aats news & History

Art Around The Square - A fine art festival event in Midway, Utah, USA

"Artists need four things to flourish; first, education and training, second, a place to work with materials to produce their art form, third, encouragement in a friendly art community with like-minded creatives, and of course fourth, income, which is a great reward and motivator in any profession." - S. Gertsch, MAA founder and past president 

Centuries ago, governments and the established church funded artists. Later wealthy private patrons kept the artists alive and functioning. It is a fact that enjoy a great cultural heritage because of these entities.  In our day and in our country government grants and corporate sponsors as well as many generous private citizens and community businesses provide much of the needed resources for artists and art events. Ultimately individual buyers and collectors form a tremendous base for the arts.

Every art purchase, every competition prize, every ticket sold and every donation to events like Art Around The Square has personal as well as far reaching value to our society.

In the case of ArtAroundTheSquare there is a history that weaves through 18 years of art events and two organizations that bring us to this summer’s wonderful Midway Utah Town Square, 4th of July activities.

It all started with inquiries and invitations in 2002 when curious local artists gathered at the home of Midway artist and art teacher, Susette Gertsch. One warm summer day on the Gertsch front porch they formed the Midway Art Association with its first officers. When the first MAA president stepped down a few months later to focus on art events out of state, Susette was elected to become the association’s president and served for the next 8 years. During that time the MAA officers organized monthly art meetings, art workshops and the first MAA art shows. 

The initial art show was hosted by artist, Sherrie Oman’s at Edelweiss Gallery on Main Street.  Sadly, her husband David, a fine artist himself, passed away only 2 weeks prior to the opening date, but Sherrie insisted the MAA carry on as planned because of his wishes. That support was the beginning of community appreciation for the fine visual arts, and a very special organization that thrives to this day.

In 2005 the first Wasatch Plein air Paradise Event (WPAP) was innovated and has continued to thrive. It has only been cancelled once because of the 2020 worldwide pandemic. The WPAP and the fall art retreat, now Plein Air Utah, are annual signature events for the MAA and were developed as interest in the fine visual arts and the valley’s population grew.

In addition to The WPAP and PAU events, Susette organized additional private art events such as “Splash” in 2014, and “Midway Moomba” in 2019. Moomba (meaning “Let’s get together and have fun!”) which was an 8-part venue held during Pioneer week with adult and kids art workshops, a youth concert, a chalk art competition on the Midway ice skating rink, an art exhibit, an evening of musical and theatrical performances by local talent, a Saturday family bike parade and a community Contra Dance in the town hall. These public activities were designed to include all ages of people in our area and bring out local talent while generating greater cultural awareness and participation the fine arts of Midway and Heber Valley.

In 2021 to make sure the arts would flourish in spite of COVID issues that were far from resolved worldwide, and considering the potential of not being able to hold indoor events if the pandemic were to escalate, Midway Moomba was rebranded into the present Art Around The Square festival with art booths inside as well as outside. The Community Center became the indoor venue, and the grassy southwest lawns were the location for the outdoor venue. Artists, photographers, sculptors and artisans in jewelry and other art forms created a fine art festival atmosphere as the MAA continued to host their popular Plein air Paradise activities. Together these events have increased tourism, a following, and much needed art opportunities for all levels of amateur, emerging and professional artists.

2022 was another big year with AATS festival aspects being held during three holiday weekends: Memorial Weekend, the Fourth of July, and the 24th of July. New on the scene, special colorful, costumed characters, Aunt Hattie and Wild Child, (Susette and daughter Sally) sponsored a free hat making activity for all ages. (see photos on the home page).  

This year, 2023, the focus is on 47 outdoor and indoor art booths as well as first-time activities in the community center including a family and friends’ day at Aunt Hattie’s Art Workshop and movie (A Whimsy Story) on the Community Center stage (Monday, July 3).  A first time silent auction and kids crafts and face painting activities will raise much needed funds for Charitable Acts Theater on July 4, with ticket sales entirely donated to them.

As a people and a community, we are benefited and enriched by these wonderful activities. In fact, the strength of a community's fine arts and culture is often considered a signal of that communities health and well-being.  Art Around The Square strives to support these values while including all levels of artists, as it brings greater awareness and enrichment of the fine visual arts to our community.

If you feel inspired to volunteer and join our AATS staff for a couple hours to assist the artists or other provide support on other things, or if you can provide resources, funds and/or ideas, we would be thrilled!  As a newly formed 501c3 organization, all donations to Art Around the Square will be tax deductible.

Please do join us in this valuable cultural addition to our beautiful valley. May the arts thrive and offer many opportunities to artists, neighbors and our many Heber Valley visitors.

Contact us with a note at ArtAroundTheSquare@icloud.com

Mission Statement - Midway Art Association 2023