The 12th annual Evening of the Arts is an opportunity for a few of the many talented artists in our area to display their works; four or five different artists are invited to participate each year. Sponsored by the Nell J. Redfield Hospital Foundation as a fund raiser as well as an opportunity to showcase local artists, the event will be on Thursday, April 3, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Event Center at the Fairgrounds.

Anthon Burbidge

Anthon Burbidge and his family moved to Malad Valley from Syracuse, Utah, in 2022 so that he could continue to expand his timber business. He works with wood mortise and tenon joint construction methods to frame houses and other types of buildings.  As an offshoot of his profession, in what he calls his “bread-and-butter work,” he makes signs and decorative pieces from wood.  Those are the works of art he will display at the Evening of the Arts. Anthon and his wife Jenny have five children, and the whole family gets involved with designing and building signs and other art pieces from wood. Anthon said that he and his family “love, love, love living in Malad.”

Dan Lewis

Now an art teacher at Marsh Valley High School, Dan Lewis says he has loved being an artist for his entire life, beginning with drawing animals and dinosaurs in kindergarten and starting water colors in junior high. When serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in southern Utah, Dan met acclaimed Church artist Del Parson. Coming back to Utah to attend college at Dixie College and Southern Utah University, Dan took classes from Parson, who encouraged him to pursue his art talents full time. Dan has done freelance work for the Church, including publishing works in Church magazines, the Friend and the Ensign. After marrying and settling in Downey, he completed his teaching certificate at ISU and began teaching art at Blackfoot Junior High and then Hawthorne Middle School in Pocatello before his career at Marsh Valley began ten years ago. He and his wife Jodi have two daughters (including Maggie Lund of Malad) and three sons, all of whom have served as models in Dan’s works.

Everyone is invited to the Evening of the Arts to see samples of Anthon’s wood work and Dan’s oil paintings as well as the artistic works of Britney Leckie (photography), Robert Bullcreek (metal work), and Stephanie Jones (wooden floral arrangements). Art projects by Malad 4th and 5th grade students and Middle and High School students will also be on display.  

In addition, the culinary arts students of Malad High School will provide popcorn treats, and Malad High’s Chamber Choir will perform. Greeting cards featuring photographs taken by local photographers of local scenes will be for sale during the evening.     

Admission is free, but attendees will want to bid on dozens of unique, colorful, and useful gift baskets during the live and silent auctions. This year’s silent auction will take place about 7: 15 with silent auction tables closing at 7:00, 7:30, and 7:45. All proceeds from the auction will go to remodeling patient rooms and purchasing equipment for our local Hospital.