Downtown Art: Culture meets Cache Valley at Saturday’s Gallery Walk
Culture, art and Cache Valley residents met on Main Street in Logan Saturday night for the fourth Annual Cache Valley Arts Festival.
It concluded after a week of concerts, workshops, and lectures and culminated with the fall Cache Valley Gallery Walk organized by the Alliance for the Varied Arts (AVA).
The Gallery Walk is an event where local Logan downtown businesses display artists from around the valley. Café Ibis, Zions Bank and the Sportsman were some of the participating businesses.
The free event included music, refreshments and plenty of fine art.
There were many types of art on display with everything from watercolor and oil paintings to sculptures, jewelry and photographs.
The Gallery Walk began at the Thatcher Young Mansion, which was constructed in 1878 and restored several years ago to serve as an art gallery.
Guitarists played as people gathered to observe the surrounding art pieces, many of which were for sale.
Fuhriman’s Framing and Fine Art featured paintings by Spencer Budd and jewelry by Joy Brisighella.
Brisighella, who moved to Logan eight years ago from Denver, Colo and has also lived in Europe , began collecting beads five years ago and then started making jewelry two years ago.
“I make it for myself and my friends,” she said, adding that lately she has been encouraged to share her work more broadly.
The beads come from many parts of the world including “King Beads” from Vienna, Italy.
Brisighella said she believes that “when you wear [the beads], you’re wearing history.”
In addition to making colorful jewelry, Brisighella also started the Northern Utah Bead Society.
Winborg Masterpieces displayed “Impressions of Cache Valley,” paintings by Jeremy and Larry Winborg.
The exhibition introduced many vibrant paintings of areas in Cache Valley. Larry Winborg got his masters in fine arts at USU and has had his work featured in countries around the globe.
One of Winborg’s latest works is of Abraham Lincoln offering a prayer at Gettysburg.
Jeff Brady, a sophomore, said “I like the Abraham Lincoln painting. That one was awesome.”
Musician Robert Linton played guitar selections from his CD, “Pale Shades,” at the Diamond Gallery. Kathleen Smith and her husband own the gallery, which features her husband’s jewelry and her artwork.
“I studied with Disney in Los Angeles,” said Smith, who graduated from USU in 1996.
The couple said they enjoy supporting the local artists of Cache Valley by displaying their work for this event.
The Mountain Place Gallery, located in the Sportsman, displayed many pictures of colorful sunflowers by Norm Christensen.
S.E. Needham Jewelers showed many black and white photographs by USU Professor of Art Craig Law.
A chocolate fountain with strawberries, marshmallows, and cookies was another attraction at the jewelry store.
In reference to both the art and the food, Ben Zurcher, an undeclared freshman, said, “I enjoyed the refreshing variety.”
Zions Bank held a traveling exhibit of art including work by many Utah artists.
A family-owned residence displayed artwork by teachers and students from Logan School District. Funds from the sales of the art go to the school district to buy school supplies for students.
Café Ibis displayed artwork by Nadra E. Haffar Peragallo, who creates art from raku, metal sculpture and oil paints. The café also offered samples of cheesecake and other assorted delicacies.
Ten Thousand Villages showed a unique form of art called “bone craft.” Bone Craft is an example of an art form in which artists use available resources in new and unusual ways to create their art.
Businesses Geo/ Graphics & The Loft included art by David Koch, an artist attempting to recreate the visual memories of his youth in Cache Valley.
Another gallery walk is scheduled for Dec. 3, 2004.
For more information on the AVA or other events, visit www.centerforthearts.us.
-sdobson@cc.usu.edu