Breakfast in the Basement
30 x 60 in.
Oil on linen
In honor of the 100 year anniversary of Grand Canyon National Park, this year’s Grand Canyon Celebration of Art will recognize the achievements of 27 artists who have successfully interpreted the canyon, both in plein air and studio work.
During Plein Air at Grand Canyon from September 7th through September 14th, visitors can watch the artists at work, painting along the South Rim of Grand Canyon. Their work will be exhibited at Kolb Studio at the South Rim September 15th, 2019-January 20th, 2020.
Following in the footsteps of the many artists that have painted the Grand Canyon over the past 160 years, this year’s Celebration of Art artists will face the challenges that capturing the Canyon presents. Its vastness, ever shifting light and shadows, and unique perspective of looking down has frustrated many an artist. Joshua Been is one of the CoA artists who has faced these challenges and excelled at overcoming them. As a CoA participant every year since its inception in 2009, this Colorado artist has gained intimate insights into painting and interpreting the canyon. This month’s featured artwork, Breakfast in the Basement, is Been’s studio painting for this year’s event. Inspired by his
rim-to-rim hike during the 2018 Plein Air at Grand Canyon, Been says:
“Several years ago I did a couple overnights down to Phantom Ranch, and met up with the late artist Bob Dalegowski at the bottom. Being unfamiliar with the territory, Bob showed me around. We both had a great morning painting several pieces on the way up the Clear Creek Trail that spins off the North Kaibab, just north of Phantom Ranch. The trail yields countless views as it weaves in and out of the Tapeats formation.
Then last year while backpacking from the North Rim to the South, with my easel and 20 small panels to paint on I was able to re-visit the spot for this reference. As if on queue, a small group loaded their boats and set off on the one-way journey of a lifetime. The canyon has enriched the lives of so many, and I tried to give it the sense of scale both literally and figuratively with the grandeur surrounding the tiny folks. High fives to those with the vision to keep this view from becoming a lake, and high fives to Bob for also showing so many why and how to love this place!”
On Saturday September 14th from 8:00 to 10:00 am, Been and the CoA artists will be participating in a Quick Draw along the South Rim from Verkamp’s to Kolb Studio, with an auction of their work starting at 11:00 a.m. at Bright Angel Trailhead.
The Celebration of Art exhibit and sale opens at 11:00 a.m. on September 15th, 2019 and will be open daily through January 20th, 2020 at the historic Kolb Studio at the South Rim of Grand Canyon. Admission is free and open to the public.
Please visit https://www.grandcanyon.org/events/celebration-of-art-2019/
or contact Kathy Duley at [email protected] or 480-277-0458 for more information.
