Beverly Brown moved to Utah four years ago to be closer to her daughter’s family, and she aims to stay in Park City for good. “We have loved everywhere we have lived for different reasons: Delaware, Denver, Bucks County PA, San Francisco, the East & North Bay areas. We’ve moved 14 times. I’m done. I hope we never leave Park City.” Given that Brown identifies as an avid hiker, biker, and photographer (“I have accumulated thousands of reference photos!”) she is well-suited to the Summit County lifestyle. Brown is also a current CREATE PC Gallery Artist, and much admires her colleagues at the Local Artist Collective. “I think the CREATE PC gallery is a wonderful opportunity for the artists and for the community to see how much talent there is right here in Park City.”

Brown’s mother was an oil painter, so she was exposed to art early on. “I spent many hours drawing in my room, and as a family, we visited lots of museums.” Brown’s many passions have led her to explore diverse fields: “My first major in college, however, was psychology. After receiving a liberal arts degree, which I don’t regret, I studied architecture at RISD. Loved it, but after one summer working in an architecture firm, I saw the writing on the wall. [There were] serious roadblocks to women at the time. I switched to graphic design. Very fun at first, but after having kids and returning to college to learn the ever-changing computer programs needed, I found that sitting behind a computer all day was not my thing. Along the way I had taken watercolor classes for fun, but when I decided that I really wanted to become a serious painter, I switched to oils so my mother could critique my work. We set up an easel in the kitchen of the house we had just built. At age 52, it was my first oil painting, and my mother’s last. Subsequently I studied with various artists I admired, including but not exclusively Frank Arcuri, David Leffel, Sherrie McGraw, Skip Whitcomb, and Matt Smith. And I have not stopped learning.”

As for her new home in Summit County, Brown wants to see continued investment in the Arts & Culture scene. “I think it’s really important for Park City to encourage the arts. Not only is that support good for the artists, but it is enlightening for the community, and a draw for visitors. From purely an economic standpoint, it makes more sense than ever given the possibility that climate change will ultimately diminish winter sports as the sole economic driver.” She also concedes that more artist opportunities in Summit County would be welcome. “I do wish the arts community would have an Open Studios event like they have in Marin County where I previously lived. That opportunity was amazing and people from all over the Bay Area looked forward to it every spring. For us artists, not only could we have our studios open for two weekends, but we could exhibit in a huge San Rafael gallery for one month, have various exhibition opportunities all year, have our work shown online all year, and enjoy learning opportunities with various speakers also all year. For me, sales were great, so I appreciated that too.” Fortunately, the Arts Council has similar aspirations, and will be hosting an open studio event on April 10th where guests will be able to meet the artists, check out the studio spaces, and mix and mingle while enjoying snacks and refreshments.

As for her favorite Summit County Arts & Culture spots, Brown is understandably a fan of the CREATE PC Local Artist Collective. “I wish it were in a more well-trafficked area, but the Arts Council has done an amazing job with that space.”

Though Brown hopes to make Park City her permanent home, she admits there have been some adjustments since the move. “It has been great. However, my gardening endeavors have diminished from 2 1/2 acres to mostly just planter tables of vegetables on our deck. I’ve also given up, for the time-being anyway, my music. I did study the piano all through high-school (on scholarship) and continued that journey, after a 30+-year hiatus, once I found a great teacher in PA. I was practicing every day for a couple hours, but now I haven’t connected with an inspirational teacher, so my wonderful Steinway just sits there. If I ever do find a great classical pianist teacher nearby, I’d probably once again find great joy in that. I do think about it often, and listen to classical music in my studio.”

Brown’s artistic inclinations currently have her teaching at the Kimball Art Center. “I just finished a 6-week session of the Art of the Still Life. Now I am teaching The Art of the Landscape. I enjoy sharing what I have learned so far with my very enthusiastic students.” Though Brown has studied and admired many styles of art, she knows her heart. “While I loved exploring other mediums in college, I am hooked on the classics. I love timeless beauty.”

To see more of Brown’s work, you can visit her website or come by CREATE PC Local Artist Collective to see her artwork in person!

Beverly Brown: Supporting the Arts in Summit County is Economic Good Sense