Washington School House, Park City circa 1922

Schools may have changed over the last 90 years, but one thing remains the same: Our children and their future are not controlled by school districts, politics or tax dollars. Their future is shaped by the passion and dedication of our wonderful teachers.

During the month of May, 2013, Silver Queen Fine Art will celebrate Teacher Appreciation Month by honoring six talented Utah teachers. Each artist and educator will produce between five and ten pieces to be displayed on our walls through the month of May. If you’re a Utah teacher and artist or know of someone we should consider please let us know. These artists should send a bio and images of their work to info@silverqueenfineart.com (subject line “teacher”). Applicants should send info no later than October 2012.

Throughout the month of May 2013, when you support these six artists you’ll not only be honoring an educator, but you’ll be assisting a Utah student. Silver Queen Fine Art will donate 50% of the sale to a scholarship fund set up for art pupils and 50% returning to the artist.

Silver Queen Fine Art is committed to giving students the tools needed to find success in their artistic career. With your help we can provide an amazing gift that can permanently affect their future.

If you or someone you know is a Utah student between the ages of seventeen and twenty-one and is considering an artistic career, you may be eligible for the Silver Queen Fine Art Scholarship. Students are encouraged to submit essays between October 2012 and March 2013 stating why they should receive the Silver Queen Fine Art Scholarship. These essays should be between two hundred and one thousand words. Applicants are also encouraged to send images of pieces they’ve created. Silver Queen Fine Art celebrates all artistry; if you are a poet, vocalist or comedian, you are still eligible. Feel free to submit your artistic craft in a fashion that’s appropriate and comfortable to you.

Along with the Silver Queen Staff, the six teachers featured during the month of May and you our supporters will actually have a hand in choosing the student honored with this amazing scholarship.

Thank you for choosing Silver Queen Fine Art. The generosity from our community and enthusiasm for what we do has inspired this awesome project. If you’d like to be a part of this event please contact the gallery.

This Saturday, the Kentucky Derby will kick off the Triple Crown at Churchhill Downs in Kentucky. It’s a huge race, with 20 derby-trained horses snapping out of the gates, all at the same time. Celebrities, breeders, and betting folk of all horse-loving kind gather to witness the special event. There are a myriad of traditions: spirits, cuisine, fashion, and festivities make the Kentucky Derby a memorable experience for anyone attending or even just following the event.

This year’s Kentucky Derby horses favorited to win are Take Charge Indy, Hansen, Union Rags, and Bodemeister. But the Silver Queens have placed their bets on 2 unmentioned horses that will sure to have you or any horse lover at the center of the Winner’s Circle. What are SQ’s picks to honor the Kentucky Derby and its horse-loving crowd? We’ve chosen Nano Lopez’ Dusty and Arthur, of course!

Arthur the Believer, fondly known as Arthur, may not be a racehorse at his roots, but he certainly dreams of finishing swiftly with roses—and wings! Arthur’s notable wings have him chosen as a standout horse among many. His sweet stance and expression make you melt for him immediately.

The bet for Win, though, absolutely goes to Dusty! Dusty is ready and rearing to go. He may look a little spindly at first, but his wiry legs and high-energy movement makes him a top contender for any horse lover! It’s obvious that Dusty will race to your heart immediately. You can see why we’ve chosen him as a winner!

Nano’s horses and other “nanimals” are all limited edition, cast-bronze sculptures. Check out the other fascinating, whimsical works by Nano Lopez now!

Is your mom a smarty pants? Does she love to read? Then she’d definitely love the original work by Todd Anderson! Todd’s pieces are made using vintage book covers encased in resin and accented in gold leaf.

Is your mom a rockstar, a glamorous beauty, and worthy of decorating herself in gorgeous stones and silver? Then she’d love Terri Logan’s river rock jewelry. Each piece is polished to display the rocks’ details, and encased in brushed sterling silver.

If your mom is a sporty chick, loves to have fun, and gets a kick out of life,” Bobby” by Nano Lopez would be perfect for her! Each Nano Lopez sculpture is a limited edition bronze piece and is sure to impress any high-energy lady!

If your mom is a product of the hippie era…that’s totally groovy! Can she see the psychedelic beauty in the world? Wouldn’t she appreciate the colors and texture of a deep sea dive? Then Josh Simpson’s “planets” would be perfect for her! Globe-like glass paperweights will really mesmerize her.

If there aren’t enough hands and arms to help your mom juggle the load, then get her a stunning bronze octopus by Chris Barella!

For the simple, earthy mama, get her a glass arbor leaf sculpture by Dani Blade. She’s sure to appreciate the natural lines and colors in these awesome pieces.

If she’s yet to be a mom, (but will be soon enough!) she’ll love decorating a nursery with a fun-loving frog. Symbols of good luck, prosperity, and new things to come, this “Daffodil” frog will delight her and help her truly appreciate this first of many mothers’ days!

Call the gallery if you want help choosing the perfect gift for your mom.

Call us!

866 . 649 . 6555

Visit our website!

www.SilverQueenFineArt.com

Folks walking past the large windows of the Silver Queen Gallery will often pause to take a peek into the gallery, and many times those same people will end up coming right inside the gallery’s doors. So many of them walk right up to Anthony Granato’s framed work hanging in clusters in various spots on our walls. His pieces of graffiti-like mixed media, sculpted with print, photography, and oil-painted elements encourage art lovers to stop and soak it all in with each of Anthony’s pieces. He has something to say in each work– that much is evident. But the mystery of it all fitting together into a cohesive mish-mash is the part of Granato’s work that keeps people buzzing about it.

Anthony’s latest creations the “Skull Series” $450.00 each. (approximately 8″ x 6″)

One of the coolest elements of Anthony’s work– and maybe even something that gets overlooked while taking in the framed pieces as a whole– is the wax seal accompanying each work. Placed precisely within his creation, the wax seal is his clever way of signing work. But the seals are more than the artist’s signature; they are a microscopic look into the year the piece was created. Each wax seal is changed annually. The changes may be slight or significant, but they are changes that attribute to when the work was finished. A collector could notice the variances from one seal to the next, and may even begin to know a piece’s year-of-make simply by the swirls or serif placements within the designed letter A on each seal.

Besides the wax seal, Anthony’s frames play a massive part in the cohesiveness of each of his artistic creations. Granato’s mixed media work is actually designed for each frame; frames are chosen first, and the other elements then fall into place. The frames are not typical; they are chunky, swirly, antiqued. Carved or broken elements are played up with colors or crackle texture. These are artworks in and of themselves and work in beautiful unison with other parts of Anthony’s artistic vision.

“Escape” • $2800 • 50″ x 30″

Check out this great Anthony Granato YouTube video and hear more about his creative process in his own words.

Declawed, young, loving, and trained cat needs a good home.

We know many of you would love to spend an evening with Midas and even more of you would love to take him home to stay. At the gallery we hear folks all the time say, “is that cat for sale” or “how much is that cat” ; well now here’s your chance. On your next visit to Park City we’ll be sending you home with King Midas. All you need to do is come prepared.

Did you know that flying home with a pet is not a problem? All you’ll need to do is clear it with your ticket agent when booking your tickets. You’ll also need to bring a soft pet carrier. There’s some amazing products available at your local Petco or you can wait till you come to Park City. There’s one very close to Furburbia (Friends of Animals Utah) located at the Tanger Outlet Mall in Park City.

On your next visit to Park City adopt a homeless pet from Furburbia and we’ll be sending you home with a “King Midas” glass sculpture by Nunwell Glass.

If you’re a Silver Queen Fine Art client and you adopt any pet during the month of April we will be glad to send you home with a free King Midas glass sculpture.

Pookie aka the purr box.

If you’ve ever wanted a cat that’s as loyal as a dog then Pookie’s for you. This big boy is full of love and very affectionate with kids and other pets. If you’re looking for a companion at work Pookie would make the perfect shop cat. He currently works as the greeter at the F.O.A.U Barn and comes with excellent references. Pookie will make the purrrrrrrfect addition to your life.

Thanks for following our Silver Queen Fine Art Blog!!!

King Midas & the Queen Team

One of the most difficult things to say to an artist is “no” but with limited space and a group of established artists we hear ourselves saying no more often than not. Rejection is something an artist learns to deal with if they’re going to find success in this industry. We’re approached weekly by talented individuals who, if given the opportunity, would thrive, but we can’t always say yes. Bringing a new artist into the gallery means that we will need to limit the space of one of our current artists, making the decision a double edged sword.

Recently, we were approached by a sculptor and we couldn’t say no; unanimously we decided that we shouldn’t let this talent pass us by. Not wasting any time, we instantly found a space for his sculptures. Silver Queen Fine Art is proud to present to you Grant Fuhst. Grant is a self taught Salt Lake City artist who creates one-of-a-kind mixed media Steampunk sculptures.

“Steampunk is what happens when goths discover brown.”  ~ Jess Nevins

"Metus" by Grant Fuhst

 ”Metus”
12″ x 5″ x 6″
$1,200.00

Originally introduced in literature, Steampunk is a genre of writing that blends the Victorian era with 19th century technology. Usually the subject matter in these writings are dark in nature and almost post apocalyptic, yet they are softened by over the top fashion-forward costumes you might find at Cirque du Soleil. The universe of Steampunk is filled with polished bronze cogs, vintage leather aviator goggles, and gears and gadgits that all seem to have a magical purpose. It’s no wonder that world of  Steampunk has found its way into the minds of emerging artists of our time.

"Aetas" by Grant Fuhst

“Aetas”
14.5″ x 8.5″ x 5″
$1,500.00

The futuristic, cool contraptions created by Grant Fuhst are a perfect addition to any art collection, especially those that are captivated by Steampunk literature or film. Each piece is handcrafted by the artist in his Salt Lake City studio. He calls these 3D sculptures his Gargoyle Collection and even though he’s currently focused on sculpture, Grant is an accomplished painter and illustrator. He starts each sculpture by creating a wooden frame, then adding each element, allowing the sculpture to evolve naturally to tell an unusual story. Sometimes he’ll use found objects to influence his story but the majority of the sculpture is created by the artists own hands.

"Aetas" by Grant Fuhst (other views)

Fuhst’s gargoyles are meant to act as talismans, bringing good fortune to their owners. Each has its own special area of influence, and is named (in Latin of course) for that domain. If treated well, they will bring a lifetime of peace and prosperity to their caretakers.

"Fuga" by Fuhst

“Fuga”
7″ x 14″ x 7″
$1,000.00

These are the first three sculptures from Fuhst’s Gargoyle collection. He’s currently working on a body of seven more that will be on display at the gallery July 2012. Feel free to call the gallery if you have any questions or if you’d like a full bio on the artist. The Silver Queen would really love to add one of these amazing sculptures to your collection.

For those of you who couldn’t make it to our Dani Blade artist reception, next year you’ll have absolutely no excuse worth missing last night’s star-studded event. Thirty-two of our lucky clients experienced something that could only happen at the Silver Queen.

Friend of the gallery and Sundance celebrity Chance Crawford attended the gallery opening with music icon Sir Elton John. As the frenzy ensued, we had no choice but to lock the doors. If you were one of the many disappointed on-lookers with their heads pressed upon the front windows, we are truly sorry that we couldn’t let you in.

Chance signing autographs for the Queen Team

After spending a generous amount of time with our clients, Elton added several Silver Queen pieces to his collection. The pieces that caught Elton’s eye include works by local painter Anthony Granato, Aaron Bushnell, and Todd Anderson. We will also be shipping pieces by Frank Gonzales, Richard Salcido and our special guest artist Dani Blade to Elton’s home in Atlanta, Georgia.

Thank you Chance Crawford and good luck with your upcoming film. Remember to stay up to date on all Silver Queen events and visit our gallery blog and Facebook often. Also make sure to add April Fools Day 2013 to your calendar; you never know who you might run into.

Dani at work in her studio.

Join Silver Queen Fine Art & The Dancing Hands Gallery Friday and Saturday night March 30th & 31st from 6-9pm to celebrate the works of international talent Dani Blade. Make sure to visit both galleries and enjoy her complete collection. Dancing Hands Gallery exhibits Dani’s vases and lidded vessels. Silver Queen Fine Art represents her pendant lights and sculptural pieces. You can find Gartner Blade Glass in many museums around the world and in numerous private collections. Dancing Hands and the Silver Queen are just two doors apart; we’ll have Dani dancing back and forth both evenings, so stop in, stick around, and we’ll make sure to introduce you to one of our favorite glass artists.

Lime & Tangerine Branch Sculpture

The Queen Team was blown away after unpacking Dani’s “Branch” sculpture for the first time. Everyday is a celebration when UPS arrives, but this package was bigger and better than your average box. This solid piece of glass has a magical quality when it’s in your hands. Just standing before it, you can feel the passion, time, and energy invested by the artist.  The “Branch” appears organic in nature and  lends itself to a piece of carved wood, yet its brilliant color provides the qualities you’d find in a piece of blown glass. Be one of the first to see Dani’s newest creation. These amazing one-of-kind pieces will soon be featured at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York but they will be here at the Silver Queen first.

Covered Sargasso Jar Avian Finial

The Covered Sargasso Jar Avian Finial will also be making it’s debut in Park City. The Dancing Hands Gallery located just two doors down from the Silver Queen also represents Gartner Blade Studio. The Dancing Hands Gallery actually represented Gartner Blade before the Silver Queen opened her doors. When Timm Hilty, Queen number one of the Queen Team, moved to Park City he was disappointed to learn Gartner Blade already had representation. Most galleries demand exclusives within their zip codes; some even require it within their own state. Thanks to the kind spirit and generosity of Christina Meyer, owner of Dancing Hands, Silver Queen Fine Art now represents Dani’s pendant lights and sculptural pieces. Chris carries Dani’s vases and lidded vessels. Please make sure to visit Park City’s only glass gallery, Dancing Hands. You’ll be glad you did.

Arbor series sculpture by Gartner Blade Studios

Make sure to purchase a $5.00 chance to win this beautiful Arbor series sculpture by Gartner Blade. 100% of the proceeds will benefit Friends of Animals, Utah. Winner will be chosen Saturday evening at 9pm. Winner need not be present to win.

At the Silver Queen we not only appreciate beauty created by the hands of man,  we also celebrate the art crafted within the world around us. As I travel the world, mostly the South Pacific, I’m always captivated by the color, texture, and spirit within the coral reefs of our oceans. Over the last three years I’ve invested countless hours recreating the habitats I so loved in my travels.

Like painting with water colors or blowing a piece of hot glass, saltwater aquariums don’t allow much room for error. Creating an eco system and maintaining it is a masterful piece of art. After many losses, I finally learned how to keep my creatures healthy and happy. Over the last three years I’ve watched little fragments of coral grow into amazing sculptures, full of life. As those corals grew, they gave my fish an amazing canvas to admire, enjoy, and find safety in. It’s been quiet a journey, and today I witnessed something that made my investment worth while.

After completing a water change in my 65 gallon Red Sea Max, I watched my Ocellaris Clownfish lay a nest of eggs. Hundreds of little orange orbs were carefully placed on the rocks underneath my Rock Anemone. It was amazing to watch; the same anemone I avoid touching because of its toxic sting, would protect the life of such a small creature. Half the size of a grain of rice, the eggs look safe under the anemone, but there’s no guarantee. Like in the wild, my tank is full of life; these tiny eggs may end up as bait. If they survive the twelve to fourteen day incubation period, I’ll get to enjoy finding a home for the little guys. If not, I won’t have to feed my Tangs for awhile.

Look closely on the rock and you'll see hundreds of small clown fish eggs. I'm one proud papa.

Sweet little clown trying to host in a Duncan coral before he found his anemone.