A multi-talented foursome came together by happenstance, gained a huge fan base via YouTube, and have traveled the world and recorded multiple records as The Piano Guys. Meet the Guys John Schmidt had a very successful solo career as a pianist before becoming one of The Piano Guys. He was approached by the owner of a piano store where he was practicing on a store piano for a … [Read more...]
Artisan Bowls Made from Discarded Trees
Kevin Hicks calls himself a dumpster diver for wood. But in truth, he is a visionary, a maker and a discoverer who turns urban trees into useful and beautiful things. Hicks is a woodturner and the owner of Big Ash Bowls, a South Jordan-based one-man shop that makes artisan wooden bowls, serving utensils, and French rolling pins. The wood comes from discarded urban … [Read more...]
Salt Lake Makeup Brings Fright to Life
I met local artist, Brett Hamilton, at his studio in the popular haunted attraction, Fear Factor. Props smeared with blood are piled here and there, randomly; makeup swells out of toolboxes and crates; mannequins and body casts stand and lean like the frozen living, lay like scattered corpses. We sit down at a table scummed with a thin layer of dust, and when he speaks, his … [Read more...]
Turning Bike Chains and Discarded Engines Into Art
Andrew’s eye for a particular kind of design element, the skill he uses to make manifest his imagination, and the levity that permeates his work, have earned him an established yet playful place in the serious world of art. Andrew Smith’s found-object kinetic sculptures—works that spin gears, move water, twirl rotors and guide rolling balls—are a fusion of material … [Read more...]
Custom Saddles from Huntsville, Utah
Glen Thompson is a master saddler and one of the few remaining artisans skilled in the specialized craft of hand-made western saddlery. At his home in Huntsville, nestled in the bucolic Ogden Valley, Glen welcomes me into his shop—a virtual time machine festooned with tools, tack and relics dating back to the 1800s. The first thing I notice is the aroma. The smells of r … [Read more...]
Salt Lake City 2014 Comic Con Photos
Quitting Her Day Job: One Utah Artist’s Journey
Eighteen months ago Heather Ackley was working for Franklin Covey doing design work. In May of this year she had her first solo art exhibit at Mod a-go-go. From one point to the next how are dreams fulfilled? For Heather, it happened when a friend commissioned a portrait of her dogs. Heather’s first inclination was to do a drawing of the dogs, but the friend suggested she t … [Read more...]
Utah’s Best New Bluegrass Band are in Middle School
“We all met in a bar,” jokes 14-year-old Flint and Steel musician Garrison Asper. Bars with alcohol? No. Musical bars? Yes. The quintet may kid about how they formed their band, but they’re spot-on serious when it comes to creating music. This group of friends are always joking around and having fun together, and this energy resonates in their sound. Finding both gigs and tim … [Read more...]
Meet Photojournalist Richard Menzies
In 1971, photographer Richard Menzies, on assignment for the Salt Flat News (SFN), took what would become the iconic image of legendary New Zealand motorcycle racer Bert Munro, on Bonneville Salt Flats. With no other photographer around, Menzies sensed there was something extraordinary about Munro. It would be more than 30 years before the rest of the world would take notice … [Read more...]
Do What You Love, Love What You Do
Kristi Lauren conducts her life in a way that society tells us should be scary. “I live in the now and ride on passion,” the SLC artist declares. When a creative thought excites her, she does it. And how does a life motivated by creation look? Well, for example, a few years ago Kristi wanted to learn silk screen printing. “I bought some used equipment off of craigslist and ta … [Read more...]