PROJECTS AND NEWS

Farmers Market
300 West Main Street
Escalante, Utah

Opening July 4th through October 24th, 2009
Saturdays 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Fresh produce, organic fruits and vegetables, plants, flowers, crafts, live music and more. More info coming.

Skyhoopi Thrift Store
40 West Main Street, P.O. Box 96
Escalante, Utah 84726
435-826-4566

Inspired by the WabiSabi Thrift Store in Moab and the Catholic Thrift store in Cedar City, Envision Escalante opened the Skyhoopi Thrift Store with a month-and-a-half lead time. A building was leased, a manager hired, four employees were obtained through the Easter Seals and lots of donations were received. The store opened on July 1, 2008 with a grand opening on July 26. Skyhoopi not only provides five jobs, but it is also one of the few stores in town. More importantly, proceeds from the store will benefit community projects.
More info...

Envision Escalante along with a team of volunteers, opened, cleaned and stocked the old Rufus Liston cabin with Escalante area information. The volunteers kept the cabin open from May to October receiving over 2000 visitors. The cabin provides visitors with historical information on the area along with a comfortable place to sit and put their feet up.

Utah Department of Community and Culture matched a $3,000.00 grant from the county commissioners for the Rufus Liston Welcome Cabin. The cabin will be chinked and sealed. A back porch will be added and a small garden planted.

Collaborative Communications - 2008

February 13, 2008 - Community conversations with Dr. Stephen A. Goldsmith.

A public meeting to discuss what community building projects the citizens of Escalante would like to see. Some of the ideas included:

A community thrift store, restoration of the old brick home on Main Street, using the Alvey historic barn for a performance space, development of a children's playground, as well as the Escalante Heritage The Hole-in-the-Rock Museum.

March 8, 2008 - A Creative Community Workshop - Identifying Common Visions with Dr. Steve Daniels, Utah State University, USU Extension, and Utah's Pioneer Community Program.

Identifying and linking assets that can be used to accomplish community goals. Thirty citizens came together to discuss community needs and how to achieve them.

July 8, 2008 - Meeting with Utah Department of
Community and Culture

Wilson Martin from the State Historic Preservation Office, Senator Dennis E. Stowell & County Commissioner Dale LaFevere met with Envision Escalante officers and Escalante Heritage Center officers to discuss grants and monies available for community projects. Gael Hill opened the meeting stressing the value of these grants to groups working together to raise the funds they need.

Escalante Canyons Working Art Festival
Everett Ruess Days
September 25-26, 2009 in Escalante, Utah

PLEIN AIR COMPETITION 2009
The Sixth Annual Escalante Canyons Art Festival held September 20-26, 2009. After 5 successful years, we feel we have an established track record and we are here to stay!

This year’s festival was held a week earlier than in years past. As a result we had picture perfect weather. Our artists sat in the glorious sunshine as they finished their entries. The quality of the art entries was superb. Artists from all over Utah and several other states participated in the competition. At the silent auction on Saturday night we sold 54 out of 86 entries for the participating artists, or about 60%. In addition to the sales, we awarded $9,500.00 in prize monies to the artists, making it very worthwhile for the artists to compete. Most of the artists reported feeling they also benefited artistically from the experience of painting in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Dixie National Forest, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Capitol Reef National Park. Artists experienced a sense of camaraderie and enjoyed the added benefit of painting with each other.

This years festival will be held on September 25-26. For more information visit: www.everettruessdays.org

Plein Air Parade Float - July 24th, 2008
First Place Winner - Most Original

Opening in March - 2009

Kazan Clinic
65 North Center Street
Escalante, Utah 84726


Envision Escalante wrote a grant on behalf of the City of Escalante for $50,000 to assist in the reconstruction of the Kazan Clinic. Through the hard work of many volunteers the clinic is anticipated to be opened this spring.

An Evening of Christmas Music
December 18th 2008 - Escalante Community Center

Join your friends and neighbors for an evening of holiday music.

Featuring local musicians: Sage Sorenson, Delane and Quinn Griffin, Brent and Ted Engberg, Kathy Griffin, Kenny Hall, Mavis Munson and more.

Bring the kids to meet Santa Clause!

Free admission with a nonperishable food item or unwrapped gift for the Angel Tree.

A big thanks to board member Dana Wagner for all the work put into this successful event.