“I don’t get the Sunday blues anymore,” says Jeff Pugh, winner of Southwest Art Magazine’s “Emerging Young Artist” award. “Now I look forward to Mondays, to getting to work again.” Jeff is standing in the middle of the modest 10 x 20 foot basement room that serves as his studio, office, and storage space, explaining how he decided 10 years ago to quit his full-time job as an IT … [Read more...]
Sugar Space Expansion
Sugar Space is a different place at different times, depending on who you are. You are just as likely to see dancers rehearsing for a performance as you are to see comedians practice, or a tap dance class, or an innovative visual arts showing. Sugar Space, in its Wilmington location, and now in its new expansion into a second site in the river district (1300 South 800 West), is … [Read more...]
Uprokhiphop: Supporting Hip-Hop Culture
Wedged among the many quirky local shops on State Street is one business that caters to an underrepresented but ever-growing hip-hop scene in Utah. For 15 years, Uprok Art Supplies & Clothing has been a staple in promoting authentic hip-hop culture in Salt Lake, providing a means for all the best local and national acts, DJs, breakdancers and graff artists to find their … [Read more...]
Moab Muse(iscian): Sounds from Southern Utah Local Spotlight
There are times in life when words fail. For Scott Ibex, that’s when music speaks the loudest. As an artist with five albums to his credit, and performances at the McPherson Opera House, the Casper Events Center, and the House of Blues in Hollywood, Ibex chose to make Moab, Utah his home after touring nationally for years. Through a desert soundscape, he sought transition to … [Read more...]
Salt Lake City Sign Maker— Village Sign Smith—Uses Old School Techniques
Dan Hardcastle of the Village Signsmith has always been interested in art. He took classes as a youth and taught himself how to illustrate. While he was in the military in the 1960’s, Hardcastle reconnected with a long-time friend who referred him to a job painting signs for Associated Foods. This experience, while enjoyable, was not what Hardcastle envisioned for his life. … [Read more...]
Kate McCleod: A Utah Songstress
Sometimes your destiny keeps tugging at you until you have no choice but to follow it. Fortunately for music lovers along the Wasatch Front and beyond, Kate MacLeod stepped into hers and hasn’t looked back. “I tried to do other things for a long time before I decided I needed to follow the music path even though I’d been writing songs for years. It wasn’t something I’d … [Read more...]
L’Deane Trueblood – Sculptor
L’Deane Trueblood is a busy woman. Finding time for an interview was difficult because she was working on a new sculpture and needed to work out a problem: The eyes weren’t quite right and the feet were giving her trouble. At 86 she doesn’t have time to slow down. L’Deane’s name came from her father. In an old love letter from to her mother, she read how he had picked out a … [Read more...]
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 … [Read more...]
The Legend of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth
Charley Hafen met the celebrated artist Ed “Big Daddy” Roth in 1996 when Roth was hawking his signed silkscreened drawings at a car show. “I thought, ‘Whoa! That’s Ed Roth!’ when I saw him,” recalls the Salt Lake City jeweler. Hafen owns Charley Hafen Custom Jewelers and has known of the Big Daddy and his artwork since he was a boy. Like Roth, Hafen’s specialty is custom … [Read more...]
The Horne Fine Art Gallery/Studio
Karen Horne creates art from art. Dancers float in soft pastel colors. She often listens to music while she paints. When she did a big waltz painting, she put on waltz music to help her feel the speed and whirling action. As Karen talks about her artwork, big band music plays in the background of her studio. While speaking, Karen gestures gracefully, as if dancing. In … [Read more...]