Summit Arts Market: A Heritage Arts Council Program Celebrating 15 Years in Summit County’s East Side
It’s almost time for the Arts Council’s annual Summit Arts Market!
Summit Arts Market (‘SAM’, formerly Summit Arts Showcase) is an annual summer art event in Oakley that aims to build support for local artists and cultivate collectors who live on the eastern side of Summit County. SAM attendees can enjoy live music from local bands, eat from local food trucks, shop for handmade goods, and collect fine artwork from close to 40 Wasatch Back creatives! SAM is one of our longest-running programs, and we love highlighting the energy and artistry of the East side.
In fact, the earliest records of SAM predate all of our current Arts Council staff members—our archives show that the event started around 2009 and was originally held at Cattleman’s Hall. The Oakley Red Barn was being built in 2014, and so the Arts Council decided not to hold SAM that year. 2015 marked the first year SAM was held at the new location, and 2025 is our 10 year anniversary at the Red Barn!
We are proud that so many of the artists and makers who bring SAM to life have been with the program for many years, and they continue to grow with us and offer crucial support and feedback. It is because of our local artists that SAM gets better each year! Kaylyn Bliss and Kortney Johnson of Chikamu Arts (pronounced Chick-a-moo) have been part of SAM for several years. “We enjoy this market because it highlights artists from Eastern Summit County and speaking with other artists and customers is a lovely interaction we look forward to every year.” Bliss and Johnson founded Chikamu Arts in 2013 as a woman-owned art business showcasing handcrafted pottery, art, wood burned items, and more. The name "Chikamu" is a made up word created by Kortney as a young child for all the ground squirrels scampering through the woods at a family cabin in the mountains near Oakley, UT.
Chikamu Arts is a pop-up business participating in local community markets. They also sell directly from an art studio located in Bliss’s home in Oakley. “We have plenty of options for home use, art, and gift ideas. Chikamu Arts also takes custom orders which we can have made for you in time for Christmas.” This year at the market, Chikamu Arts will feature the photography of Bliss’s son Jason and the ceramics and watercolor paintings of Johnson’s daughter Ellie, along with items created by Bliss and Johnson. According to the dynamic duo behind Chikamu Arts, SAM “has a wide variety of artists from jewelry making, photography, paintings, bird houses, metal art, ceramics, and more. This is a fantastic show to browse and buy from local artisans and support their artistic passions. There is live music, food trucks, has both indoor and outdoor vendor booths, and is a family and pet friendly environment. This market is a great respite to the summer heat as it is located at the base of the Uinta Mountains in Oakley, Utah.”
So if you’re looking to stay cool this July 12th, come to the Oakley Red Barn from 10am-6pm to enjoy the live local music, food, crafts, and artwork. We’ll see you there!