Though not exactly in Park City (that is 6 miles further down the road) some of the people that showed up were staying there as-well-as in other nearby accommodations. Park City is known for having a very large art show hosted by the Kimball Art Center, on main street, usually the second weekend in August. And, as a matter of fact, the 42nd Annual Show is happening this coming weekend. I had never done a H.A. event and had read some conflicting reports from people with differing experiences at some of his other shows. With that in mind I wanted to maintain an open attitude about the show. I had some trepidation about the idea of participating in a show that was only in its second year in a venue that was somewhat off the beaten track. Wanting to try something different, and at the suggestion of an artist friend, I forged ahead. Redstone is actually a shopping/residential center that was used to service the 2002 Olympics in Utah with mixed retail, restaurants and residences just off I-80. Set-up for the show was done in two stages, one group getting in on Friday night (people with REALLY large sculptures) and the others on Saturday morning. Though I don't know for a fact why that was but think part of that was because of the residential and restaurant areas not being impacted. Though not terrible, load-in was somewhat congested in the narrow streets and we had to wait a while to get our chariot out as the road was blocked by other larger vehicles. Sunday the weather was mostly overcast which was a nice respite from being cooked the day before and by about 4 p.m. the crowds thinned as the weather threatened. At 4:30 on Sunday, Terry (I think) a representative from the H.A. group rushed through and told everyone to pack up as some severe weather was on its way and we didn't have to wait for an orderly exit! The sky did open up on us but everyone took it in stride and made an orderly exit. Access to the center is usually simple, but is anything ALWAYS simple? During the weekend, just outside the shopping district, on the main access corridor to the center the road was being torn up to insert an underpass for pedestrians and bicycles! North and South bound traffic was diverted into one lane each way, needles to say, traffic during the day was backed up for at least 1/2 mile. I overheard one intrepid art patron talking about the difficulty of getting in but she persevered in order to attend the show. That says a lot for the willingness of people to come to a show! With all that said, how was the show? I like the fact that it was a smaller show, the artwork was high quality and the turnout was enough for me to have paid expenses and made some money as well! Would I do it again? This show combined with the Kimball show would make for a nice combination over a weeks time. I bagged the Kimball show this year as last year I came away in the red (after it being my best show ever 6 years ago) so the H.A. show renewed my faith in this areas ability to support an arts show.
This was my second year here. I was happy I could do both this and Crested Butte. I had a really good show again. The customers seemed to be enjoying it and spending money!
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