Hand-crafted guitars in Utah The reviews are in and the consensus is that newly opened Mid-Valley Guitar Gallery is a local resource for beautiful, custom handmade electric guitars, as well as a place to meet and chat with some very fine people. Daphne and Justin Pierce are the duo behind Mid-Valley Guitar Gallery, providing guitars, amps, accessories, repair … [Read more...]
Turner Guitar Company: Ogden Craftsman Mends Guitars
Jon Turner is a fast man—he talks fast, he walks fast, he thinks fast and he works fast. I know this sounds like a Jimmy John's commercial, but Jonny T, as his friends call him, isn't making sandwiches; he is creating tone. I sat down with Turner in his basement in Ogden. The low ceiling and walls framed his work table and guitars hung from stands all over the room. … [Read more...]
Moab’s Desert Sun Ceramics
Walk through the door of Desert Sun Ceramics in Moab and you will see “Gregoire Pottery”—bowls, mugs, pitchers and other ceramic items created by owner Barb Gregoire. But the studio is more than a venue for only one woman. Desert Sun Ceramics is open to novices and experts alike. The mission is “to provide a creative, inspirational learning environment where everyone can … [Read more...]
John Young: Luthier
"A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit, and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy." -Albert Einstein I spent a recent morning in a violin maker’s shop, being given a tour by its luthier, John Young. John picks up a future violin, a pair of wooden boards, and we look at the flaming of the grain. He shows me a scattering of violin pieces, ribs, … [Read more...]
Hats off to Jim Whittington
Jim Whittington says he never “moved” to Salt Lake City in 1963. “I found myself here after a two-week drunken binge. I was in Helper, then somehow woke up in Springville.” Originally from New Mexico, Jim thought he had died and gone to heaven. “I saw those beautiful mountains,” he says, “and I found that I really like it here. Utah has been good to me.” Jim or JW (Jay … [Read more...]
Arley Curtz: Pipe Making and Memory Collecting
For Arley Curtz, a pipe is more than just a way to smoke tobacco. It summons up a time when pipe smoking was both acceptable and part of a gentler civility in our culture. Curtz is a pipe maker and collector of smoking pipes. He has over 300, ranging from simple corn cobs to handmade antiques. Each one has a story. As the smoke from a pipe curls upwards, it allows Curtz a … [Read more...]
Bladesmith Jared Williams Holds an Edge in the World of Custom Knives
Jared Williams is a master bladesmith. In 2016, he was a contestant on the History Channel program Forged in Fire, where he emerged as the winner of the $10,000 grand prize. His creation? A traditional African throwing knife known as a Hunga Munga—a primitive-looking curved-blade dagger with multiple points and edges used by tribal warriors. Bladesmithing is a time-honored … [Read more...]
Moab Made Artisan Shop Features Local Art and Artisan Goods
The greatest thrills in writing a human-interest story come from the connections and facets that can appear from one single, passionately-written piece. A writer finds a gem in the wilderness, and holds that gem of words and photos up to the light to see that it actually reflects far and wide, and that it’s not only the writer who appreciates this rare find, but others as … [Read more...]
Salsa Del Diablo: Entrepreneurs Bring Salsa Expertise to Market
Much to the annoyance of Heinz ketchup’s 110 year-old factory operations, craft salsa is now outselling ketchup in overall sales in the United States. Ketchup is to salsa what Natural Light beer is to Uinta 801 Pilsner—it tastes better, it’s more distinct and it supports the local economy. The craft of making salsa is quickly becoming king. Meet Daniel Benites, former REI … [Read more...]
Jonnie Parker Hartman Brings Christmas Magic to Grand America Hotel
Having unique skills will often land you in unique places. Sometimes, in places you never expected. Pursuing a Fine Arts degree at the University of Utah, Jonnie Parker Hartman honed her skills in traditional ink-on-paper works and likely never imagined she would find her creative niche wielding a saw and glue gun along with her paints. “I have more tools than my husband … [Read more...]