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Show Page B8 Thursday, December 30, 1982 Park City News 11111 The state of the . . . Balloon Bouquets Only $20 for bouquet of 15. Parties & special orders available. Phone 649-3295 8 a.m. 12 midnight "They (the Art Center) needed a hatchet hatch-et person, which isn 9t the kind of job for a person to win a popularity contest. Vm not doing this for me. It's something that has to be done. " KA C Director Corke Pepper Editors note: Freelance writer Leslie Miller, an avid student of the visual arts and a Park City resident for almost al-most 10 years, recently took a long look at the state of the arts and arts organizations in Park City. Here is what s she found. by Leslie Miller This article was prefaced by a genuine concern that the visual arts (in Park City) were in trouble. Surprisingly, Surprising-ly, what unraveled was a story plagued by controversy contro-versy but blessed with devotion. devo-tion. Although the process of carving an independent niche for the gifted talents involved has brought some personal trauma, progress is being made. The struggle for artistic expression, freedom, and recognition by our local artists grows. Yes, the growth has been painful, but it shows strong signs of life. An art center is born In 1976 the delapidated and vacant garage on the corner of Park Avenue and Heber Avenue was miraculously transformed into TA-DA-AH "The Kimball Art Center." Cen-ter." It consisted of a Main woo in Deer Valley luxury 3-bedroom condominiums from $220,000 .... never before offered at such affordable prices. .... visit our model or call your favorite Broker. .... for information telephone 649-3968 Deer Valley... simply the best. Gallery, used to showcase the work of accomplished and recognized artists from far away places, and a lower level dedicated for artist studio space. Rooms for painting, a ceramics studio and a giant kiln (built later by local ceramicist David Fernandez and Gary Com-pagna) Com-pagna) as well as a photography photo-graphy darkroom and jewelry jewel-ry workshop were built. Classes were taught and even accredited by the universities. I was so anxious to use the new facility that I enrolled in the first ceramics class to be offered by the Kimball Art Center, unaware that the plumbing in the ceramics room was incomplete. Cleanup Clean-up involved using mountain cold water from simple pipes projecting from cinderblock walls. It was primitive, but, it was ours. At first, community participation parti-cipation was weak, but gradually the involvement grew. The studio space was in constant use by class members or individual artists art-ists in need of a place to create. We used it as one might use a public library; our only cost was a small ($15) annual membership fee. We seldom questioned how or if the utility bills were paid on time. Then came the hot water, and we were glad. Down the road a piece, there were rumors about financial difficulties at the Art Center. The original staff members were gone and other changes were being made. The once-new equipment equip-ment in the studios needed cleaning or repairing. Rooms became cluttered. There was a complaint in the form of a letter to the editor about the general disarray. Enter Choral Pepper, 1981 At the time Corke Pepper was hired as the new director of the Kimball Art Center, it was in serious financial straights. Her mission mis-sion was to keep the doors open and get the center back on sound financial ground. Today she is proud to say "the KAC is meeting its costs and overhead for the first time." A year ago a $25,000 loan was needed to pay the bills. Now, that loan has been repaid. By the way, Corke says that $25,000 only covers general expenses for one month. Corke Pepper is a woman with strong beliefs and is a dollars and sense administrator. administra-tor. Accused of alienating some local artists, she is sometimes defensive of her performance and her role in the community. "I'm a very private person and haven't been a really close part of the community. They (the Art Center) needed a hatchet person, which isn't the kind of job for a person to win a popularity contest. I'm not doing this for me. It's something that has to be done. Ego is not the reason; I don't have to do it for that." Corke believes the objective objec-tive of the KAC is to encourage artists in general. However, she is adamant about not being "nailed into a local level," adding that she doesn't want to lower the standards of quality in the Main Gallery solely to accommodate ac-commodate an artist who happens to be a "local." The Main Gallery shows "are not for people just getting started, but for artists who have arrived." She hopes to continue using the Main Gallery as a showcase for Utah artists and Western artists, as well as eventually drawing more trave'ling exhibits such as the Smithsonian Show. "I want high standards and a good contribution to the art world." She lists a number of ways that KAC contributes to the community: providing studio space at a minimal cost; dedicating a permanent perman-ent wall in the Gallery Gift Shop for area members of the Park City Artist Association; Associa-tion; kiln rental; the Summer Sum-mer Institute program; sponsorship of the Park City Arts Festival; Main Gallery opening parties every three weeks; and community classes, now affiliated with the Division of Continuing Education. Studio space has been cleaned, polished and reorganized, and a new lighting system installed in the lower level under Corke's direction. But for all the contributions contribu-tions she feels the center offers the community, only 200 of the 800 KAC members are from Park City. Corke does not see commercial com-mercial galleries in the area as a threat to the Gallery Gift Shop in the Art Center. "The more galleries the better. I'm anxious to build Park City as a good art colony, by trying to protect the quality and exclusivity." $ M M China Ridge Restaurant Open 7 days a week, Mon. thru Fri. 11:30 a.m. -11:00 p.m. Sat. & Sun. 3.00 to 11:00 LUNCH SPECIAL Monday - Friday 11:30 a.m. -3:30D.m. Egg Roll, Chicken Chow Mein, (S" "'v r S Pork Fried Rice . 1 Take out available mini bottle service. ECRETARIAL ICERVICES J COPY CENTER ANSWERING SERVICE SECRETARIAL SERVICE S 1750 Park Avenue ( ) (Summit Savings, lower level) ( ) Park City, Utah 84060 (i (801)649-8790 ( Jfci-TtiiiW..Viiii.iiiiiiiiii-tfii in -i |