Going on almost 50 years, the Utah Arts Festival hit it off on the town last weekend. Full of vibrancy, variety and personality, the weekend was well worth the heat. Utah Arts Festival was sure to have cleaned your pockets out.

Utah Arts Festival is a place where all forms of art — whether it be visual, performance or literary — can come together to create a masterful weekend of art viewing. The weekend was full of differing art and backgrounds from 180+ artists.

I was absolutely aghast at the large sum of artists, booths and performances to participate in and view. Many booths were brought in this weekend, showcasing artists’ work not just locally but country-wide. It was really interesting to see just how many were here from out of state. I met many artists from California, Wisconsin, Washington, Colorado and several others. Quite a few locals also expressed this fascination.

Don’t be Afraid to Fangirl

While walking around the park, I stopped to talk with some of these artists about their art, passion and process of creating. Based in Salt Lake City, Jamie A. Kyle creates colorful, photographic tableaus that are inspired by western images with a modern take. The coolest part about their display at the event was the use of frames that are one of a kind and brought back for show to the public.

From Nevada, Sabrina Frey caught my eye instantly with their beaded mosaics. I was taken aback by the immense amount of detail in these paintings. It was impressive and a completely new idea I had never thought of before. When speaking with Frey, they interested me in the fact they created their own method for beading but also created a formula for the glue that they use to keep the beads nice and tight for these images to pop.

Alison Bernadette – Bernadette’s Handmade Jewelry – traveled from Bozeman, Montana and what a treat it was. Their jewelry is truly beautiful in every form. I had an instant interest in her crafted pieces and use of vintage glass gathered from war periods of the early 1900s. They stated that when shopping they can get quite a few at a time, and sometimes even a full set — which you can buy from them to complete a fashionable look. If you peek into their tent, you’re sure to be taken by the magnificent and colorful decor of these jewels.

I Love New Art and You Will Too

Not only was it a place for successful artists to showcase, but the Festival also brought so much opportunity for new and emerging artists to shine. Some of my favorite moments were created by performing artists Drusky and Queenadilla. Both local bands based in Salt Lake City who stole the show with their incredibly rockin’ sets. I have seen Drusky in performance before and they never fail to impress, but this was my first time being introduced to Queenadilla and what a pleasure it was. They’re making the blues cool again with their new rock n’ roll tunes.

Another portion that caught my attention was the literary arts portions that were showcased on their WordFest stage. It was incredibly riveting to see such vulnerability and honesty produced by these artists.

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