2020 Art in the Park Celebration

Zion Forever Project Announces Modified Approach to Celebration of Art

The Zion Forever Project, in partnership with Zion National Park, has announced a modified celebration of art in the park during the fall of 2020. This year, due to the uncertainty generated by the COVID-19 crisis, the event will consist solely of a virtual art exhibit and sale staged on the Zion Forever Project website. If circumstances permit, the exhibit will also be staged physically in the Zion Human History Museum gallery. In accordance with anticipated COVID-19 limitations and with an abundance of concern for public health, the traditional in-park public plein air events, including artist demonstrations, gala opening, and public paint-out, will not be held this year.

Instead, six beloved Zion artists have been invited to submit three paintings each, which will comprise the virtual show and sale beginning September 16, 2020, and running through November 8, 2020. At this time it is not known if the Zion Museum will be open, however, if it is, the show and sale will be staged physically, as well, in the museum gallery. The Zion Art Committee is committed to bringing back the traditional elements of Zion’s plein air event in 2021, as circumstances permit.

“The change has been driven first and foremost by concerns for health and safety,” said Lyman Hafen, executive director of the Zion National Park Forever Project. “But it has also been influenced by the many unknowns relating to future requirements on public group size, social distancing, and other considerations, as well as the need to refocus both personnel and financial resources at a time when our operations have been severely disrupted and a recovery process is in place.” Hafen added, “The committee has determined to celebrate art this year in a way that honors the tradition we’ve established while drawing as minimally as possible on the crucial resources needed to bring both Zion National Park and Zion Forever back to full strength.”

Hafen said, “In spite of all these considerations, we did not want the year to pass without recognizing the legacy of art in Zion Canyon. This approach allows us to capture the spirit of the event while drawing minimally on our capacity, respecting the particular situations of our partners, friends and supporters, and assuring compliance with whatever the public health requirements might be moving through 2020.”

The six artists invited to submit paintings for the show include:

  • Arlene Braithwaite (pastel)
  • John Cogan(acrylic)
  • Michelle Condrat (oil)
  • Bill Cramer (oil)
  • Roland Lee (watercolor)
  • Kate Starling (oil).

Each artist will submit three paintings of various sizes to be exhibited in the virtual show. The paintings will be priced and available for sale, first come, first served. A percentage of each sale will go to the Zion Forever Project to help fund crucial projects in the park.