In the Winter of 2023, Canyons Village Management Association (‘CVMA’) enlisted the Arts Council to manage a new public art opportunity for Utah artists—CVMA had a vision of repurposed Red Pine Gondolas, lit from within and glittering with Winter scenes as imagined by local artists. Gondola Art Stroll was born!

Cozy Mountain Town by Brook Smart & Jeremy Morgan

5 Utah artists were selected from a pool of talented applicants and invited to bring their visions to life inside the gondola, decorating the cabin insides so that Canyons guests can peer through the windows and encounter dioramas with toy animals, lights, and moving mechanical parts. Park City artist Anna Leigh Moore created Twinkly Night, a scene of Park City’s iconic peaks after hours, when the skiers are home and the local animals roam the slopes. “As a primarily 2D artist, the Gondola Stroll allowed me to try both new and old techniques to add 3D moving elements to the design,” explained Moore, “I reached deep into my past to remember skills like paper mache [and] felting while also utiliz[ing] new technologies like 3D printing. The project gave me a platform to expand my skill set and get in touch with my inner child.”

Sally and Jessica Neilson-Berg are the artist duo and married couple behind Luminous Arts; their creation, Woodland Wonderland, depicts a Yule season gift exchange between storybook-style animals. “The Gondola [Art] Stroll was an absolutely magnificent art project for us to be a part of! The project theme itself was a delight to put together. It involved so much playfulness and creativeness in its planning and execution. Not to mention how glorious the mountainous backdrop was while we worked on it! We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the Gondola Stroll.” The Neilson-Bergs added (much to our delight) that “working with the Park City and Summit Arts Council and Canyons Resort staff was a pleasure. They were professional in every aspect and step of this project.”

Woodland Wonderland by Sally & Jessica Neilson-Berg

Both Moore and the Neilson-Bergs expressed that the Gondola Art Stroll represents more than a delightful Winter project; it provides an additional public art opportunity for Utah creatives. “Living in Park City has its challenges, but having opportunities like the Gondola Stroll makes me feel like a valued member of the community,” states Moore, adding that “it means a lot to have my work seen and admired by locals and visitors alike. As a self-identified “Canyons Skier” I love seeing the old Red Pine cabs repurposed in a meaningful way.” Moore also believes in the power of public art to bring people together in community; “public art is important because it democratizes expression. So many people feel distant or separate from the arts, but public art gives a platform for everyone to participate and create a discourse around creativity and community. When people (both residents and visitors alike) can be a part of the arts community— they feel included…art can be something we share and feel connected to. Whether it’s a sculpture landmark where you meet your family, or a Gondola Diorama where your children stick their noses to the glass to get a better look, public art is a vibrant backdrop to memories we all can share.”

The Neilson-Bergs likewise voiced that the Gondola Art Stroll was “extremely beneficial to us as local artists! It’s nice to be recognized and valued as a local artist and to have our collective input added... we got to add our background to [a project] that is rooted in our state.” The artist duo echoes the theme of public art as a conduit for community connection, stating “it is a joy for us to have our work seen so easily by so many. It is a heart’s delight to see people taking the time to notice the efforts and finished project. It gets them feeling even more connected to where they are at in the moment they are experiencing our art.” They shared their views that “public art adds an enhanced atmosphere and quality to wherever it is presented. It creates an element of interest [and] generates a visual flavor and energy to a space, sometimes filling in the spacial gaps that might otherwise go unnoticed.”

When asked what she thought was unique or special about Summit County’s Arts & Culture community, Moore offered that she thinks it is “wildly resilient. In a place that can be financially exclusionary, the artists here are always light on their feet—ready to evolve with the ever-progressing place that is Summit County.” Moore finds evidence of our region’s nimble artistry in her favorite local public art piece: “the steampunk recycled metal fish that adorn the City Park bike path.” As for public art abroad that has impacted her, Moore points to the Sea Organ in Zadar, Croatia—“a series of large subterranean tubes that play sounds according to the size of the ocean waves. The tubes are hidden by large white marble steps that descend to the sea. Like a wind chime, but for mermaids!”

A Stroll Through Park City by Elizabeth Walsh

The Neilson-Bergs point to the profusion of artistic mediums that make Summit County stand out creatively: “[the community] is very inventive and diverse! There are traditional to contemporary styles represented, a growing plein air community, unique homegrown fire performing artisans and troops, just to name a few.” Utah’s support for artists also impressed the Neilson-Bergs, and they shared that “there are also great grant and fellowship funding opportunities offered by the state and many exhibition calls from local galleries that are open to a range from emerging to professional artists.” When asked about their favorite pieces of public art made possible by such funding mechanisms across the country, the duo expressed their admiration for Chicago’s Cows on Parade, which “featured [300] life-size fiberglass cows that were…put on public display throughout the city. It was a complete delight to look at the individual expression of each artist, the variety in styles, and it made for a treasure hunt to go explore the city more.” The Neilson-Bergs drew a connection between the Chicago project and a similar Summit County public art series, claiming Cows on Parade “prompted many similar projects across the country…including Park City’s iconic moose that are on display in various locations within the town. They are eclectic, fun, and a wonderful tie into that wave of public art support and innovation.”

The Arts Council was thrilled to help bring the Gondola Art Stroll to life, and we hope you’ll head out to Canyons Village to visit them in person! The Gondola Art Stroll public artworks will be on display at locations throughout the Canyons Village through the end of the ski season in April 2024, and you can learn more about where to find each gondola and how to treasure hunt for hidden items here.

Gondola Art Stroll at Canyons Village: Showcasing Utah Artists