The festival welcomes artists of all abilities and provides those beginning their careers an opportunity to interact with those who are more experienced. Scholarship funds allow students from Southern Utah University’s Art Department to participate in the Plein Air Competition and vie for the opportunity to win the Student Artist Award that includes a two-month solo exhibit at the Dixie National Forest - Red Canyon Visitor Center.

A Plein Air Paint-Out is scheduled for Wednesday, September 21, where registered artists can spend the day painting in and around Slot Canyons Inn Bed and Breakfast along the upper stretches of the Escalante River. All those participating in the event vote for their favorite painting with a cash award going to the winner.

The Everett Ruess Chautauqua is scheduled for the morning of Saturday, September 24. This event anticipates lively conversation about the mysteries associated with Everett Ruess, the young artist wanderer that disappeared in canyon country in the 1930s. Chautauqua participants include Ken Sanders (owner of Ken Sanders Rare Books in Salt Lake City), Phillip Frandkin (author of the recently published Everett Ruess: His Short Life, Mysterious Death, and Astonishing Afterlife), and Gibb Smith (owner of Gibb Smith Publishing).

The Speaker Series, scheduled for both Friday and Saturday, features speakers primarily selected from the Utah Humanities Council’s recommended list, supplemented by local experts on history, geology, and archeology. The line-up includes the following speakers and topics:

• Joel C. Janetski (Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, Brigham Young University)

“Archaeology and the Early Human History of Utah”

• Jerry Roundy, Ph. D. (Ph.D., Western American History, Brigham Young University)

“The Incredible Journey: The Hole-in-the-Rock Route to the San Juan 1879-1880”

• Dr. Bonnie J. Buratti (Senior Research Scientist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

“The Canyon Lands of Utah, Mars, and Titan: Explorers from Everett Ruess to Future Astronauts”

• Ken Sanders (Owner, Ken Sanders Rare Books)

“Books and Authors Met On and Off the Trail”

• Dr. James R. Swenson (Assistant Professor, Brigham Young University)

“Photographing a Staircase: A History of Imaging Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument”

This year’s featured artist is Valerie Orlemann, a realistic landscape painter from Cedar City who has won numerous art awards throughout the southwest region. A program focused on Orlemann’s work is included in the Speaker Series on Saturday, September 24.

The Festival Plaza and Festival Hall are packed on Friday and Saturday with vendors selling everything from original art to high-quality crafts, and from wood-fired pizza to homemade pies. Performers from near and far fill the Festival Plaza with song, dance, and poetry for two days of entertainment.

All festival events are free.

Escalante Canyons Art Festival
P.O. Box 40
Escalante UT 84726