Can you name a charming western town that has entertainment year-round, wonderful restaurants, boutique shops, and is within an easy drive of several National Parks?
The Charm of Park City, Utah
Park City, Utah, is one of those charming western towns that is fun to visit as a tourist but even more interesting to the landscape photographer. It is less than an hour’s drive southeast of Salt Lake City and is surrounded by several ski resorts..
Park City is a vibrant community that has activities and entertainment year-round. The landscape of Park City and the surrounding Utah area changes with each season giving the photographer different opportunities to capture the beauty. As you can see by the photos below, Bryce Canyon takes on a different look when covered with snow.
Park City also has many wonderful restaurants. No matter your dining style or what is on your foodie’s wish list….. you will find it at Park City. Do you prefer casual/comfort food classic burgers or would you rather experience fine dining at a well-known steakhouse with signature cocktails?
There are breweries, wineries, and when the weather is nice you can enjoy the scenery while eating at an outdoor café. Walk down Main Street Park City and your choices include casual breakfast or lunch spots or grab a cup of coffee at a local coffee shop.
Park City Photography and Fine Art Galleries
One fun thing to do while wandering Main Street with your cup of coffee is to check out some of Park City’s Photography and Fine Art Galleries. As a fine art landscape photographer, I enjoy viewing the work of fellow photographers. It is true that we each have our own style and signature approach to capturing life’s magic moments such as when the sun is rising over the Utah landscape but it does not mean that I cannot enjoy and value the work of other artists and learn from them. That is one of the reasons for visiting a fine art gallery…such as the ones found in Park City…… to discover and be thrilled by their capturing the beauty of the world we live in.
Park City has more than 20 art galleries showcasing the art created by local and international artists. It is becoming an arts destination. Some galleries are well known and some are local gems such as J GO Gallery and Gallery MAR where you will find impressive collections of art by Utah artists.
The J GO Gallery, located in historic Park City, is known for its collection of contemporary artwork but that is not the only role the gallery plays in the Park City art scene….. it also does double duty as a unique venue that will accommodate events for 20 to 200 guests. Imagine attending a dinner event in a room where the walls are lined with beautiful artwork and photographs of places you have been or are on your bucket list.
Another Park City Fine Art gallery is Gallery MAR which was established in 2008 so it is a relative newcomer. Their goal has always been to provide outstanding service to the art collector from the initial process to installation. Their artwork is always changing. This gallery, just like J GO Gallery, supports the Park City community by opening its space to a nonprofit organization once a month to host fundraisers, awareness evenings, or similar events.
Some of their artists have been featured in Mountain Express Magazine and Mountain Living Magazine. The staff of Gallery MAR is proud of the connections they have made with the artists and their customers and are always trying to help visitors find that perfect fine art photograph ….. whether it is in their Park City Gallery or online….. that captures a special moment.
While in Park City, you should visit the Kimball Art Center. They have scheduled for August of 2022 the 53rd Annual Park City Kimball Arts Festival where 200 artists from 28 states will gather to display their talents. It is one of the top-ranked art festivals in the country and is one of the Kimball Art Center’s most celebrated events. These events showcase the beauty of not only the Utah area but celebrate a true appreciation of nature and the talents of the artists.
The Purpose of a Fine Art Landscape Gallery
One important point to keep in mind is the art buying process is very visual. Today’s landscape photographers, myself included, put a great deal of effort into creating an online experience that you might have in a fine art gallery—where you feel as if you are walking into a brick-and-mortar art gallery.
A true online art gallery is one that is more than a glossy coffee table book but instead tries to guide you to making the right decision while answering your questions and addressing your concerns. It needs to mirror the service you would find in a retail art gallery.
The Park City art scene is one where you will find yourself inspired by and connected to the world by art and you will find a variety of galleries to visit but with different focuses whether it is oil paintings, sculptures, or fine art photography.
These sorts of experiences are important as they can help you, the buyer and collector, to begin the process of “figuring it out” ….. to give yourself exposure to art and photographs that you might not see in an office building or in a magazine and become aware of what you really like and thus, want to collect.
For example, the David Beavis Fine Art gallery showcases the work of David Beavis. His interest in photography began at an early age and soon became a passion for him. He opened his Park City gallery in 2015 and his art photography artwork blends traditional style while capturing images using three-dimensional effects. The gallery exhibits range from aspen trees to cityscapes to abstract art but all emphasize the beauty of nature.
As you increase your exposure to various art styles, you might want to check out some of Park City’s other well-known Fine Art Landscape Galleries as each has its own special feel. The legendary nature and wildlife photographer, Thomas D. Mangelsen, makes Park City his home and his gallery, MANGELSEN—Images of Nature Gallery, has been a fixture in Park City’s Historic Main Street for nearly 30 years. His award-winning limited prints have been exhibited in museums across the United States and his gallery features over 100 limited edition and artist proof prints.
Another well-known Park City Landscape Photographer is Willie Holdman who is also a native of Utah. His gallery, the William Holdman Photographs Gallery which is located on Main Street, features fine art photography for the surrounding area and all of Utah. He and I both share an interest in capturing the beauty of Zion National Park.
As you walk through his Park City Landscape Gallery on Main Street, you will be inspired by the range and beauty of his photographs – from mountain photography to red rock deserts – each makes the wonders of nature vivid – and you will feel the emotional pull of landscape photography.
Art Galleries can be located in large museum-like settings with stark painted white walls or, they can also be found in more intimate settings. One such example is the Meyer Gallery which was established in 1965. This contemporary arts gallery is housed in the former First National Bank. The dark wooden floors, brick walls, and soft lighting creates an inviting environment where you can enjoy the works of local artists as well as enjoy the building itself which is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a part of the Park City Museum's Historic district tour.
Many of the Meyer Gallery’s artists reside in the west and the gallery works hard at showcasing their art through community events such as the Park City Gallery Stroll or their annual Small Works Show. It is always rewarding when you discover a painting or photograph that could become a part of your collection…. Whether it is displayed in a gallery or at a community event.
On the other end of the spectrum in regards to an art gallery’s physical setting is the Julie Nester Gallery. This gallery which specializes in contemporary art is located in a renovated warehouse in the Iron Horse District of Park City. You will find a wide variety of artistic styles …from abstract to landscape and the art exhibits include paintings, photography, and sculpture.
The displays take advantage of the large walls and open spaces which helps create a dramatic setting that allows the gallery to show both large and small scale works of art. Julie Nester has over 25 years of experience in the art business and this gallery is committed to helping its clients find pieces of art that will be an important part of their fine art collection.
Discovering Your Relationship with Fine Art Photography
It can be intimidating to walk into an art gallery and even more so to begin the process of becoming a fine art collector which is why visiting galleries in person can be beneficial to you. Staff at galleries love art and want to share that love with you. It is not just about buying and selling but about creating relationships and you may connect with one gallery but not another.
It is about style and what you are looking for and along the way, you will discover that the “research” …. the time you spend looking in-person at photographs is enjoyable as well as rewarding…. You begin to see things in a picture that you might have missed at first glance… a shadow that deepens the picture or how the colors fade from one area of the landscape to another.
“Research” when trying to become a fine arts collector is not about numbers or spreadsheets or sounding like an encyclopedia. It is about becoming intentional with your choices and understanding why you love the picture. Are you a fan of sunrises? Flowers and Trees? Rivers? Waterfalls? Beach and seashore or mountains and rivers? “Research” means looking at a lot of artwork and photographs… both in-person and online… to determine what makes your heart beat faster.
Why is that important? Because artwork is expensive and you need to know and understand the hidden connection between you and the fine art photograph you are buying. Is it a photograph of a place on your bucket list? Does it bring back memories of a special vacation? A moment in time that changed the direction of your life? Or, do you simply love the colors found in the photograph? Standing in front of a photograph at a fine art gallery … ask yourself….why do you like it? Or, equally important ….. why do you not like it?
But you are not limited to doing this “research” in person. Many fine art photography galleries have artists’ O.V.R.s (online viewing rooms) so you do not always have to travel via car or airplane to see the artwork at a gallery. An outstanding example of this is the McMillen Fine Art Photography gallery and website in Park City, Utah.
The McMillens (Jared and Trish) capture their photographs using film on old school large format cameras and may spend months observing an area to determine the best time of day and season to photograph the landscape. Their Fine Art Photography can be enjoyed at their Park City Gallery or in the portfolio section of their website. As with the other galleries, you will see photographs of wildlife, landscapes, and panoramic scenes.
More about Park City
Park City is located in the Wasatch Mountains and started out in the late 1800’s as a silver mining town and today is home to ski resorts, hotels, restaurants, and countless outdoor experiences from snow skiing to fly fishing to hiking mountain trails. It is close to many of the iconic landscape scenes in the west like Utah’s Red Rock Country, the Grand Tetons, Glacier National Park, the Pacific Northwest, and Southwest Colorado. These are the sort of scenes that you would expect to find in a Park City Fine Art Landscape Gallery such as this sunrise photo taken in Southern Utah.
My Virtual Park City Utah Online Landscape Gallery
A physical gallery is a wonderful way to display artwork to see, identify with, and maybe even make a purchase. I do not live in the Park City area so having a gallery there is not possible for me but if I could have a landscape gallery somewhere, Park City would be at the top of my list.
So, to give me (and you) something to dream about….. below are some of my photos I would include in a Park City Photography Gallery. I hope you enjoy viewing my virtual Park City Landscape Art Gallery and that these fine art landscape photographs will give you a glimpse of what it is like to be standing in the midst of such beauty.
Before You Leave…..
I truly enjoy being outside, stomping around, looking for the best location to position my tripod to capture what I am seeing and experiencing. My tagline…. “Bring Home the Experience” … stems from my desire to share with you the beauty I am feeling as I stand there with my hand on the camera….. ready to click the shutter. While looking at my photos, it is my hope that you will find yourself thinking how awesome the scene is … and wish that you were standing there also.
Please contact me if you have any questions or comments or would like to have one of these “magic moments” hanging on a wall in your office or home.
LAS VEGAS PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY JACKSON WYOMING PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY
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