Grand Canyon Celebration of Art

Celebration of Art at the Grand Canyon

Since the early paintings of Thomas Moran and Gunnar Widforss inspired Congress to protect Grand Canyon as a national park, countless visual artists have been inspired by Grand Canyon's vast depths, vibrant colors and ever-shifting light patterns. For a week every September, professional and amateur artists gather on the canyon's South Rim during the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art to create numerous pieces of plein air art (art created outside, on location), allowing visitors to watch their process and progress and learn more about what inspires them. The event, run by the park's non-profit partner Grand Canyon Association, also offers free art demonstrations throughout the week to inspire the budding artist in your group as well. All pieces created during the Celebration of Art are then sold at the historic Kolb Studio with all proceeds going toward funding a permanent art venue on the South Rim. Learn more about the Celebration of Art on the Grand Canyon Conservancy website.

Grand Canyon Guru is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thanks.

Get Grand Canyon ready

Small Group Grand Canyon Tours

Small Group Adventures

Have the Grand Canyon Guru find the perfect small group tour for your Grand Canyon adventure.

Self-Drive Grand Canyon Tours

Self-Drive Tour Design

Work with our Professional Trip Designers to create a custom Self-Drive Grand Canyon vacation.

DIY Grand Canyon Tour

DIY Adventure Planning

Grand Canyon Guru’s self-guided itineraries will help you plan the ultimate DIY road trip.

Private Grand Canyon Tours

Custom Private Tour Design

Have our Destination Experts design a hand-crafted private tour for a fully guided Grand Canyon experience.

adventure awaits

Download our free guide to the best of the Grand Canyon

Get the guide