Since its inception more than 12 years ago, the Summer Summit Arts Showcase has become a small arts festival.
The free, annual juried event is hosted by the Arts Council of Park City and Summit County. It will feature more than 30 local artists, live music and food trucks, and is scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, July 15 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 16, at Oakley’s Red Barn, 4300 N. S.R. 32, said Jocelyn Scudder, Park City Arts Council and Summit County Executive.
“We recognize that we are a countywide arts council, so in addition to serving Park City, where the concentration of arts and cultural activity is, we also serve Kamas, Oakley, Coalville, Henefer, Francis and beyond,” she said. . “We’re bringing this event to make sure we’re connecting with the east side of the county that’s happening in the backyard of South Summit residents.”
The art ranges from paintings, ceramics, photography, jewelry and textiles (see accompanying list of artists).
“There will be a diverse exhibition of media from local artists, and there really will be something for everyone,” Scudder said.
In addition to exhibiting and selling their work, artists will also perform live demonstrations during the event.
“These demonstrations are a great way to build relationships,” Scudder said. “It is much more attractive to watch artists at work than just to see the finished work. It’s fun to see the creative process and connect with the artists and their work in a more visceral way.”
Adding to the festival atmosphere, the Summit Arts Summer Showcase will include live music, programmed by Mountain Town Music, and food trucks, according to Scudder.
Singer-songwriter David Quackenbush will perform from 17:30 to 19:30. on Friday, while Christian Scheller will take the stage from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. Scheller will be followed by Gary Dranbow and the Manic Emotions from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
This year the food trucks will be Yoli’s Tacos both days and Umani Pizza on Saturday.
“We do our best to prioritize Summit County businesses when choosing food trucks to showcase,” Scudder said. “We work closely with other nonprofits that work with food trucks, and there is a list of those that are registered with the Summit County Health Department.”
The Arts Council will go down the list and make the call, but if there are no Summit County-based food trucks available, Scudder and her staff will dip into the Salt Lake City food truck pool.
“We’re going to put out some picnic blankets, so people can come hang out and enjoy the art, music and food,” she said. “We’re hoping for good weather, but if we have to go inside, we will.”
The Summit Arts Summer Showcase was started more than 12 years ago by Kathy Hunter, former executive director of the arts council.
The event was originally held at Cattleman’s Hall in Oakley before being moved to the Red Barn in 2015, Scudder said.
“The Red Barn, which is a bigger venue, was a RAP-funded project and we were able to move the storefront there,” she said.
The larger space allowed participating artists to spread out, Scudder said.
“We’ve also put up kiosks outside, which helps with street visibility,” she said. “Even though the Red Barn is in the heart of Oakley, it’s a bit off the beaten track.”
Scudder is grateful for the district’s support that allows the arts council to continue presenting the showcase.
“The Arts Showcase is seasonal; we present one in summer and one in winter,” she said. “We also want to host other art events every few months because those art shows are important to our creative community. They provide a platform for artists to sell work, and all participating artists are from Summit County.”
Scudder also has a personal reason for enjoying presenting these storefronts.
“I love working with artists,” she said. “They are one of the biggest reasons I got into this in the first place. I’m looking forward to it and I love being at Oakley in the summer.”
