By Bob Hembree
Lake Powell Chronicle

PAGE – Page City Council unanimously voted to move forward with the Grand Circle Arts Alliance proposal. The move opens the door for outdoor artesian vending and live music in downtown Page.

The council directed staff to prepare a contract and bring it back to the council for final approval.

According to city documents, “Maschelle Zia, along with constituents, introduced the concept of outdoor vending and a collective called the Grand Circle Artists Alliance.

“Maschelle stated there are professional, passionate artists who can create supplemental income for themselves, inspire the community’s youth, and provide evening activities for tourist during tourism season. GCCA is actively seeking a 501(c)(3), with their mission statement involving youth artists enrichment programs.”

The GCAA proposal covers a wide range of goals aimed at bringing page to life, including mentoring youth, bringing back the popular block parties, giving tourist more incentives to stay in Page and showcasing regional artists. All this is in line with the city’s efforts to make a Page a memorable destination rather than a stopover location.

Maschelle said, “We know that lots of destinations near Page are attracting folks, but we want to keep people in town; we want to give them something interesting to see and experience in town, so we hope to bring back some of the block parties that Page used to do and have more music and art events than then we currently have.”

The group has 53 members currently and meets every other week. The GCAA’s immediate goal is to reais funds to form a nonprofit corporation, which is roughly $1,500. Members are donating their original artwork for an auction and raffle event.

The proposed date and place is April 4 at John C. Page Memorial Park.