ST. GEORGE — Canyon Media has released a print coloring book filled with fun, stress-relieving activities for families. Featuring scenes of Southern Utah life, “Color the Desert” is now available to the community at no cost.
“Color the Desert” was conceived, sketched and produced entirely by the Canyon Media design team.
“They are all extremely talented,” said James Krietzer, director of digital media for Canyon Media. “We didn’t know we had the ability to create a coloring book, and it turned out awesome.”
The book, which Krietzer said will hopefully be the first of many produced for the community, took root in a coloring contest held earlier this year. In connection with the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office’s #StayGreater campaign, Canyon Media released downloadable coloring pages in April, encouraging Southern Utahns to share their creativity on social media for a chance to win prizes from local businesses. Feedback from the community was positive, Krietzer said, and Canyon Media General Manager Ben Lindquist promptly gave his approval to expand the project.
“We were all working from home, and this was a way to break us out of our collective creative slump while also providing something to the community,” Canyon Media Senior Designer Krys Tibbs said. “That evolved into the idea of creating an actual coloring book.”
With the support of Canyon Media’s advertising partners, the book is offered as a free gift to the community while supplies last; 5,000 copies have been printed and are being distributed in the St. George area.
“Color the Desert” is currently available at these Southern Utah locations:
- Red Cliffs Mall, 1770 E. Red Cliffs Drive, St. George.
- Terrible Herbst, 4655 S. Pioneer Road, St. George and 934 N. Commerce Blvd., Washington City.
- Riverfront Medical Center, 617 E. Riverside Drive, St. George.
- St. George Car Wash & Detail Center, 1182 S. Bluff St., St. George.
- Fabulous Freddy’s Car Wash, 806 N. Bluff St., St. George.
- Canyon Media, 3143 S. 840 East #100, St. George.
“Color the Desert” contains coloring challenges for kids of all ages along with word puzzles and other activity pages.
“Our goal was to create something that anyone could enjoy,” Tibbs said. “There are simple pages, complex pages, activities, trucks, mermaids, dinosaurs, pickleball and even a cowboy riding a roadrunner.”
The images within “Color the Desert” will be familiar to St. George locals and include popular landmarks and businesses. Themes center around togetherness, summertime activities and supporting the community as well as Southern Utah’s economy.
“We hope that it’s well-received, and we hope to do a lot more to give back and help local businesses out,” Krietzer said.
According to Colorit.com, research has demonstrated that the activity of coloring holds therapeutic benefits for both children and adults, leading to a rise in the popularity of coloring books for all ages. Some people have integrated coloring into their mindfulness and meditation routines. And you don’t have to be an artist – just grab some pencils or crayons and let your creativity flow.
“Coloring is an easy way to sit and have conversations with your family, and it’s a great way to relieve stress,” Tibbs said. “This year has been hard, so I hope that parents are able to take time to sit with their kids and color. I hope people get excited flipping through and seeing familiar Southern Utah themes. And I want to see everyone’s colored pages!”
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