Creating Community
Photography: Dan Campbell
Stepping into District Gallery is like going to a Greek wedding: the offerings are so plentiful and delicious, you could stay for days absorbing and relishing it all. Representing about 26 artists, including a couple of father/daughter pairs, the gallery always hosts a diverse selection of works in a large, open space that lends itself to lingering.
“I’ve been involved in different forms of art forever,” says gallery owner Karen Alvarez, a Park City resident since 1986. Alvarez’s past work as a film producer at Francis Ford Coppola’s studio, American Zoetrope, as a documentary filmmaker and as an artists’ representative at other galleries gave her the confidence to open a new gallery despite the imperfect economic climate of 2009. For this dynamic mother of two, that challenging atmosphere provided a chance to promote her conviction that art is relevant no matter what. “It’s more important than an economic state,” she says. “People will still purchase art because it’s an investment in joy!”
It also creates space for community. Alvarez and her employees, Marita Hojem and Don Prys, are like family. Prys and his daughter Jodi are one of the father/daughter artist duos the gallery exhibits, and their passion for the artists they represent is palpable. Emerging, midrange and established artists all share their views of the world at District Gallery, and the staff encourages guests and clients to bring their own perspectives to the conversation.
The gallery’s outdoor sculpture garden embodies this welcoming approach, as Lyman Whitaker’s kinetic wind sculptures invite viewers to come closer, luring them inside the gallery where they can experience the hot, bright colors of Chicago illustrator-turned-painter Jeff Hamm, or the cool, peaceful landscapes of Frederick Stephens and Tim Deibler. Nearby, soothing still lifes by Philip and Elizabeth Barlow, another of the father/daughter artist pairs at District Gallery, contrast intriguingly with mixed media pieces by Deb Holien and Daniel Gerken.
Elsewhere in the space, Lauren Mantecon’s large mixed media series Figure Fit for a Wedding employs pattern pieces on canvas that are a whimsical complement to the ceramic work of Connie Norman, who uses old pieces of movable type pressed into hand-built clay vessels to reveal snippets of conversation that play repeatedly in her mind. Abstract art finds a voice in Don Prys’s large encaustic paintings and Jodi Steen’s acrylic landscapes. Abstraction is also T Barny’s fascination, and power tools are his forte. All materials have artistic promise in them for Barny, and he has worked with hot glass, neon gas, bronze, wood, steel and stone to create sculptures that reflect the magic and wonder in our world.
“Choosing artists is an evolving process,” Alvarez explains. “We encourage patrons to stop by often to browse and to delight in our growing stable of talented artists.”
Located in the NOMA (North of Main) district, District Gallery is one of the businesses transforming the area, encouraging locals and visitors to explore beyond Historic Main Street. When talking about the new venture, Hojem says, “I just want people to know we’re here. I want them to know how cool we are!”
And District Gallery is getting cooler by the minute. Alvarez’s goal is to become a vibrant hub for all things creative, including special events and artists’ receptions, workshops and artist-in-residence programs. Workshops scheduled for the summer include papermaking and origami, mixed media, life drawing and writers’ workshops. Plans are also under way for a café where art lovers can enjoy live music and poetry readings at open mic nights, or simply lounge with a latte or espresso amid encaustic works, landscapes, custom jewelry, still lifes and ceramics.
Utah’s art market continues to have a healthy pulse, and District Gallery is poised to become the heart of NOMA’s art scene.
District Gallery, 1205 Ironhorse Drive, 435.649.3445, districtartgallery.com
Your comments may be edited for brevity and foul language.