Beginning at the south entrance of Zion National Park, the mile journey opens with dramatic vistas and switchbacks, winds directly through sandstone cliffs via the Zion-Mt. Carmel Junction. From there, the journey north to equally spectacular Bryce Canyon can be completed in just over an hour. That was the goal when I set off on a clear, autumn Sunday. I hit the road around mid-morning, eager to take in the scenery between the two parks.
Traveling north through the tiny town of Mt. At first I drove by, but curiosity quickly got the best of me. I wandered around the handsomely appointed space, surprised to find an array of well-executed, original landscape paintings with a noticeably modern bent. Bingham seemed circumspect at first, but the conversation quickly blossomed. I was pleased to find myself on the receiving end of a frank, entertaining art history lesson. Bryce Canyon would have to wait.
After my chat with Bingham, I stuck around to take a casual, self-guided tour. Dixon took his time realizing that goal, constantly learning about his subject matter through real-life experience. For more than 50 years โ from the late 19th-century until his death in โ he produced a body of artworks admired for their sensitivity, masterful technique and lasting relevance.
That sense of genuine connection to the land and people of the Southwest makes his lovingly preserved home a worthy stop. None before him understood the brute grace of the West, and I would venture to say that few since him have been able to capture it so well.
Born in Fresno, Calif. He traveled extensively, crossed paths with other iconic 20th-century artists, married three times and fathered three children, all while living a life steeped in poetry and Western lore.
