They Painted in the Canyons

Before the first European Americans came to live in Utah during the 19^th century; before the first Spanish priests journeyed through eastern Utah in the 18^th century; before the arrival 400 years earlier of the Ute People; even before the Pueblo Cliff Dwellers, whose ancestors pushed into southern Utah about 2,000 years ago — before all these humans came to Utah, scattered bands of Archaic Native Americans painted striking human-like figures on canyon walls in Utah and the northern part of the Colorado Plateau.

These paintings in the Barrier Canyon style are Utah’s earliest known art on rock, and some images could date to a period between 8,000 and 6,000 years ago. They Painted in the Canyons shows photographs by Craig Law selected from the archives of the BCS PROJECT — a non-profit organization established to create a photographic inventory of Barrier Canyon-style pecked and painted images.

Craig Law, project photographer, is professor emeritus of photography at Utah State University, and he lives in Logan. Craig’s work is represented by Phillips Gallery in Salt Lake City. In 2008, Craig’s work was recognized by the American Rock Art Research Association with the Oliver Award for outstanding photography of rock art.

David Sucec, project director, is a visual artist, an independent scholar, and a curator who lives in Salt Lake City. In 1991, David was awarded a Utah Humanities Council Research Fellowship to initiate the BCS PROJECT. David is a member of the Utah Rock Art Research Association and the American Rock Art Research Association.

Resources

• Press release for your school or institution to distribute
• Press image credit; Craig Law at the Holy Ghost Panel
• Educational Materials
  • Art Detective
  • Barrier Canyon Style (BCS) Project by David Sucec
  • “Why Teach Art?”
  • “Looking at Art”

2023-2024 Traveling Schedule

Delta South Elementary 11/2 - 30
Green Canyon High School, North Logan, 1/29/24 - 2/23
Beaver Public Library, 3/20 - 4/24

2022-2023 Traveling Schedule

West Elementary, Tooele Sep 28 - Oct 26, 2022
Kamas Public Library, Kamas, Oct 28 - Nov 28, 2022
Davis Conference Center, Layton Jan 17 - Feb 20, 2023
Discovery Gateway Children's Museum, Salt Lake City, Feb 23 - Mar 28, 2023
Jeremey Ranch Elementary Apr 29 - May 30, 2023

2021-2022 Traveling Schedule

Uintah Heritage Museum, Vernal, Sep 13 - Oct 18, 2021
Snow College Library, Richfield, Oct 20 - Dec 17, 2021
Early Light Academy, Daybreak, Mar 1 - 30, 2022

2020-2021 Traveling Schedule

Orem Public Library, Orem, 4/30 - 6/4, 2021

2019-2020 Traveling Schedule

Utah State Capitol, Salt Lake City, 7/2 - 9/10
Sunset View Elementary, Provo, 9/12 - 10/10
Snow College Library, Ephraim, 11/6 - 12/9
Logan Public Library, Logan, 2/7 - 3/6
Red Mountain Elementary, St George, 3/9 - 4/14
Orem Public Library, Orem, CANCELLED 4/15 - 5/18
Entrada Institute, Torrey, CANCELLED 5/19 - 6/23