Art world anticipates Winter Olympic profits: the winter games in Park City mean more than just sports. The local art community is picking up the torch as well - news

PARK CITY, Utah--This month, when masses of sporting enthusiasts converge on Park City to partake in the 2002 Winter Olympics, the art galleries will be waiting with open arms.

"We are here to welcome the world and show it what we believe is the finest in art," said Nancy Samson, director of the Meyer Art Gallery. "We will keep our doors open later in the evenings and offer hot cider to our visitors. We will have musicians inside and work in conjunction with the events that are occurring outside. We expect many people, day and night. While our guests are here, we want to also make them aware of our town and the wonderful things it has to offer. Park City will be an ideal Olympic host."

Of that, Samson is sure. Meyer Art Gallery is located on Main Street, which is the hub of Park City's art community as well as a main thoroughfare for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Main Street will close down for three weeks as a result of the sporting extravaganza, becoming an outdoor pedestrian mall complete with hand-warming fires, Jumbotron televisions, food and beverage kiosks, live entertainment and more.

Tom Bruski, president of Thomas Anthony Gallery, anticipates 10,000 people daily will encounter his Main Street gallery for 17 days straight. "Main Street will be like one big Christmas tree," he predicted. "There are more than 75 restaurants and bars on this street and 20 to 25 galleries. The crowds will be here, it will be festive, and things will be happening until well after midnight each night."

"The Olympics is not exclusively about the athletes," noted Bruski. "The ideology behind the Olympics includes countries getting together to promote the mix of sports, culture and art."

Taking that philosophy to heart, Bruski is pulling out no stops in his Olympic-related plans. The gallery has aligned itself with Dutch artist Clemens Briels, one of the official artists of the Olympics, as well as Stein Erickson, who is a legendary Olympian gold medalist in skiing, the proprietor of Park City's prestigious Stein Erickson Lodge and one of the Torch runners during the last leg of its 2002 Winter Olympics journey.

During an exhibition of Briels' work, the gallery will display the artist's commissioned portrait of Erickson. "We will have an opening with all of our artists in attendance on Feb. 7, the day before the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics," said Bruski. "In the gallery, we will have feature Clemens as well as Stein, who is our official guest of honor. The event takes place after Stein carries the Olympic Torch up the steps of the capital. The portrait, which is an absolute masterpiece, ultimately will hang in the Stein Erickson Lodge."

To promote Briels and the gallery, a banner featuring "Jump for Joy," an official painting of the 2002 Winter Olympics, and other promotions for Briels' work will be prominent at the gallery. Also available at the gallery will be copies of "Fragrance of Park City," a serigraph in an edition of 200 that was created as a companion piece for "Jump for Joy."

"People who buy the serigraph will receive a framed Olympic poster with a complimentary Olympic pin incorporated in the matting," stated Bruski. "We will also probably give some posters away."

Robin Valline, owner of Old Town Gallery, is taking a different tack in art promotion during the Olympics. "We feel that the logistics here have created a special situation," he said. "There will be a special audience during the Olympics. Because the street will be shut down, people will have to park about six miles away.

"With that in mind, we established that we would work with artists whose works we have done so well with and represent our artists as well as we can," he said.

The gallery deals with original, contemporary work. During the Olympics, it will feature marble sculptures by Richard Erdman, who is known for carving the world's largest piece of marble; David Smith-Harrison, a printmaker of intaglio prints whose theme is architecture and nature co-existing; Gary Bukovnik, who creates floral watercolors; and Harold Larsen, a painter of New Mexico abstracts.

"We will support the party outside and plan to serve champagne during the evenings," added Valline. "This will be a festive event. We will participate in it but, simply put, we will continue doing what we have done well for so long, which is sell fine art. We were here long before the Winter Olympics, and we will be here long after."

Samson of Meyer Gallery is eyeing the Winter Olympics pragmatically. "Main Street will be the heart of the Alpine Olympics," she said. "The venue will be scattered within a one- to two-hour ride of Salt Lake City, and Park City is hosting much of the skiing events. Because the gallery will be featuring its finest bronze sculptures, we intend to stay open later during the evenings.

"Although we usually have gallery receptions with invitations, we realize that parking will be impossible," she continued. "Instead, we will have receptions and music and an open fire. We will feature sculptor Dave McGary, Western artist Jason Rich and contemporary landscape artist Seth Winegar. We only offer original art and we believe that during the Olympics we will continue to do what we do best, which is offer traditional fine art."

Small sculptures will be available for those who would like to make a carry-away purchase, noted Samson. "We will have works by Gary Price and L'Deane True-blood, which are desktop-size bronze sculptures priced between $500 and $1,000," she said. "These might be an item that someone will purchase as a keepsake, but if anyone wants to buy something larger, we'll be happy to ship."

Mountain Trails Gallery has two shows planned, according to consultant Scott Richardson. "We are owned by Vic Payne, who is a sculptor of large bronze works. His work is Southwestern, and he will be here in the gallery for the full two weeks of the Olympics, sculpting and interacting with the public."

The exhibition, which runs from Feb. 8 to 22, will have a reception on Feb. 9.

Park City magazine recently featured work by Charles Fazzino, an official 2002 Winter Olympic artist, who will appear at Coda Gallery amid the Olympic fanfare.

"Charles was commissioned by the magazine to create a piece commemorating Park City in the Olympic issue. Dually, he will make an appearance at the opening of a Coda Gallery exhibition on Feb. 1 with Olympian speed skater Bonnie Blair," said Julie Maner, director of business affairs for Museum Editions of New Rochelle, N.Y.

Museum Editions has published a limited edition of 300 of Fazzino's 3-D Olympic image. "Salt Lake City Olympics." The serigraph is available as gold, silver and bronze and will be on view during the exhibition. The editions range in price, unframed, from $2,200 to $3,200. Fazzino's artwork also appears on a T-shirt.

David Dornan, a retired University of Utah professor who works in oil on canvas, will be featured at Coda Gallery Feb. 17 to 18. Dornan's focal points are renderings of paintbrushes and paint pots.

Nancy Terzian, consultant with Coda Gallery, expects the Fazzino and Dornan exhibitions to create a level of excitement around the Olympics. "The townspeople view us as a place to go for art and happenings during the Olympics," she said. "Main Street has exquisite international restaurants, and the gallery scene here keeps getting better and better. There is a lot to do here, and we are very excited to play the host to an international crowd. Park City is a pretty place with a lot to offer as far as art goes. This is a beautiful, inspired area. The town, the businesses and the artists are all very excited to be here."

Fine Art. Ltd. of Chesterfield, Mo., will set up galleries in both Park City and Salt Lake City, offering official Olympic images, according to Jack Schaar, president.

Items on display by Fine Arts Ltd. will include works published by Media Arts Group of San Jose, Calif. Those offerings will include "In Motion" by Howard Behrens, a giclee canvas edition of 250; "A Celebration of Life" by Simon Bull, a giclee canvas edition of 250; and "Olympic Mountain Evening" by Thomas Kinkade, which is produced as a canvas-transfer edition of 2,002 as well as a lithograph edition.

"Golden Rod Macchia" and "Sapphire Basket Set" by Dale Chihuly, "Sacred Rain Arrow," a maquette of an Allan Houser bronze sculpture, and snowshoe hare, coyote and bear images by John Nieto also will be among the offerings.

Fine Art Ltd. will be working with Olympic Aid as part of its efforts and will donate proceeds from sales of the artwork to that organization. Olympic Aid is an athlete-driven humanitarian non-profit organization using sport and play to enhance child development and build community capacity.

The 2002 Winter Olympics will take place at venues in Park City and Salt Lake City, Feb. 8 to 24. And with so many art offerings available, the sports fans from around the world that will converge on the city may just become Olympic art connoisseurs as well.

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