ST. GEORGE — The annual Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show and Sale, one of the biggest art events in the state of Utah, celebrates its 34th year this month.
The Sears Dixie Invitational, which began Saturday at the Sears Art Museum in the Dolores Doré Eccles Fine Arts Center on the Dixie State University campus, will feature more than 240 works of art from 140 renowned artists.
Museum curator and Director Kathy Cieslewicz noted that this year’s show will feature strong representation of landscapes, genre, still life, figures, ceramics and sculpture. The show will feature a variety of styles from super realism to extreme abstraction and include works done in oil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, bronze and glass.
“Viewers will find a full scope that one could expect to find in some of the biggest art shows across the country,” Cieslewicz said. “Lying at the heart of this significant collection of artworks are artists who have created wonderful pieces and then presented in an effort to raise money to support the Sears Art Museum. We encourage art lovers from near and far to participate. Culture has always been important in our area and artists continue to be drawn to our beautiful Southern Utah landscape.”
Since the inaugural Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show in 1988, a portion of the proceeds from each piece purchased has been allocated to support the art museum on Dixie State’s campus. The Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show made its debut in that new space in 2005 that bears the name of the show’s founders, the late Robert N. and Peggy Sears.
The goal of the invitational is to give people the opportunity to purchase art, gain a purchase prize to add to the Dixie State Permanent Collection and educate students and community.
“It is my great pleasure to work with professional artists and to create a pleasing installation of magnificent artwork that is surely enhanced by the uniquely evocative setting of the Sears Museum Gallery,” Cieslewicz said.
Because the COVID-19 pandemic has required some changes in the programing, a video will be looped in the museum to highlight last year’s Purchase Prize winner, Kim Whitesides, instead of the traditional symposium.
The Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show is open to the public through April 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays. Admission is free and visitors are expected to wear masks and maintain social distancing. For more information, call 435-652-7909 or visit searsart.com.
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