Once a year in September, the already stunning Grand Canyon somehow becomes even more beautiful when artists head to the South Rim to capture the Canyon in all its glory. This is part of the nonprofit Grand Canyon Conservancy’s Celebration of Art, which will take place this year from Sept. 25 to 27. The money raised for this event – artworks are auctioned off once the week is over – will help fund an arts venue at the Canyon. New this year: The artists were not juried as in previous years. Although plein air painters still dominate, this year will see photographers in addition to abstract and contemporary artists, serving up their ideas of what the Grand Canyon is. This year also has a theme: “Earth Mapping.” “That’s going to invite the artists to explore how we experience and interpret the landscape, not just through painting, not just geographically, but how do we interpret the landscape emotionally, culturally, spiritually and from an ecological standpoint,” says Mindy Riesenberg, chief communications officer of the Grand Canyon Conservancy.
The theme was selected as a way to draw more people to the national park. “Grand Canyon and outdoor places in general, they can be places of healing. They can be places of spirituality. They can mean many different things to different people. Leaning into thinking about the land and how it connects with people, how people experience the landscape – not just looking at it and taking a photograph – but how are they experiencing it internally, is something we want to lean into. Because there’s a lot of things going on in the world right now. Our national parks and our public outdoor spaces are places of refuge in those times.” Although the event can be a balm to help others cope with the stresses of modern life, it also intends to pay tribute to the past. “Artists have helped shape how people understand the Grand Canyon for more than a century,” says Mindy. “Art creates an emotional connection to the Canyon. It complements all of the science and the history and the conservation.” − Teresa K. Traverse
