Works of Art

Vallyn Bernard

A metal replica of the Shaman and his attendants located at the head of Sinbad Canyon near I-70 is now one of the official greeters at the Museum of the San Rafael in Castle Dale. Several metal cutouts representing some of the Native American art found in Emery County now adorns the outer walls of the museum. Thanks to the efforts of Janet Petersen, recently retired director of the museum, and the talents of Eldon Holmes, a local artist from Huntington, the bare walls of the museum, like the cliffs of our canyons, are being transformed into art galleries.

During the Folk Art festival last year the idea was brought up about making some metal cutouts of the petroglyphs located in Emery County. Working with the Utah Office of Museum Services Petersen was able to get grants to cover the cost of materials for the replicas. Holmes donated time, talents, and his plasma cutter to create impressive imagery of the rock art left by the Ancient Ones. Kokopelli plays his flute on the end of one panel while the Silent Centennial from the Buckhorn Wash stands guard near by, and the Sinbad Shaman now welcomes you.

Through Petersen’s hard work the museum is also about to get a $20,000 grant from the Utah Office of Museum Services to build a display for the Animantarx, a dinosaur, discovered by Ramal and Carol Jones near Castle Dale. This display should be completed within the next year.

Many local artists and community members have labored long and hard to make the Museum of the San Rafael more than just a museum, now it is becoming a work of art itself.