Lonny Granston: Saturday Morning Kickoff on Smokey Mountain Road
Sat September 19, 2026 @ 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Cost: none!
Minimum of 1 / Maximum of 100 / All ability levels
After stamping in, join us at the monument border about 2 miles south of town on Smokey Mountain Road (pavement/all weather, 2-wheel drive gravel) to paint the boulders and cliffs (and occasional cow) of the western end of the Kaiparowits Plateau (the “Grand Staircase”.) Our subject ‘holds its light well’ and is full of interest. Its proximity to town would make it an easy place to return to later in the week if more time is needed to finish a piece. This would be a good introduction to the event for first-time participants. Lonny is a former Artist in Residence for the monument and is happy to share his opinions on where to paint and dispense unsolicited advice on any number of subjects. Repeat “offenders” are welcome also, as long as they don’t contradict or upstage the program leader. 😉
Bring your own substrate and medium. There is not much shade in the area, so plan accordingly.
A physician and over-the-hill athlete who likes to pretend he’s an artist, Lonny Granston has been a frequent visitor to Grandstaircase-Escalante National Monument. He has hiked numerous canyons and mesas, biked and driven miles of roads, kayaked the length of the Escalante River, and painted many of its vistas. In 2024 he had the good fortune to be the artist in residence for the monument. He considers Escalante a second home and finds the townsfolk to be every bit as enchanting as the landscape.
You can see more of his work at https://www.lagvisualarts.com/ and follow him at @lagvisualarts.