FIRST ANNUAL EVERETT RUESS DAYS FESTIVAL DRAWS NATIONAL PARTICIPATION.

Escalante Canyons / Everett Ruess Days: September 30 - October 2, 2004

ESCALANTE,UTAH-2004—While mystery still surrounds the last days of the intrepid 20 year-old artist, poet and explorer – Everett Ruess, his perceptions of the beauty of the Southwest have struck cords in many souls. Over 500 people from around Utah and many from out-of -state converged on the towns of Escalante and Boulder, Utah, on October 1st and 2nd to celebrate their own artistic response to the area.

Thirty-five Plein Air painters competed in watercolors, oils and acrylics with participants coming from as far away as Georgia, Minnesota, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Idaho, as well as Utah.

Well known Utah artist, Doug Braithwaite, won the first prize of $2000 for his dramatic rendering of the sandstone cliffs around Boulder. Brad Holt, an orthodontic technician from Cedar City took second Prize of $1000 for his painting of the Escalante Canyon as seen from the overlook above the Kiva Koffeehouse on Highway 12. The $500 Third place went to Tropic artist Clay Wagstaff for his interpretation of the Sevier River cliffs along Highway 89.

Five Honorable Mentions of $100 went to Nancy Green, Torrey, Utah ; Lynn Griffin, Escalante, Utah; Julie Boland, Valdosta, Georgia; Steve Salget, Salt Lake City, Utah; and Bonnie Rosselli, Salt Lake City, Utah.

People's Choice Award, First Place went to Lynn Griffin - Escalante; Garth Harrison, Vernal, second; and third, Doug Braithwaite, Sunset.

Runners Up - Steve Larsen of Salt Lake City; Larry Clarkston of Salt Lake City; Eric Zschiesche of Huntsville; Wes Lifferts of Payson; and Scott Snarr of Riverton.

The Theme of a "Working Arts Festival" was carried out by artists and craftsmen who demonstrated their skills by weaving rugs, turning wood on a lathe, wire wrapping semi precious stones, painting and so forth. Many enjoyed creating tie-dye sheet banners to be taken back to the Sharing Place in Salt Lake City, and making block prints under the instruction of Bad Dog Discovers America who came down from Salt Lake City to encourage artists of all ages to explore this art form which Everett Ruess used so successfully in his response to the dramatic landscapes he saw as he visited the American West in the early 1930's.

Glen Richards of Salt Lake City brought his collection of 20 Ruess Block Prints to display in the Exhibit Hall and he was joined by Ken Sanders Rare Books of Salt Lake who displayed a few original Ruess Prints, and Steven Jerman also of Salt Lake who sold numbered edition Ruess block prints and other licensed merchandise.

A number of wonderful musical productions began with folk singer Dana Robinson who drove out to Boulder from Ashville, North Carolina, to sing his ballad about Everett Ruess in concert with Brian Ruess, Waldo's son, who read Everett's poetry and writings. The interweaving of music and word was so profound that the concert was repeated the next day in Escalante.

Original music was played by "the New Galoots" of Salt Lake City; "The Wagon Wheel" of Torrey; "Zarubabel" of Bicknell; Cowboy and Western Music by Clayton Carter; and Brent Griffin and Ted Engberg of Escalante; Kenny Hall of Tropic; and Hal Cannon, from Salt Lake City, who also sang his Everett Ruess Ballad. The grand finale was a classical string quartet from Springville -"Blue Haiku."

Three successful poetry slams were held in Boulder, the Kiva Koffeehouse and Escalante as well as poetry presentations by Harold Carr and Alex Caldiero, both of Salt Lake. The Committee looks to expand the literary aspect of the festival next year.

The fall colors on the mountains thrilled everyone and surging clouds did bring rain, snow and even hail to the surprise and sometimes delight of the Plein Air artists who can use such looming contrasts for their skies! Publisher Gibbs Smith, from Layton, who first complied and printed the five books written about Everett Ruess, found their paintings to be so successful that he purchased two of the paintings for his own western art collection. Smith is already making suggestions to the committee about how to expand the event next year to possibly include a play about Everett.

Volunteers are needed in all aspects of creating this event as a regional opportunity for artists, writers, poets, musicians and dancers to come to this dramatically scenic area and respond with their talents.