Sculptor Brad Taggart will be presenting Plaza +ART's next Evening of Art scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 11. All are invited, and the event is free.

Taggart will speak about his work and love of art at 7 p.m. that night at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, 2525 W. Taylorsville Blvd. Please email plazaart@taylorsvilleut.gov to reserve your spot. Sculptor Dan Toone also has donated three of his own art pieces that will be raffled off to those attending. Raffle tickets are only $1 and you can purchase as many as you'd like. Proceeds are donated to the Plaza +ART program.

The evening's presenting artist created the breathtaking sculptures at the Veterans Memorial located in front of Taylorsville City Hall. This stunning memorial beautifully illustrates families joyfully welcoming their military loved ones home. See a bit more about Taggart and his inspiration as follows:

Brad Taggart is an arts professor at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. He loves all things sculpture, but at his core he is a portrait and figure sculptor. He received his MFA in sculpture from Brigham Young University. Taggart is a commissioned artist with works in several public and private collections. He is currently working on a commissioned sculpture for the Ephraim Cemetery Veterans Memorial.

The transformation from clay sculpture to bronze statue takes many steps, he explained. First, a wax of the original is created, dipped in paint five to seven times and coated with sand. Then, 2,150-degree liquid bronze is poured into the mold, the wax is melted out, ceramic is chipped off and the pieces are welded together.

We hope you'll join us to hear him speak further about his process and inspiration. These Evening of Art events, held periodically throughout the year, are planned as a way for the community to learn about and enjoy art. You can meet the artists presenting that night, see their work and hear about how they feel art benefits others.