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‘One galaxy, one goal’: Star Wars lovers unite in Southern Utah to fight for a good cause

Written by Jessi Bang January 4, 2024

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ST. GEORGE — From live-action lightsaber duels to movie-quality costumes, this group is bringing together Star Wars lovers from across Southern Utah. And there’s room for you, too.

“It’s a little escape from your daily life,” Connor Malcolm, the man behind Saber Guild Southern Utah, told St. George News. “That’s the main basis – we do it for charity. It’s a lot of fun. And everything is volunteer. We don’t get anything except for the joy of doing it.”

The Saber Guild is a not-for-profit, LucasFilm-recognized Star Wars costuming group that specializes in choreographed lightsaber shows. They perform at charity and community events, as well as comic book and sci-fi conventions, all to raise money for charity and share their love of Star Wars with fans around the world.

It all began in 2006 when members of established costuming organizations and unofficial lightsaber choreography groups came together in California. They joined forces to have fun, serve the community and represent the Star Wars brand in a way that hadn’t been done before.

Ten years later, the Saber Guild has over 700 members in 35 temples and eight countries. Malcolm took the initiative to start Saber Guild Southern Utah in November 2023. He and his wife have been costuming with Star Wars groups since 2015.

“One galaxy, one goal, is what we say,” Malcolm said. “We are a Lucasfilm-recognized costume club, which means they know we exist and are willing to let us perform on their behalf at events, but are not directly affiliated with Lucasfilm.”

Malcolm said they aren’t technically a Saber Guild temple yet. The worldwide group doesn’t recognize them until they have five members in costume — but not just any costume.

Members must make their costumes while following an extensive rule book. Once the costumes are completed, they submit them to the costume consular for review.

“Every costume you see that’s part of our group is movie quality,” Malcolm said. “They actually had them out in L.A. when they were filming Mandalorian. They had guys from our group help shoot because they didn’t have enough costumes.”

Currently, they are a subsidiary of the Vegas temple Nar Shaddaa.

Alan O’Bryan, a member of Saber Guild Southern Utah, said he, his wife and son became involved after seeing Malcolm’s post on Facebook. O’Bryan has a background in martial arts that includes medieval combat, while his wife is a dramaturge for the St. George Musical Theater.

“I’m more excited about the choreography and she’s more excited about the costumes,” O’Bryan said. “ It’s fun because it’s almost like a date night for us every week.”

Saber Guild Southern Utah member JC Alva said when it comes to choreographing a fight, there’s a number system, which helps create the moves and flow.

“Each strike would be a number,” Alva said, wielding a pretend lightsaber. “So then if I attacked here, that would be one. So one, two, three would be on the bottom, four five six.”

Saber Guild Southern Utah plans to put on Youngling Trainings where trainees are given pool noodles and taught how to wield a lightsaber. They hope to have everything for their guild ready by April, just in time for the LVL UP EXPO in Las Vegas.

The minimum age to join Saber Guild Southern Utah is 13. Join the Facebook Group to learn more. The group meets every Friday at 7 p.m. to practice at 1610 N. Dixie Downs Road in St. George.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

Written by Jessi Bang January 3, 2024

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IVINS — The work of this Sante Fe contemporary landscape painter is now on display at the St. George Art Museum. But how she creates her work is anything but ordinary.

Artist Kathleen Frank seeks out magnificent vistas in real life to depict in her paintings. And she’s hiked hundreds of miles to paint the land of the Southwest and West.

“I’ve always been into the arts for as far back as I can remember,” Frank said. “I was born into it and I never left.”

Willing to go any length to reach the precise vantage point she is seeking, many of her experiences have included long-distance hiking over rocky outcroppings and sprawling through the sagebrush to capture exactly what she’s drawn to.

She’s never been timid about climbing, trudging and scrambling to reach the bird’s-eye view of the colorful and uniquely rugged landscapes. And that uniqueness shows through onto the canvas.

How she developed as an artist

Frank said she grew up immersed in the arts. From art museums to painting with her parent’s artistic friends, she embraced it all. Through her father’s career as a foreign student advisor, she traveled internationally, visiting students as they returned home to their families. Those travels included art museums and memories she said she’ll never forget.

Spending time at various youth camps, she fell in love with the craft of wood carving. Initially learning from a resident woodcarver, she later took a class at an art center in Fort Collins, Colorado. After having children, she returned to woodcarving as a creative outlet that allowed her to remain in the arts around her kids’ schedule.

Being raised by two teachers, Frank said pursuing the same career felt like the natural path. In college, she majored in art before obtaining a degree in education.

“I taught art,” she said. “But I really didn’t think about being an artist because I just held them in such high regard. They’re somewhere up in the stars, those artist people.”

In order to teach in Pennsylvania, she returned to college to complete additional credits. That’s when she took a life drawing, figure drawing and printmaking class – an art form she quickly fell in love with. While she dived into oil painting on the side, she and a fellow student opened a printmaking studio.

After four years of running the studio, she decided to turn painting into her full-time career. And it took off.

“I went to New Mexico and I began selling, and it just became more important in my life,” she said. “I was then able to turn my hiking and travels and photography into paintings from all over the west.”

Frank will turn 80 next year, and while she has a past of backpacking, she now focuses more on shorter hikes into the wilderness. This last summer, she took a photographic workshop in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado where guides drove her and her husband into the backcountry.

One of her favorite places of all time to photograph is Bryce Canyon.

Frank’s recent and upcoming exhibitions include Northwest Montana History Museum, Kalispell, Montana; The University of New Mexico Valencia, Los Lunas, New Mexico; International Art Museum of America, San Francisco, California; The MonDak Heritage Center | Art & History Museum, Sidney, Montana; St. George Museum of Art, St. George, Utah; and WaterWorks Art Museum, Miles City, Montana.

Publications highlighting her work include, among others, Western Art & Architecture; LandEscape Art Review, London; Southwest Art; Art Folio; Artwork Gallery Magazine, Kyiv, UKR; Modern Renaissance, Washington, DC; Artful News and Notes, New Mexico State Committee/National Museum of Women in the Arts; ART UP MI, Milan; MVIBE Magazine, New York; Art Hole Magazine, London; Fine Art Connoisseur; Western Art Collector; Magazine 43, Berlin, Hong Kong and Manila; Monk Magazine, UK; Monograph, Calcutta; and CALYX, Journal of Art and Literature by Women.

Frank is represented by Christopher Clark Fine Art, San Francisco, California; La Posada de Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Saks Gallery | Cherry Creek Art Gallery, Denver, Colorado; and JJ Gillespie Gallery, McMurray, Pennsylvania.

An Artist’s View: Utah on Foot, Works by Kathleen Frank is on display at the St. George Art Museum at 47 E. 200 North in St. George from now until Feb. 24. A closing reception will take place Feb. 2 from 6-8 p.m.

For more information on Kathleen Frank and a gallery of her work, visit her website.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ST. GEORGE — A winter weather advisory will be in effect from noon Wednesday through 11 p.m. Thursday for Utah’s Southern Mountains, the counties of Washington, Iron, Beaver, Garfield and Kane and the towns of Brian Head and Alton.

Included in the advisory is Mohave County, Arizona, where the alert runs from 1 p.m. Wednesday through 5 a.m. Thursday MST.

The National Weather Service said in a news release that snow accumulations of 5-10 inches are expected. Motorists should plan for slippery road conditions and are reminded to slow down and use caution while traveling.

The Utah Highway Patrol also reminds drivers to be mindful of some useful practices while you’re behind the wheel negotiating winter road conditions:

The NWS forecast for Brian Head follows:

Snow Wednesday after 11 a.m. with a high near 21 and wind chill as low as -3. Breezy, with a south wind 20-24 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1-2 inches possible. Wednesday night snow could be heavy at times. Low around 11. Wind chill as low as -1. South southwest wind -11 mph becoming north northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 3-7 inches possible. Snow Thursday with a high near 16. North northwest wind 10-18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

The National Weather Service forecast for St. George follows:

Mostly cloudy Tuesday night, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 34. Calm wind becoming east 5-9 mph in the evening. Wednesday: rain likely after 11 a.m. Increasing clouds, with a high near 47. East wind 9-13 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%, with rain before 11 p.m. and then rain and snow are lifely. Low around 32. Calm wind becoming northwest around 6 mph in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. Thursday there’s a slight chance of rain and snow before 11 a.m., then a slight chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 47.

The NWS forecast for Cedar City follows:

Mostly cloudy Tuesday night with a low around 28. East wind 5-8 mph. Snow likely Wednesday after 11 a.m. with increasing clouds and a high near 40. East wind 6-16 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch is possible. Snow Wednesday night with a low of 24. South wind 5-7 mph becoming light and variable in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible. Thursay there’s a 50%chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. North wind 6-13 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Click here for graphical depictions of the snowfall forecast.

Click here for winter road conditions from the Utah Department of Transportation.

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — You have undoubtedly heard that real estate is an excellent investment and an ideal way to build wealth. This has proved to be true on a global scale. But how do you know that this idea holds true in an unstable economy with competitive housing prices and slowly climbing interest rates?

With so much uncertainty surrounding the economy and the general state of the world, we turn to the experts.

In a recent survey, Forbes Advisor polled nearly two dozen financial and real estate experts and found that the majority (57%) still agree that, despite a white-hot housing market, purchasing a home is still a fantastic investment as it builds the net worth of homeowners. Nearly 38% advised that potential buyers assess their circumstances and make the decision to purchase a home based on location and local markets, and Washington County continually ranks among the best markets and locations throughout the country.

When building wealth through homeownership, it’s also important to note that homeowners have a net worth that is an astounding 40 times higher than their renter counterparts, which solidifies home purchases as a wise financial move.

Wealth building is an overall mindset that has a large impact on other financial decisions related to saving and spending.

When an individual is financially responsible enough to own a home, they become an investor in their future through consistent wealth-building choices. Year after year, the net worth of homeowners grows as they pay down the balance of the home loan while the value of the property increases.

It’s easy to decide that you want to grow your wealth and make an investment for your future, but how do you do that – especially in the current market? This is where the expertise of a licensed realtor is invaluable. A decision of such magnitude comes with an array of potential issues, and a realtor helps you navigate bidding wars, contingencies and laws associated with the homebuying process.

At the end of the day, all residents of Washington County deserve the opportunity to build lasting wealth and realize their dreams of homeownership. Owning a home is still very much a part of the American dream.

Enlist the services of a local realtor, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your dreams, securing your future and creating stability in an ever-changing world. It’s sure to be an incredible journey.

• S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T •

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

ST. GEORGE — Local businesses that put their heart and soul into what they do are being recognized at the 2024 St. George Chamber Foundation Gala & Awards. And the top three nominees in each category have just been announced.

Shawn Christensen, president and CEO of the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce, said being a part of the annual gala has been a pleasure. The opportunity to recognize local businesses and the people behind them is something he looks forward to every year.

“For the last few years, we have focused on essentially a lifetime achievement award — people that have reached the pinnacle of their professional careers,” Christensen told St. George News. “And we’ve met some absolutely incredible people through that.”

They’re switching up this year’s awards to reflect a variety of local businesses. Featuring everything from long-standing corporations to fresh, new businesses with a promising future, the competition highlights the plethora of hard-working people of Washington County.

This year’s award categories include the Thrive Award, Hometown Hero Award, Trailblazer Award, Rising Star Award and Paragon Award.

“We feel like it’s time to give the awards back to the businesses,” he said. “Recognize these businesses that have done so much for the community.”

The St. George Area Chamber of Commerce said they are proud of the nearly 1,000 businesses they represent in Southern Utah. They will focus their awards this year on those businesses’s accomplishments.

Finalists

Thrive Award: This award honors a business that has achieved outstanding growth and success over the past year and has been open for five years or more.

Hometown Hero: This award honors an outstanding business that has made a difference through service.

Trailblazer Award: This award honors innovative businesses creating positive change.

Rising Star Award: This award honors a promising new business that has achieved rapid growth and success in its first few years of operation and has been open for fewer than five years.

Paragon Award: This award honors a long-standing business that has become a pillar of the community and has been for 15 years or more.

With 50 nominations for five awards, the average number of companies per award was 10 before being narrowed down to the three finalists.

On Jan. 20, the award’s annual gala will kick off with a reception that includes hors d’oeuvres, drinks and a cash bar. Once the gala begins, outgoing board members and new additions to the board will be recognized. This year, four board members who have served three years or more will step down and seven new members will join.

Next comes the award show, featuring a video highlight of the three finalists. An envelope will be provided and opened to reveal the winner. After the first three awards, a band will take the stage for 30 minutes. The final two awards will then be presented, followed by a sixth award given by the Utah Travel and Tourism Office.

The St. George Chamber Foundation has partnered with the St. George Lodging and Tourism Association to create a scholarship fund for employees working in the Southern Utah tourism and hospitality industry. All profits from the 2024 Gala will be donated to this fund and matched by the St. George Lodging and Tourism Association.

Recipients of scholarships use these funds to further their education in the tourism and hospitality industry, helping them to grow their skill set and advance their careers.

The St. George Area Chamber of Commerce 2024 St. George Chamber Foundation Gala & Awards Presented by Greater Zion will take place Saturday, Jan. 20, from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Dixie Convention Center Garden Room. For more information and tickets, visit the event page

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.