Having worked in the fashion industry for more than 30 years and keeping a fast-paced lifestyle in the Big Apple, Pam Crowe-Weisberg was ready for a change. Her husband was retiring and the couple desired a place where they could relax -Utah immediately came to mind. It would be the perfect place to unwind while enjoying the mountain scenery.

“Utah has a slow, refreshing lifestyle,” comments Crowe-Weisberg, who is originally from Utah. During her years “back East” she kept in contact with the state through regular family skiing experiences, and attending the annual Sundance Film Festival.

Shortly after returning to Utah, Crowe-Weisberg saw an opening for director of the Park City Kimball Art Center, a nonprofit organization established in 1976. When a friend and board member of the center approached her about filling the position, she gladly accepted.

Bringing with her a master’s degree in costume and textile design from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, Crowe-Weisberg felt the position at the Art Center was an opportunity to indulge her passion for art. This passion began early in her life, through the culture and environment her parents provided and the examples of close relatives, including her mother and aunt who were both artists.

When asked about how she feels about her job as director, Crowe-Weisberg is quick to reply, “I have the greatest job in the world–I am very lucky.”

Being the Kimball Art Center’s director means being involved in different aspects of the center including: fundraising, advertising, education, and community involvement. Under Crowe-Weisberg’s two-year tenure, and with the hard work of the staff, the Center has expanded in many areas: the yearly arts festival, the monthly art exhibitions, the formation of the Park City Gallery Association, the organization of the yearly live auction, and the continuation of excellent art classes and community outreach programs.

The annual Kimball Art Center Park City Arts Festival, the second-largest event in Park City (Sundance is number one), attracts around 40,000 people each year and is an important money generator for the nonprofit center. Recently, Travelocity joined as a major sponsor for this year’s festival (Aug. 5-6) giving thousands of dollars in advertising that will help to bring national recognition and promote Park City as a year-round resort and art destination.

This year, the center’s art exhibits, which take place in its three galleries, have been diverse, including Norman Rockwell, Ray Atkeson, Utah Latino artists, and artwork from Summit and Wasatch county students.

An upcoming exhibit Crowe-Weisberg is personally looking forward to, because of her love for glass sculpture, is Best in Show: Works by David Gilhooly, Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen, and glass artist William Wegman, which runs Nov.. 4 through Jan. 12, 2007, at the center. It celebrates the relationship between humans and dogs, using mediums such as: photography, assemblage, prints, glass sculpture, ceramics, and plastic.

Making such shows possible are the local and nationally known artists that formally submit their portfolios for review by Crowe-Weisberg and the center’s staff, who search for unique artists that will complement the center’s mission to “inform, educate, and promote valuable experiences in the arts.”

Continuing to talk ecstatically regarding the new additions to the center, Crowe-Weisberg mentions that most of the galleries in Park City have come together to form the Park City Gallery Association. Out of the 30 galleries in the area, 23 are participating in the association. By forming this alliance, the galleries show a united front, share the cost of advertising, and work toward improving the Gallery Stroll, which runs every last Friday of the month.

With her full-time job, Crowe-Weisberg has the opportunity to work with artists, gallery owners, and the Park City community on a day-to-day basis. When she is not working at the center, she is instructing classes at the Salt Lake Bikram Yoga studio, and keeping up with her two grown children, in whom she has instilled a love for art and culture.

By moving from New York to Utah, Crowe-Weisberg has had the opportunity to indulge her passion for art and enjoy the refreshing Utah atmosphere. She has truly succeeded in creating the ideal lifestyle.

Upcoming events at the Kimball Art Center: June 3 – July 23: Material Matters: Art Quilts-Front Range Contemporary Quilters. Aug 5-6: Kimball Arts Festival. July 29 – Aug 20: Kimball Art Auction
For more information visit the Kimball Art Center’s website at www.kimball-art.org

Emily Chaney

Emily Chaney, after graduating in 2002 from the University of Utah with a Fine Arts degree, began writing for 15 Bytes as a way to stay connected to the Utah arts community. She is now the Gallery Manager for the Terzian Galleries on Park City’s Main Street.