Chris Pytlik showed colorful carved bowls at the Utah Arts Festival:

“Every show is a gamble. You fork out the jury fee, booth fee, travel expenses. There’s no guarantee. You might break even. You might come up short.”

Life for a festival artist also can be bizarre. Evidence the reaction of a festival patron to a booth sign giving Pytlik’s name and hometown:

“We had one lady look up from the sign and say, ‘Oh, you’re from Sandy? Do you drink coffee?’ They want to know if you’re Mormon or non-Mormon. I was tempted to say, ‘No, but I do drink whiskey.’ You want to know if we’re Mormon? Just ask us.