We are pleased to introduce our latest installment in our monthly blog series that showcases all of our wonderful Park City galleries on a rotating basis! A prestigious and diverse art scene awaits visitors and local art aficionados alike throughout Park City’s historic district and beyond.

Every month we tell the story of a local gallery and the gallerists and artists behind them. For this month’s spotlight we spoke with Nancy Stoaks, Curator at the Kimball Art Center located at 1401 Kearns Boulevard in Park City. Check out Kimball Art Center’s website here for current exhibitions, upcoming exhibitions and year-round events.

Arts Council: Tell me a bit about the Kimball Art Center.

Nancy Stoaks: The Kimball has been apart of the Park City arts community since 1976. I’ve been here for the last 4 years and I’m really excited to present exhibitions that bring the community together and provide conversations and inspire people with the creativity of artists both locally and beyond, so it’s been a really exciting place to be. But of course, the Kimball is much more than exhibitions, with our wonderful Education Dept. and the Kimball Arts Festival too.

AC: Tell me about the current exhibition here, do you have it every year?

NS: This exhibition, 1401 Creative Journeys, is in partnership with the Park City Professional Artists Association (PCPAA). The Kimball has had a long standing relationship with them but this is our first exhibition with them. We collaborated with them really closely and they proposed this idea of focusing on creative journeys and I really loved that because it allows people a little peek into how an artist creates and why they make what they make. Just to see that process is really interesting. And all the artists here are part of the Park City Artists Association.

Another interesting aspect to this exhibition, what I did was ask each artist specific questions. Having that continuity with questions, it was interesting to see how the answers varied between each artist. You get to see how each artist responded and there are some really good answers. I liked having that way of telling these stories of artists. It’s a great way to find out more about an artist in a really informal way.

AC: How long does this exhibition run?

NS: This is up through January 5th

AC: Tell me about this live art activation here. ( While we are in the gallery, artist Adrianna Allegretti is painting.)

NS: We haven’t done this before but we decided to incorporate it into this exhibition. It’s so fun to see an artist in action.

AC: What exhibition is planned at KAC after this one finishes in January?

NS: I’m excited by what’s coming up next year! We will be dark during Sundance but then after Sundance we have a really fantastic painting show by Xi Chang, who is a professor at the University of Utah. He does these large scale paintings that are really interesting. You see figures in both manmade and natural landscapes and there are really interesting colorations of brush strokes that bring you into this slightly disconcerting world that he’s created that is very psychologically interesting. Should be a lot of fun.

AC: How do you usually find inspiration for the next show.

NS: I like to think about presenting a variety of shows that are going to display a dynamic range of what’s happening in the community and foster a dynamic range of conversation. I like to have a nice range of mediums displayed throughout the year. We’ll have paintings, print-making and more and we switch out every couple of months. I also try to focus on local artists, within our community and Utah based.

I’ve also been really excited to focus on programming this year. I’m really excited about the panel discussions we’ve had and the book club that’s going on, as well as the art talks we’ve had. Just thinking about different ways we can bring people in and engage with the artwork that we have in the gallery.

AC: Tell me more about the book club.

NS: I choose a book to go with the theme of every exhibition. So we read Arctic Dreams with Sue Floods exhibition which focused on the Arctic. There are some other really interesting books that tied into our exhibitions this year. You can find more on our book club at the KAC website.

AC: Do you have any favorite pieces from this exhibit?

NS: It really depends on the piece. I’m drawn to pieces that make me look at something in a new way and there are so many pieces that do that in this exhibition. This was a tricky show because we have 18 artists and thinking about how best to show everyone’s unique craft in the best way was difficult, but I’m really happy with how it turned out.

AC: Does Park City Inspire you?

NS: I am inspired by nature and that is something that really brings people together here in Park City just because people come here for that. I really enjoy being in a place where you have such distinct seasons.

AC: Why do you think art is important?

NS: I think art is important because it has the potential to bring people together and make us look at things in new ways and understand things in new ways. It also makes us understand each other in new ways , and that’s what I love about art.

Read more about the Kimball Art Center and their current and upcoming exhibition on their website www.kimballartcenter.org, or stop by Kimball Art Center, located at 1401 Kearns Blvd. in Park City.

The Kimball Art Center is a member of thePark City Gallery Association, which supports and promotes Park City galleries in a number of ways, one of which is hosting a Last Friday Gallery Stroll, a fun (and free) monthly community event that runs from 6:00-9:00 PM on the last Friday of each month, dedicated to highlighting artists and special exhibits at art galleries throughout town.

Park City Gallery Spotlight // Kimball Art Center