Art and voting might not have the same ring to it as peanut butter and jelly do, but the two will combine this weekend to showcase local artists and help fund voter registration efforts.
The Summit County Arts Council’s Winter Arts Showcase kicks off on Friday at the Utah Film Studios in Quinns Junction and will be joined by another nonprofit, Voterise, for its Art 4 Action fundraiser. The event runs through Sunday, March 20th.
Summit County Arts Council Executive Director Jocelyn Scudder says the partnership with Voterise came naturally.
“They’re gonna be right upstairs from us on the same weekend, same hours," she says. "They’re hosting a fundraiser called Art 4 Action. They have over 100 pieces of artwork right upstairs in the same building. They’re doing a fundraiser for their nonprofit. It’s a great one stop shop to see art all weekend.”
Scudder says there will be a wide variety of art from 20 different Utah artists available for purchase, from smaller pieces like jewelry and scarves to large fine art paintings.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit artists and art organizations particularly hard. Scudder says she is thrilled to finally be back to in-person events after two years of hosting everything online or not at all.
“It’s really important to remember, of course, everyone struggled during the pandemic, but artists did have really specific pain points because many of the organizations like us or art fairs, they were all canceled," says Scudder. "We couldn’t actually gather or have any creative events. We’re so excited to be back in person. This is our first time being back in person since 2020, so we hope people are just excited to get back and to get to know our creative community and introduce themselves, make connections, and support all of our amazing artists out there.”
The Winter Arts Showcase and Art 4 Action are free to attend and begin with a welcome reception on Friday, March 18th from 6-9pm. The events will close at 6pm on Sunday March 20th.