ll also refer visitors to the new gallery that we recently opened on Main Street."

Brownstein said Swartz is honored to be part of the Salon because she respects the Kimball Art Center.

"They have been great supporters of ours," Brownstein said. "In fact, one of Susan’s pieces, ‘Contemplation 10,’ is part of the Art Center’s permanent collection." Swartz also feels it’s important to get involved with the community, according to Brownstein.

"Susan has had some heavy moments in her life and that has led her to become active in the arts, the environment and the Christian Center of Park City," Brownstein said.

The Kimball Art Center’s Winter Salon will be held at the Montage Deer Valley from Friday, Feb. 12, until Monday, Feb. 15. For more information, visit kimballartcenter.org.


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