Juanita Marshall: Art Enhances Summit County’s Natural Beauty
“I think that most of us develop our interest with hand made crafts early on in our lives,” suggests Juanita Marshall, a ceramicist who has lived in Park City since 1982. “For me it was a connection that helped me to learn and appreciate both nature and art. As a military family, we were occasionally transferred to another state and our ‘vacation’ usually involved stops in National Parks, journeys to the beach, and lots of camping and hiking. Along the way we would often stop to watch craftspeople making pottery, weaving, or making baskets. I loved seeing them working and was in awe of the pieces produced by their hands.”
Marshall enjoyed dabbling in many different forms of craft throughout her early life, but says it was a clay class she enrolled in after college that sparked her “obsession” with ceramics—“As life happens, though, it was 20 years later that I came back to clay through classes at the Kimball Art Center and eventually earned a BFA from the University of Utah with an emphasis in Ceramics.” Marshall found living in Park City gave her artistic latitude; “it has been remarkable how many opportunities have been presented for art shows, gallery opportunities, artist in residence programs, and cultural events.” She goes on to say that “art enhances and complements the natural beauty we find in Summit County and the Arts Council has such an inclusive perspective of art that it seems to encompass anyone looking for an art experience.”
In addition to being an artist-in-residence at the CREATE PC Local Artist Collective, Marshall frequents the many Arts & Culture programs throughout Summit County: “I especially love the Art on the Trails event and the community art projects that can provide an unexpected surprise,” such as the Park City Library entrance, the EmPOWERment Utility Box Public Art Program, the Gondola Art Stroll at Canyons Village, and the reflective moose, deer, and elk sculptures along highway 224. Marshall goes on to say “the Arts Council advocates for local artists with their CREATE PC program and highlights nationally known artists with a variety of diverse program additions.” The many pop-up art, music, and food events throughout the region contribute to Summit County’s reputation as an Arts & Culture hotspot, and according to Marshall “seem to offer something for everyone.” She also remarks that “the Arts Council works tirelessly to represent the community and to increase public awareness of what is available.”
What might visitors to CREATE PC find Marshall working on in her studio? “Right now I have been working on some small hand built sculptures about journeys,” replied Marshall, “these were inspired by a Inuit stone sculpture I saw titled Passages. The whimsy and joy of the piece struck me even though it was about a somber subject.” Marshall describes her love of making pieces that are interactive, and is “currently exploring a concept that shadows produced by some ceramic pieces can be viewed as a sundial or something that notes the passage of time,” though she says this is “pretty much in the conceptual stage...but it keeps me thinking.” Marshall’s favorite pieces to date have been those “I have made for my family and personal ones that have helped me work through loss of loved ones or to celebrate the best moments in life.”
To see Marshall’s heartfelt ceramics in person, stop by CREATE PC Local Artist Collective at 1500 Kearns Boulevard, Unit F110/F210 Wednesday-Sunday 12-6pm. CREATE PC also hosts open studio events on the last Friday of each month as part of Last Friday Gallery Strolls, and Open Studio Nights on July 18 & August 22.