Sixteen medium- to large-scale contemporary outdoor sculptures, selected from a competitive pool of national submissions, will land in Moab on Saturday, Oct. 14, for the Moab ArTTrails exhibition.
This first-of-its-kind show in southeastern Utah features works from 10 artists: some based in Moab, some from Utah’s Wasatch Front and some from the states of Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado and Virginia.
The artworks will be installed along a downtown pedestrian loop in Moab for an entire year.
At the conclusion of the yearlong exhibition in 2018, one or more sculptures will be selected for purchase and placement in a permanent public collection.
The downtown installation will run from 8 a.m. to noon, followed by a 2:30 p.m. meet-and-greet with the artists at the Moab Arts and Recreation Center’s (MARC’s) east pavilion, 111 E. 100 North. This will be the gathering spot to begin an artists’ walking tour of the exhibition at 3 p.m.
The installation of the new sculptures and an artist reception will coincide with the Red Rock Arts Fest and Street Fair. There will be live music from noon to 9 p.m., local makers, crafters and artisanal food vendors, the culmination of a plein air competition, a citywide gallery crawl and the inaugural installation of the 2017-18 outdoor sculpture exhibition. There’s a lot going on, but you likely won’t want to miss an opportunity to interact with the art and artists during a meet-and-greet, followed by the first-ever Artists’ Walking Tour of the ArTTrail.
Maps of the ArTTrail will be available throughout the year to guide viewers through the exhibit and bring attention to art already in the public collection. The sculptures are available for purchase as they compete for placement in the community’s permanent public art collection.
A $1,000 People’s Choice cash award will be determined by votes from the public with ballots that invite further input about local places and themes of personal or collective meaning which ought to be commemorated or preserved.
The City of Moab and Grand County extended their support in 2017, by contributing funds to Moab ArTTrails exhibition and acquisition program. At the end of the exhibition year in 2018, the selection committee will purchase a piece or pieces valued up to $10,000 for the permanent public collection.
The exhibition is designed to rotate annually; the current works will make way as the 2018-2019 selections replace the previous year’s showpieces.
Moab ArTTrails is a nonprofit organization that celebrates the vibrant culture and resilient beauty of place through the exhibition and procurement of artworks for the public’s permanent collection.
What: Moab ArTTrails sculpture installation
When: Installation from 8 a.m. to noon, followed by a 2:30 p.m. meet-and-greet with the artists at the East Pavilion of the Moab Arts and Recreation Center (MARC), 139 E. 100 North, and a 3 p.m. artists’ walking tour of the exhibition.
Where: Downtown Moab; locations vary
Cost: Attendance is free
Information: moabarttrails.org
For more information, go to: moabarttrails.org.
