MINERS9: A free art exhibit featuring Park City’s local creatives

Park City, Utah — The MINERS9 Art Exhibit will return for its 2025 season beginning April 25-27, offering visitors a free and intimate encounter with Park City’s creative community in the historic Miners Hospital, a landmark building dating back to 1904.

Held the last weekend of each month through September, the MINERS9 exhibit showcases a rotating group of nine artists working across mediums—from painting and photography to pottery, jewelry, metalwork and more. The event is free to the public and features free parking at the adjacent City Park.

“The MINERS9 is an alternative art exhibit experience for artists,” said Peg Bodell, founder and manager of the program. “It happens once a month at the Miners Hospital Community Center and coincides with Park City’s monthly Gallery Stroll on the last Friday. That way, we’re part of something bigger while still offering something uniquely personal and local.”

The exhibit was first launched in fall 2023 and has grown steadily in artist participation and community reach. The name “MINERS9” references both the historical venue and the format: nine featured artists each month, chosen with an emphasis on variety and community connection.

“We try to get as much diversity as possible,” Bodell said. “We have everything from encaustic and fiber art to glass, collage, photography and printmaking. That way, the community can come every month and always see something new.”

Assistant manager Sundyn Woolf echoed the importance of accessibility, both for audiences and artists. “Keeping it free is really important. We don’t want to put up any barriers,” Woolf said. “It’s not just about selling the art—it’s about connecting. Sometimes people just come to look and talk, and that’s what makes this feel so special.”

Located at 1354 Park Ave., the Miners Hospital building offers a central, walkable setting with natural light, large rooms, and a historic charm that artists say enhances the experience. “The building is just beautiful,” Woolf said. “We use both main floors, and the natural light through those huge windows showcases art really well. Everyone who walks in comments on the space.”

Beyond exposure, MINERS9 offers artists a supportive platform. “We provide tables, shelves and grids, so artists don’t have to haul tents and canopies like they would at a street fair,” Bodell said. “They get to curate their own space like a gallery and sell their own work directly. That interaction—both with the public and with other artists—is really meaningful.”

For Woolf, who works with encaustic paint and alcohol ink and has experimented with creative skateboard decks, MINERS9 offers an important step between studio and gallery. “This is one of those alternative ways to show work without the investment of a festival booth,” she said. “For me, it’s built my confidence and helped me push my creativity.”

New to 2025, Friday evenings will include live music from local musicians such as singer-songwriter Wyatt Pike, who will perform during the April exhibit. “We’re calling them strolling minstrels,” Bodell said. “We don’t have room for full bands, but this adds a beautiful touch to the Friday Night Gallery Stroll.”

As the program prepares for its third season, organizers report growing demand. “We’ve already filled most of our slots for the entire summer,” Bodell said. “Artists are excited and they’re talking to each other. This is becoming a known and valued space in the community.”

That community spirit also extends to how the program is run. “We keep the entry fee for artists very low,” Bodell said. “Even if someone doesn’t sell anything, they can still go home without a hit. That matters.”

For artists and art lovers alike, MINERS9 is more than an exhibit—it’s a gathering place. “It’s intimate, it’s local, it’s diverse,” said Woolf. “And it’s made for everyone.”

This month, MINERS9 will run April 25 from noon to 7 p.m., April 26 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, email miners9art@gmail.com.