A fine piece of art is like a four-leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have. The Fine Art Show and Sale, a favorite annual event in the city of Holladay, will once again bring together some of the finest artistic talent in the Salt Lake Valley. The event will provide an opportunity to own a piece of fine art that surely will bring luck to the owner for many years to come.  

The annual show, sponsored and organized by the Holladay Arts Council Executive Director Sheryl Gillilan and her committee, begins March 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. at an opening reception at Holladay City Hall. Musicians will set the atmosphere for the event, light refreshments will be served, and Fine Art Show awards will be presented. A $3,000 cash prize will be awarded as determined by a panel of three judges from the community. Also, attendees will be encouraged to vote for their favorite piece of art for the coveted people’s choice award. 

This is a juried art exhibit with artists of all ages across the Salt Lake Valley applying to participate. A juried art show is a competitive event. Exhibiting artists’ submitted work will be reviewed and evaluated for inclusion in the Fine Art Show. This provides an opportunity for the artists to see how competitive their art is compared to that of other entrants. A number of artists will compete to secure a spot in the show, but only 150 will be selected to participate in this year’s event. 

Three of Utah’s finest artists, Pamela Robins, Lorna Anderson and Clinton Whiting, have been selected in the past to exhibit their pieces in the Fine Art Show, and all three are considering entering the event again this year. 

A retired marketing art director and graphic designer for several local companies, Robins is working on new pieces daily. As the March 5 entry deadline draws closer, she will select the pieces she thinks will secure her entry into the show. 

Robins’ art was accepted into the American Impressionist show in 2020, and she has exhibited art at Relics Framemakers & Gallery and the Urban Arts gallery.

A full-time artist now, Robins paints every day and usually late into the night. Painting directly from life, she enjoys still life set ups and children’s portraits. The portraits are done primarily from photos because, as Robins pointed out, children have a hard time sitting still.

“Art enriches our lives much like a concert does for the soul,” Robins said. “Visual arts show the passion people in our community have for creating. It is a testament to the good surrounding us. Having an original piece of art in your home makes a house a home.” 

Anderson hasn’t made a firm commitment to enter this year’s Fine Art Show. Although she has sold most of her painting inventory and her time has been filled working on commission art, she hopes to be able to submit an entry before the deadline. 

According to Anderson there is magic in oil painting, and she has received significant notice for her fine art oil painting pieces. Two years ago, Anderson received first place for amateur oil painting, an honorable mention and the people’s choice award at the 2021 Holladay Fine Art Show. Last year, she did it again and won first place in oil painting in the 2022 Holladay Fine Art Show. Anderson was accepted into the Spring Salon in 2022 at the Springville Museum of Art where her painting “Poolside” was purchased. Anderson received the Florence E. Ware award at the AAUW Utah Women Artist Exhibition in 2022.

“The Holladay Fine Art Show and Sale has changed the way I look at my own work,” Anderson said. “It has given me the confidence to keep painting and showing my work. It is a very friendly and accessible show. I would encourage everyone to take a look.”

Whiting’s paintings are heavily influenced by his life experiences and relationships. While studying at the University of Utah, he began to understand the Abstract Expressionists including Mark Rothko, Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell and Helen Frankenthaler. These artists and their process have heavily influenced Whiting’s painting process. Japanese calligraphy also plays a significant role in how he creates art. 

“Creating artwork is how I process the world and my experiences,” Whiting said. “I see and experience things in life, and I take them to the canvas. I have a lot of ideas, some of them turn into finished works of art and others remain in sketchbooks.” 

Whiting’s art has been part of many group and solo exhibits and has won first place awards and also best of show awards. His art has been exhibited at The Springville Museum of Art and the Statewide Art Competition with the Salt Lake Arts Council. Whiting’s art has appeared in numerous art shows including events in New York City, New Jersey, Naples, Milan and Rome, Italy. Whiting was honored to have a piece purchased for the permanent collection at the Springville Museum of Art in 2022. Currently, he is putting together a body of work that he can exhibit as a solo show. 

Whiting pointed out that in one way or another all of his works deal with connection. He uses the picture plane of the canvas to create compositions that lead the viewer to feel something about the figures presented. Sometimes the composition is easy to understand, and other times it’s an abstract idea. 

“Having participated in the Fine Art Show for a few years now, I have noted a steady development of quality among the participating artists,” Whiting said. “I love being a part of local exhibits that display professional and amateur work together. This is the way an art culture develops and grows—when we all get together to see and chat about art. I would love to see more collectors and patrons at the show.”

The show and sale will run Monday through Thursday, March 20-23, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, March 24, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Holladay City Hall, 4580 S. 2300 East. Holladay Arts Council members will be on hand to answer questions and to sell the fine art. 

For more information visit: www.holladayarts.org/2023-fine-art-show.