Free outdoor Art Around the Corner gallery returns to St. George

David DeMille, St. George Spectrum & Daily News
·2 min read
Construction crews install a statue in downtown St. George during a past iteration of the popular Art Around the Corner outdoor gallery. A new set of sculptures and other 3D outdoor art pieces are set to be installed April 1 for the 2023-24 season.
Construction crews install a statue in downtown St. George during a past iteration of the popular Art Around the Corner outdoor gallery. A new set of sculptures and other 3D outdoor art pieces are set to be installed April 1 for the 2023-24 season.

St. George's popular outdoor sculpture gallery Art Around the Corner makes its return this spring, with a full collection of pieces set for installation on April 1.

The new collection is planned to feature nearly 30 new sculptures and works of 3D art, installed along the parks and sidewalks in the city's historic downtown district, with some going in at the St. George Regional Hospital.

Now in its 19th year, Art Around the Corner is run by an all-volunteer nonprofit that coordinates with artists to bring their pieces to St. George and have them displayed along city streets, in parks and in and around City Hall. Those interested can take a self-guided tour or download a map from the group's website, artaroundthecorner.org.

Each piece stays up for a year but is technically for sale, and over time artists have made more than $1 million by selling pieces seen by passers-by. The city also purchases some of the artwork and keeps it as part of a public collection, with familiar pieces moved to parks or other city facilities.

"Sharing A Story" by Marie-Pierre Phillippe-Lohezic of Laguna Hills, Calif. sits outside at the Town Square park in St. George. The piece, part of the past season of the Art Around the Corner outdoor gallery, was recently purchased by the city of Bountiful.
"Sharing A Story" by Marie-Pierre Phillippe-Lohezic of Laguna Hills, Calif. sits outside at the Town Square park in St. George. The piece, part of the past season of the Art Around the Corner outdoor gallery, was recently purchased by the city of Bountiful.

"Art Around the Corner really enhances the quality of life in St. George through the installation of public art," St. George Mayor Michele Randall said. "Our residents and visitors are always excited to see and interact with the Outdoor Sculpture Galleries each year. We treasure this enduring collaboration and encourage everyone to come downtown and enjoy these pieces."

The city and hospital have both purchased various pieces from the gallery over the years, sometimes selling them off to other cities for their outside displays.

The city bought three items from the 2022-23 season, including works by St. George resident Mark Rane and northern Utah artists Dan Hill and Dan Toone. The hospital purchased Minneapolis-based sculptor Kimber Fiebiger's bronze "We The People" statue.

"We The People", by Minneapolis-based sculptor Kimber Fiebiger, was part of the previous edition of the Art Around the Corner outdoor gallery in St. George and has now found a permanent home on the grounds of the St. George Regional Hospital.
"We The People", by Minneapolis-based sculptor Kimber Fiebiger, was part of the previous edition of the Art Around the Corner outdoor gallery in St. George and has now found a permanent home on the grounds of the St. George Regional Hospital.

"Having new display opportunities is a wonderful thing for our artists," said Rhondalon Crawford, the outgoing chairperson of the Art Around the Corner Foundation. "Art Around the Corner is excited to partner with other cities to help them launch similar public art efforts. In turn, the residents of those cities will benefit from exposure to inspiring artwork created by some of the country’s most talented professionals."

This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Art Around the Corner gallery returns to St. George