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It's not easy to capture the heart and soul of a great tradition on canvas, but that's what one Utah artist did when he completed the official painting for the Days of '47.
"Still Pioneering Together" is the theme of the Days of '47 parade and the original painting by Eric Dowdle, a preeminent American folk artist.
Dowdle likes to reach deeply into the subject, gather as much information as he can, and then go with his impressions too. "I've been to the parade 100 times. I've sat in the 100 degrees and sweated all day long waiting for great moments. Then I just try to capture it and put it all together in one," he said.
Dowdle painted the picture in acrylic just for Days of '47. Not only does it capture the grandeur and pageantry of the parade, it incorporates a collection of Utah celebrities and historic figures.
There's a story behind the artwork and a key that clues you in on all of the people Dowdle included -- people who put Utah on the map.
"Before long, we've got Mrs. Fields, Merlin Olsen, Wilfred Brimley, Donny Osmond, Dick Nourse; all the great icons of Utah make it into the painting. If you go online, you get the key. It makes it fun," Dowdle said.
Those icons are accompanied by familiar moments in the parade. "There's other things that happen in the parade that I love, and I find out that other people love, that make their way into the painting. Then when you see it, you'll say, ‘Yes, I know that part!'" Dowdle said.
He hopes that all of us can find heartfelt connections with the Days of '47, or create new ones tomorrow.
Right now, the painting hangs in the visitors center of This is the Place Heritage Park. You can bid on the original online by clicking the related link to the right of the story. Bidding closes tonight at 9:00.
You can also purchase a copy of the painting by clicking the same link.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
