Parowan will hold its second Biennial Thanksgiving Weekend Art Tour, a free self-guided tour where the public can get to visit with many different local artists around town, learn about their techniques and see their art. Attendees can stop by on Nov. 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life,” Shay Bayles, the director of the art tour, quoted Picasso in describing why this tour is so important to her. She also called the tour a place where visitors can “get inspired and just enjoy seeing what creativity and imagination brings forth.”
The tour begins at Old Crow Basics, a unique and local home decor and gift shop, where guests will be provided with information on the artists and maps to find their way around the tour. A community mural project is also located at this starting point, where the public is welcomed to participate in adding their own colors and patterns to a stained glass-like mural, which, according to Bayles, will hopefully be up all year round for viewing.”
Visitors will then have the leisure to visit each tour stop location, visiting with 19 different local artists in their studios or in the businesses hosting them to observe their styles and techniques, talk with them about their art processes and purchase some of their work. Some of the art mediums represented this weekend will include oil, acrylic, watercolor, digital art, ceramics, assemblage, bronze sculpture and miniature 3D sculpting.
Other fun elements of the art tour include a drawing for a $200 art-themed gift basket and a painting class for beginners.
The first Biennial Parowan Art Tour was held in 2021. It was founded by Tricia Harris, a local artist, art gallery owner and music teacher in collaboration with fellow local artists Spike Ress and Sue Cotter.
“Parowan is a beautiful town that has amazing artists,” Harris said, “and I wanted to shine a light on the artists and art Parowan has along with bringing more art into this town.”
“I want the community to know that just because they don’t create art for a living doesn’t mean they can’t respect, appreciate and love art for what it is,” said Bayles. “Once they do, that art can be a little bit of sunshine that brightens their day.
Further information on the tour can be found at the Parowan’s city website and at the Cedar City area’s tourism website. For more information or to ask questions, contact Bayles at shayroti.bayles@gmail.com or Harris at tricia@yourstoryutah.com. To sign up for the painting class, contact Sherri at 435-590-7022.
Story by: Emily Walters
emilywalters@suumail.net
Photos courtesy of Shay Bayles
Editor: Tessa Cheshire
accent@suunews.net
