“The purpose of the Sundance Art Studio & Gallery is to promote creativity and connection with nature,” says the passionate Sundance Art Studio and Gallery Manager, Bre Elzey. The Art Studio is an integrated part of the Sundance Mountain Resort, located in Sundance, Utah.
With unique art classes year-round as well as an ever-changing art gallery, the Sundance Art Studio has been enriching the Utah community for close to 20 years. Elzey shared that the Studio began with globally renowned artist, Jann Haworth. In its beginnings, the Studio was Haworth’s personal studio, where she spent time creating her own art as well as teaching children. From the start, the Sundance Art Studio was deeply connected to, and inspired by, nature and has continued to hold this value dear. Over time, more varied art mediums have become available at the Art Studio.
The classes currently offered at the Sundance Art Studio cover a wide range of artistic mediums. Available classes include: Pottery, Silversmithing, Acrylic, Watercolor, Encaustic (hot wax painting), Drawing, Leather Journal Burning & Bookbinding, Soapmaking, and Printmaking. Elzey personally enjoys the chemistry involved in the Soapmaking class where students pick their scents, colors, and exfoliants to create a personalized two-pound batch of soap. The most popular classes at the studio are the hands-on Silversmithing and Pottery classes. The Studio also offers “Make & Take” projects where guests can stop in for a quick project to take home, such as candle-making or beading.
Trying a new art form can be intimidating; the welcoming environment at the Sundance Art Studio is a wonderful place to start. All skill levels are encouraged to attend Sundance Art Studio’s classes, “from absolute beginners to experts,” says Elzey, “our instructors cater to all skill levels.” The instructors at the Studio are experts in their fields who are passionate about sharing the gift of creativity with their students.
The Sundance Art Studio not only supports the creative growth of community members trying something new, but through their Visiting Artist program, provides a platform for local professional artists to create and promote their artwork. Throughout the year, The Gallery features local artists for four-week shows. These artists do not arrive with finished works to show, but “are encouraged to be inspired by the nature at Sundance and to have a relaxing experience creating,” says Elzey. On the first day of their show, the artists demonstrate a creation process in action, connecting gallery guests to the creative experience of the visiting artist. It can be challenging for growing artists to find opportunities to create and share their art with their community. The Visiting Artist program gives emerging local artists a platform to do so, ultimately enriching the Utah art community at large.
In addition to their year-round classes and Visiting Artist program, the Sundance Art Studio brings in master glassblowers from Guadalajara, Mexico to create recycled glass products. According to Elzey, most glassblowers do not know how to work with recycled glass due to the higher heat necessary and quicker cooling rate than non-recycled glass. The glass recycling program at Sundance is important and unique. The Sundance Resort recycles all the glass on property, giving it to the master glassblowers to create new glassware with. This reduces the waste production of the resort as a whole in a beautiful, creative way. The recycled glass pieces are used around the resort and sold at the Art Studio & Gallery. The glass kiln is located right next to the Art Studio, giving guests the opportunity to witness the exciting and inspiring process of glassblowing.
Elzey shares that the core values at the Studio are: Art, Nature, and Community. Students and visiting artists at the Sundance Art Studio are encouraged to create through the inspiring lens of the nature that surrounds them. “The Art Studio and Gallery staff has a wide range of skills and backgrounds, but we all can agree that Art heals and creates connection,” says Elzey. The Sundance Art Studio team believes that individuals’ untapped creative potential can be accessed by trying the new and unique mediums offered. They see the inner artist within all individuals and consider creativity to be vital to finding the joy in life.
Visit sundanceresort.com/art-studio
Come and let nature inspire.
